‘I know what he’s made of:' Why the Bengals believe in Jake Browning
A chat with quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher. Nobody should be surprised if Cincinnati stays in the AFC playoff race.
There’s no atomic bomb in pro football quite like your starting quarterback going down for an extended period of time. Hope is crushed, and it’s palpable in a locker room. Shocker: The best offenses orbit around the QB. So, it’s understandable if there’s a foul smell.
This most certainly was the case at Lambeau Field, in 2013, when Aaron Rodgers broke his left clavicle. Three years after winning a Super Bowl — and only two years after torching records — head coach Mike McCarthy was exposed as ordinary. First, Seneca Wallace went down. Then, Scott Tolzien couldn’t stop turning the ball over. It got so bad the Green Bay Packers called an old friend (Matt Flynn) abandoned by three different teams (Seahawks, Raiders, Bills) in a span of seven months.
To that point, McCarthy built his reputation as a quarterback guru of sorts. We even chatted about it for an hour the year prior. But this 2-5-1 stretch was unequivocal proof that everything ran through Aaron Rodgers, a complicated fella who harbored a ton of disdain for his head coach. One source who was close to Rodgers said the QB used to complain nonstop about McCarthy. He’d change plays constantly. “Mike has a low football IQ, and that used to always bother Aaron,” that source once told me. “He’d say Mike has one of the lowest IQs, if not the lowest IQ, of any coach he’s ever had.”
So, perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised when the Packers dissolved from within.
But this doesn’t have to be the case every time a QB goes down with injury.
As offensive football evolves, we’ve seen evidence that — if the coaching is strong enough, if the X’s and O’s are innovative enough — a team can not only function, but flourish with a backup quarterback. In 2017, Nick Foles beat Tom Brady in a Super Bowl. In 2022, the San Francisco 49ers lost both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. Their No. 3, a “Mr. Irrelevant” names Brock Purdy then went 8-1 with 1,934 yards, 16 touchdowns and only four picks. This season, the Minnesota Vikings fell to 1-4, lost Justin Jefferson to a hamstring injury, Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles and all Joshua Dobbs has done is lead them right into the playoff race.
The culture in Minnesota is strong under Kevin O’Connell, in atmosphere and schematics.
Kyle Shanahan is one of the league’s best play designers and Doug Pederson one of the best quarterback whisperers.
The estimation here? Head coach Zak Taylor, offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher and everything the Cincinnati Bengals have been building fits into this category. Not the McCarthy bucket. (Related: His Dallas Cowboys went 6-10 without Dak Prescott in 2020.)
Out is Joe Burrow, the richest player in football. The perennial MVP candidate.
In is Jake Browning, who was undrafted in 2019, waived by the Vikings in 2021, and worked his way up from the Bengals practice squad. But the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder is incredibly decorated. He set the national passing touchdown record (299) in high school and then placed sixth in the Heisman voting in 2016 at Washington after throwing for 43 scores. My pal Paul Dehner Jr. has a great story on Browning this week.
Miss our Friday Feature? Orlando Brown Jr., “Son of Zeus” was built for the storm.
He has produced in the past. Confidence is not a problem. Nor is his supporting cast.
Ja’Marr Chase is one of the best wide receivers in the game. He always warrants 50/50 balls. Orlando Brown Jr., the subject of our Friday Feature, is one of the best left tackles. He’s bringing that “Zeus” perspective. Cincinnati has proven it can run the ball with Joe Mixon. And coordinator Lou Anarumo is one of the best defensive minds in the sport.
Cincinnati hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. A team fresh off firing its embattled offensive coordinator.
Nobody should bat an eye if the 5-5 Bengals claw their way into the playoffs.
But, let’s be clear. They’ll need Browning to step up.
To get answers on the new quarterback, Go Long caught up again with Pitcher, the QB coach central to everything. He’s the one who has spent every day getting Browning ready for this moment.
Pitcher’s own rise is fascinating. The Cortland, N.Y. native played a key role in guiding Burrow through a rocky 2022 season and was at it again in 2023. Now, Burrow is out with the wrist injury.
And he believes in Browning…