The Bengals picked up their first win since quarterback Joe Burrow was lost for the season with an ankle injury, as backup Jake Browning guided them to an overtime victory against the Jaguars on Monday Night Football.
After the game, Browning spoke with ESPN’s Lisa Salters on the field to discuss the victory, and he had a humble response to a question about getting the first win of his NFL career.
“It’s been a long time since I won a game,” said Browning, via Adam Schefter.
He’s not wrong.
Bengals’ QB Jake Browning: 32-of-37 passing, 354 yards, two total touchdowns.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 5, 2023
And his first NFL win. “It’s been a long time since I won a game,” he told @saltersl.
Prior to Monday night, the last time Browning quarterbacked a team to a victory came way back in 2018 when he was playing at the University of Washington. Browning won 39 games across his four-year career with the Huskies, but had never taken a snap in an NFL game up until this season.
Browning was outstanding on Monday, completing 32-of-37 pass attempts for 354 yards and two total touchdowns. He recorded the most passing yards by a Cincinnati quarterback in a game this season and kept the Bengals in the playoff race at 6–6.
Despite not having had many reps over the past half-decade, Browning has put on a strong showing in relief of the injured Burrow, particularly true on Monday.
Hopefully for the 27-year-old, there will be more wins to follow, starting next week when Cincinnati hosts the Colts in Week 14.