Both the Cincinnati Bengals and NFL fans were devastated midday Friday when it was announced that quarterback Joe Burrow was ruled out for the rest of the season. In a critical divisional matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, Burrow left the game with an unknown wrist injury. While most Bengals fans were frustrated with the 34-20 loss, reality set in after the game. Their franchise quarterback injured his right throwing wrist. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed that Burrow had torn a ligament and is out for the season. This is a significant blow for a team that had been dominating, defeating Super Bowl contenders in the San Francisco 49ers and the Buffalo Bills.
Despite the widespread belief that the Bengals cannot make the playoff without their MVP caliber quarterback, recent history shows that they can still compete. Burrow is the sixth quarterback to face a season ending injury. Along with those six, nine other quarterbacks have missed time with injuries this season. Many backup quarterbacks have entered the scene and proven they can win. Significant examples of this include Vikings’ quarterback Josh Dobbs, and Bears’ quarterback Tyson Bagnet. There are many parallels between the Vikings disaster when Kirk Cousins went down with injury, and the Bengals current situation. The Vikings proved that it is possible to dominate even with a new quarterback under center.
Jake Browning, likely the Bengals quarterback moving forward, may not be Joe Burrow, but he brings his own skills to the table. Browning’s play-extending skills and ability to utilize his legs were shown in his limited opportunities against the Ravens. Along with this, he also showed confidence as a passer given the situation, he was put in. The play-extending skill and pocket passing accuracy Browning has been very Joe Burrow-like. While he is obviously not near Joe Burrows level of talent, the offense should have no problem adapting to Browning at quarterback. While there has been speculation about signing a bigger-name quarterback like Matt Ryan or Nick Foles, Browning’s playstyle aligns well enough to give him a chance. Being with the team all offseason, Browning is already an expert on the system. The success will ultimately be determined by if Browning can deliver consistent execution on a week-to-week basis.
Currently 1.5 games out of the playoff picture, the Bengals should not throw away this season. The winning culture in Cincinnati is real and will thrive if Browning plays well enough. With the plethora of offensive and defensive weapons, this team is built to be a playoff team, with or without Joe Burrow at quarterback.
Third Down With Devin 