CINCINNATI -- Even after two rough outings, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning has the full backing of his head coach.
On Wednesday, Bengals coach Zac Taylor stood steadfast in supporting Browning after back-to-back defeats in which the offense has struggled. "I've got a ton of confidence in Jake," Taylor said. "I'm unwavering in that. I've seen the best of Jake. I know that we can do a great job supporting him to where he can go win games for us."
Browning started the last two games in place of the injured Joe Burrow. Burrow is recovering following surgery on Sept. 19 to repair a turf toe injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
When Burrow went down in that game, Browning threw three interceptions before turning in a comeback, game-winning drive in a 31-27 victory.
But since then, the Bengals have scored a combined 13 points in two games and Browning has struggled. He has completed 63.5% of his passes for 265 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, giving five total turnovers in three games. Browning's Total QBR of 26.5 ranks 33rd out of 35 players. The only players with a worse rating, the Cleveland Browns' Joe Flacco and New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson, have been benched by their respective clubs.
The Bengals initially surveyed available options to replace Burrow when he suffered the injury to the big toe on his left foot. "With every position, we're always assessing," said Taylor, adding that the primary responsibility for that lies with the personnel department. "They do a great job of that -- presenting us options when Joe went down." The team added two depth options, veterans Brett Rypien and Mike White, to bolster the back of the roster. Rypien is the current backup while White is on the practice squad.
Browning has had previous success as the team's starter. In 2023, Browning started seven games after Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury. He posted a 60.8 Total QBR and completed 70.4% of his passes for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. This year, that success has eluded him to this point. After the team's 28-3 loss to the Denver Broncos, Browning took it upon himself to evaluate where things need to improve. "There's a lot that goes into it and I'm focused on my role and trying to be the solution," Browning said after the game. "Finding a way to be more explosive, put up more points, sustain more drives, to be better on third down. Just play better offense in general."
That falls on the coaches, too. When asked to evaluate Browning's recent stretch, Taylor declined and said the lack of recent output is a reflection on the entire offense -- including on the coach himself. "First and foremost as the head coach, it's not a reflection on one player," said Taylor, who is also the team's offensive playcaller. "It's on me. I've got to get ourselves in a better position to be able to go."
On Wednesday, Cincinnati offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher added that no players and coaches are playing well enough to put the team in a winning position. "It seems like the boring answer, but it is true," Pitcher said. "We've got to do everything around Jake to help him and then we need Jake's best. We've seen Jake and what he can do when he is playing at his best and we've got to get him there."