Imagine a genie who grants just one wish, not three, then picks it for you.
That is what it is like to be the Cincinnati Bengals.
The supernatural spirit speaks: “Which is it to be, your best start since 2018 or a healthy Joe Burrow?”
Before anyone gets a chance to think, let alone speak, the genie decides anyway.
So, the Bengals win their home opener, beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-27. Head Coach Zac Taylor gets his first-ever 2-0 start.
And Joe Burrow faces surgery and at least three months out with a serious turf toe injury.
It seems like, if things are starting to go well, the football gods must somehow redress the balance.
Helping hand from the opposition
Like last week’s victory in Cleveland, the Bengals could have lost on Sunday were it not for their opposition’s self-inflicted wounds. (Read Thomas’ article for more about the Jaguars point of view.)
Jacksonville piled up 410 total yards and scored on five of their first seven possessions. Rookie Bhayshul Tuten and Travis Etienne both rushed for over 5 yards a carry and Trevor Lawrence found open receivers at will.
But errors – and some opportunistic ball-hawking – kept the game close. An underthrown pass was picked off by Dax Hill in the end zone, while a tipped ball gave Jordan Battle his second interception of the year.
Two late drops were also costly. First, Dyami Brown let a would-be TD pass fly through his hands. Then Brian Thomas Jr. failed to reel in a gutsy 4th-and-5 when an easy field goal was on the cards for Jacksonville.
The Bengals’ defense bent a long way but it did not break.
Joe’s toe of woe
That is more than could be said for the much-maligned O-line, which allowed Burrow to be pressured on half his dropbacks.
The team failed to address the obvious weakness at guard this offseason, opting for rookie Dylan Fairchild and journeyman Lucas Patrick. Patrick is already injured and his replacement, Dalton Risner – a late free agent pickup – is still acclimatising.
Regardless of the personnel, they succumbed to a four-man rush midway through the second quarter that took Burrow down… and out.
This latest injury, which we all saw coming, all but scuppers the season. Responsibility falls on the players, for sure, but the coaches and the front office are also accountable.
Browning steps in
Trailing 17-10 at half-time and down a franchise quarterback, the outlook for the Bengals was bleak.
Backup QB Jake Browning has filled in before with a modicum of success. An undrafted free agent in 2019, he first saw regular-season action in 2023, going 4-3 over seven starts. That said, he is no Burrow
However, once adjustments were made, Cincinnati rallied. The substitute gunslinger had his rabbit-in-headlights moments, leading to three picks, but played as well as any QB2 is expected to, throwing for 241 yards and two touchdowns.
Ja’Marr Chase bounced back from Week 1 with 165 yards and a TD from 14 catches. Tee Higgins hauled in a 42-yard score, mossing two defenders at once. Even offseason darling Mitchell Tinsley pulled in a spectacular one-handed grab inside the paint. Not bad for his first NFL reception.
On the other side of the ball, Trey Hendrickson earned his recent pay rise again. He was the team’s only semblance of a pass rush but his five QB pressures and a late sack were (just) enough.
The final drive
Trailing 27-24 and starting on his own 8-yard line, Browning had under four minutes to force overtime, if not orchestrate a win. No pressure.
With Zac Taylor obliged to be bold, the final drive – 16 plays for 92 yards – included two successful 4th downs. The second was a field-stretching bomb to Andre Iosivas, which drew pass interference from rookie Travis Hunter. That chunk gain was vital.
Even so, a stressful sequence of goal-line stops inside the 5-yard line made a game-tying field goal attempt seem all but inevitable.
But the stand-in QB had one more ace to play. He swaggered into the last-chance saloon with arms extended, leaping over the pile to break the plane with just 19 seconds remaining.
Browning’s third game-winning drive since 2023 – one more than Burrow – illustrates that when the chips are down, he has the necessary moxie. Post-game, he credited his “delusional and aggressive” confidence.
So many questions
The Bengals may be 2-0 but the issues are obvious. Their main man is crocked and those paid handsomely to protect him – and now his understudy – are not doing so.
Burrow has been blitzed the fewest of all QBs over the last four years but hit within 2.5 seconds of the snap the most times. What does that tell you?
The doubts about Burrow’s health, both immediate and long-term, cast a shadow over this so-called “fast start”. But those dark thoughts can wait for another day.
Now, it is all about enjoying the win and seeing what Browning can conjure up next.
Looking forward
One positive is that, for a change, the Bengals are not trying to dig themselves out of a 0-2 hole. In fact, they are a game clear at the top of the AFC North.
Next up are the Vikings, Browning’s former team. He beat them in dramatic fashion in 2023 while filling in the last time Burrow missed games. After turning a 17-3 third-quarter defecit into a 27-24 win, he told reporters, “They never should have fired me.”
That chip on his shoulder is exactly what is needed because the genie’s decision is final. Burrow is out and all hopes for the season lie in Browning’s hands.
