Analysis: 3 takeaways from Bengals 31-27 comeback win over Jacksonville

Backup quarterback Jake Browning has much to improve upon from his first significant action since 2023, if he is needed to start next week at Minnesota, but he did enough to play the role of a hero Sunday, leading the Bengals to a 31-27 win over Jacksonville in the home opener.

Despite throwing three interceptions after entering midway through the second quarter, Browning bounced back to guide the Bengals down the field 92 yards on the final drive for the game-winning touchdown, which he punched in from the 1-yard line on a leap into the end zone with 18 seconds left.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Here are three takeaways from the game:

1. Losing a crucial piece

Burrow tried to extend a play on a second-and-20 in the second quarter but ran into pressure and ended up taking a 5-yard sack. As Arik Armstead brought him down by the foot, at least two other players landed on him.

He walked off on his own after trainers tended to him, but Burrow went to the blue medical tent and eventually needed to be helped to the locker room, ending his day. It was a tough sight for the Bengals, who already have seen Burrow suffer two season-ending injuries derail them in his first five seasons.

Cincinnati was down 14-7 at the time.

Several media outlets are reporting Burrow is believed to have turf toe with torn ligaments and could be out several weeks. If surgery is required, he could miss up to three months. There’s no question his absence is felt, even during a slow individual start to the season.

“I don’t know what the injury was or if it was serious or not, but when No. 9 goes down, we feel that as a team, but that’s extra motivation on top of the motivation we already have in the game,” safety Jordan Battle said. “When he goes down, we love Jake, we’ve got faith in Jake. It was 2023, my rookie year, when he came in (with Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury) and he did a great job, so we’ve got all the faith in Jake to go out and do what it takes to win a game, like he did today.”

2. Stepping up in key moments

The defense did its part getting stops in timely moments of the game, including interceptions by Jordan Battle and Dax Hill in the first half, but most importantly, forced a turnover on downs to set up the game-winning drive.

On the drive before that, Jacksonville made a surprising decision to punt on fourth-and-2 near midfield with 6:09 left, perhaps taking the chance that Browning wouldn’t be able to move the ball. That proved to be the case when Browning followed with his third pick of the game to put Jacksonville on the Cincinnati 12-yard line, but on first down, Hill came up big with a tackle for loss on the talented Travis Etienne Jr. and Battle and Logan Wilson got a key third-down stop to force a decision by new Jaguars coach Liam Coen.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Instead of kicking a field goal, Jacksonville went for it, and Brian Thomas Jr. dropped Trevor Lawrence’s fourth-down pass.

“You just keep reiterating to find a way,” linebacker Logan Wilson said. “Everything that happened in that game to that point, it doesn’t matter anymore. Just keep finding a way. Everyone understands that, and we’re going to find a way to execute.”

The Bengals had less than four minutes to complete the comeback and went for the win instead of forcing overtime. Browning converted a fourth-down pass to Chase Brown, a defensive pass interference moved the chains on another fourth down and Browning stayed aggressive to get Cincinnati down the field for the win.

“He bounced back, making good plays, making good reads for the receivers, giving them opportunities for the ball,” Chase said. “He was just giving us opportunities.”

Chase had a 16-yard catch on the final drive to cap a memorable day, as he finished with 165 yards and touchdown (on a 4-yard pass from Burrow) on 14 receptions. He topped 200 career catches and became the fifth fastest in NFL history to achieve that milestone in Week 2 of his fifth season.

Browning threw touchdown passes to undrafted rookie Mitch Tinsley and Tee Higgins, a 42-yarder.

3. Setting the tone

The Bengals are 2-0 for the first time since 2018, something never done under Zac Taylor, who arrived as head coach in 2019.

Neither victory looked particularly good, but Cincinnati found ways to win, and that’s all it takes.

“To be 2-0 right now is great,” Wilson said. “So much room for growth, though. … I’m just really proud of our guys for just finding a way with all the adversity. Just to find a way to win. That’s the most important thing, as wins are so hard to come by in this league.”

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

In the opener last week at Cleveland, a 17-16 win, the Bengals took the lead on an Evan McPherson field goal in the third quarter and the offense went three-and-out on the last four drives, while the defense closed out the game with the help of two interceptions, a forced turnover on downs and a missed field goal for the Browns.

This time, Browning overcame his own mistakes to lead what he called a “delusional drive,” and the defense did its part with timely stops.

“They just looked each other in the eye in the second half and said we’re going to figure out a way to win this game, and that’s exactly what they did,” Taylor said.

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