Williams: Jake Browning proves everyone wrong about him, Cincinnati Bengals

Jake Browning was too small. His arm was too weak. His decision-making was too dreadful.

No way would this guy make it as an NFL quarterback. That’s what the so-called NFL draft experts and other critics once said about Browning.

For one night, Browning proved it all wrong.

In his second NFL start, Joe Burrow’s backup threw for 354 amazing yards and a touchdown, lifting the Bengals to an improbable 34-31 overtime road win against first-place Jacksonville on Monday night.

“He just lit the world on fire,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “Really proud of Jake.”

Who knows if Browning will ever do it again, but who cares right now. As ESPN’s Troy Aikman said of Browning: “It was a night to remember.”

Browning, who had to wait nearly five years to play in a meaningful NFL game, helped the Bengals accomplish something that hadn’t been done since 1990 – win a Monday night road game.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. The Bengals were nearly double-digit underdogs going to Florida. Browning and the whole team looked terrible in last week’s 16-10 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the first full game without Burrow, who’s out for the season with a bum wrist. The Bengals looked like a team that may not win another game.

Everyone just expected the Bengals to play out the string.

The beauty of sports is guys like Browning aren’t fazed by adversity and extreme odds. His opportunity came amid the adversity of the Burrow injury. No way was Browning going to play out the string.

Browning went undrafted in 2019 out of the University of Washington, for reasons mentioned already. He didn’t listen to all the critics. He made Minnesota’s practice squad and toiled there for a few years. He then made Cincinnati’s practice squad and toiled there some more.

Browning believed in himself. He worked hard. He kept his mouth shut. He’s humble. He listened to his coaches. He listened to Burrow. Browning didn’t pack it in after a bad game vs. the Steelers. He came out Monday and didn’t try to force things. He threw short passes. He patiently found open receivers. He did what Burrow does – found Ja’Marr Chase.

What a story, regardless of what happens the rest of the season. Browning showed us all something: If you believe in something, don’t give up on it. We love a guy like that in Cincinnati – a hustling, humble, never-quit underdog.

The Bengals probably aren’t going to make the playoffs. Suddenly, though, Browning has given Bengals fans hope that they’re going to put up a fight down the stretch. The locker room seems to love Browning. It's easy seeing the Bengals adopting Browning's never-give-up, underdog approach the rest of the way.

“We’re still alive,” Taylor told the players in the locker room, according to ESPN. “Don’t doubt us.”

Contact columnist Jason Williams by email at jwilliams@enquirer.com.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Jake Browning makes Cincinnati Bengals believe in win vs. Jacksonville