Bengals' Zac Taylor Expresses Confidence in Backup Jake Browning as Joe Burrow Faces Toe Surgery

CINCINNATI — Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Monday he trusts backup quarterback Jake Browning to lead the team while franchise quarterback Joe Burrow recovers from surgery on an injured left big toe that is expected to sideline Burrow for at least three months.

Browning, who has been with Cincinnati since 2021 and served on the practice squad for two seasons, stepped in last season and went 4-3 as a starter after Burrow suffered a right wrist injury. He started Sunday’s 31-27 win over Jacksonville and accounted for three touchdowns — two passing and one rushing — while going 21 of 32 for 241 yards. The Bengals scored on four of the eight drives Browning led, including a game-sealing 92-yard, 15-play final possession capped by Browning’s 1-yard sneak.

"He knows the playbook inside and out. He’s going to be making protection adjustments. He is going to be able to make the right adjustments. He’s fully capable to go out there and lead it," Taylor said. The coach noted this will be the third extended period in his tenure coaching the Bengals without Burrow available and said the team will not dramatically change its game plans with Browning under center.

Browning, who completed 9 of 12 passes for 65 yards on Cincinnati’s final drive against Jacksonville, emphasized that preparation helps ease the transition from backup to starter. "If anything, it’s easier. I’ll get the walkthrough reps and the practice reps," he said. Browning has appeared in 13 regular-season games for the Bengals and had a strong finish to 2023, including a run of four straight games with at least 275 passing yards and a 29-of-42, 324-yard performance in a victory at Minnesota.

Cincinnati now faces a demanding stretch of opponents. This week’s game at Minnesota begins a five-game run against teams that made the playoffs last season: at Denver on Monday night, a home game against Detroit, a trip to Green Bay and a Thursday night home matchup with Pittsburgh. If the Bengals can navigate that slate with Browning, they will return home for games against the New York Jets and Chicago before their bye week.

Defensively, Cincinnati picked off two passes against Jacksonville and has recorded at least four interceptions through the first two games of the season, the franchise’s best start in that category since 2014. Safety Jordan Battle has an interception in each of the first two games, the first Bengal to do so since Ashley Ambrose in 1996.

Offensively, the running game has struggled, averaging 2.4 yards per carry entering Monday night action and producing a season-long rush of 11 yards. Guard Dalton Risner was beaten by Jacksonville defensive tackle Arik Armstead on the play that knocked Burrow out of the game; Risner was charged with a sack and three pressures. Rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart is listed as doubtful after suffering a right ankle injury in the fourth quarter.

Rookie wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley made a highlight-reel play in the win, hauling in a one-handed, 13-yard touchdown in the left corner of the end zone for his first NFL reception. Meanwhile, star receiver Ja’Marr Chase continued a notable early-career milestone, registering his sixth game with at least 10 receptions, 150 receiving yards and a touchdown catch, surpassing Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce for the most such games by a player under age 26.

Taylor, 2-0 to start the season, said Sunday’s victory showed the team’s resilience. The Bengals visit the Vikings on Sunday seeking a 3-0 start for the first time since 2015. Cincinnati has won two straight and three of four meetings against Minnesota.