Quick Hits: The Resilient Bengals Turn the Tide; Chase Brown Takes the Stage; Nothing Can Cramp Browning’s Style
Fresh off his offensive line’s 385-yard-no-sack clinic against the Colts, Bengals Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. saw what his team is all about when AJ McCarron fired what appeared to be his first NFL touchdown pass in eight years in his first game back in the league in three years.
It was nullified by wide receiver Tee Higgins’ offensive pass interference penalty, a footnote in the 34-14 victory at Paycor Stadium on Sunday. Brown, on the other hand, is making the playoffs for the seventh time in his seven NFL seasons.
“I know AJ was able to come and do what he does best. He threw it right up there for Tee,” Brown said. “That’s the character of this organization and this team. Resiliency.”
Playing their third game since losing Pro Bowl quarterback and resident miracle man Joe Burrow, the Bengals secured their biggest win yet because it puts them at 7-6 and in the heart of the playoff race as they rode another deadly accurate outing from backup quarterback Jake Browning.
Resilient?
For the second time in six days they survived a microwave momentum shift. Monday night in Jacksonville it was giving up a 21-14 lead and falling behind 28-21 because of a 17-second sequence late in the third quarter. On Sunday at the tail end of the first half, a 14-0 lead turned into a 14-14 halftime tie in 25 seconds.
They do what playoff teams do and survived to tell about both.
“That goes to our coaches,” Brown said. “They stayed the course the way they called the game and put us in a great situation.”
Not only did they survive Sunday’s mishap, they rolled the Colts in the second half with 20 answered points.
“We’ve had a lot of adversity as a team. We’ve faced both sides of it. Both sides of momentum swings. It’s nothing to us,” said right tackle Jonah Williams. “We know how to handle it. It’s one of the qualities of this team. Yeah, we’re not undefeated right now, but we know how to handle some uphill battles and how to overcome them and that’s what we were able to do today.”
Browning, who threw 18 more darts to give him the accuracy record (75.4% completion rate) for a player in his first three starts since 1950, said he still felt confident going into halftime despite throwing a game-tying pick-six trying to hit tight end Tanner Hudson over the middle.
My thought process was, ‘The only time that they haven’t stopped us is when I threw it to the other team. So, just don’t do that, and we’ll move the ball well,'” Browning said.
CRAMPS ALERT: Not even an injury can stifle Browning’s style. In the first minute of the fourth quarter, Browning ran off the field on a second-down scramble and continued running into the Bengals locker room holding his right thumb, just 24 days after Burrow broke his wrist.
His right forearm had cramped, but he was back in four plays after receiving an IV. He was under no obligation to throw another pass, but he could have.
“I had heard it was a cramp, so I didn’t think anything was too bad,” Jonah Williams explained. “I had PTSD from the quarterback grabbing their wrist area.” That didn’t sit well with me.”
It turns out that while Browning was keeping the Bengals’ playoff hopes alive, he wasn’t drinking enough water.
“It’s pretty dumb, but I just have to drink more water and electrolytes, I guess,” she said. “I think when it’s cold, you’re just not thirsty.” So, yeah, that’s probably the game’s main takeaway. Improve your hydration.”
“I had heard it was a cramp, so I didn’t think anything was too bad,” Jonah Williams explained. “I had PTSD from the quarterback grabbing their wrist area.” That didn’t sit well with me.”
It turns out that while Browning was keeping the Bengals’ playoff hopes alive, he wasn’t drinking enough water.
“It’s pretty dumb, but I just have to drink more water and electrolytes, I guess,” she said. “I think when it’s cold, you’re just not thirsty.” So, yeah, that’s probably the game’s main takeaway. Improve your hydration.”
Brown also added a 25-yard field goal. Mixon’s longest play in two years was a 45-yard ramble. Brown’s long run was the Bengals’ longest play since Giovani Bernard’s 61-yard run-and-catch in 2017.
Brown followed up his breakout game in Jacksonville Monday night with 61 yards on nine carries with his first 100-yard day from scrimmage, 80 through the air and 25 rushing. Mixon had 123 yards from scrimmage after barreling for 79 yards on the ground.
“I can tell that boy’s been taking notes,” Mixon commented. “I enjoy seeing that. It’s wonderful to see. He’s doing the little things correctly, which is something we teach in our running back room.”
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