Jake Browning played well when he filled in for an injured Joe Burrow during the Cincinnati Bengals' 2023 season en route to a 4-3 starting record. Alas, Browning looked like a shell of himself relative to then in Week 3's 48-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Heading into this past Sunday's action, I was bullish on Browning exacting vengeance on his former team just as he did two seasons ago in a 27-24 overtime thriller. So was sportscasting legend Rich Eisen, who even opined that Browning is better than a third of starting quarterbacks across the NFL.
If Browning is indeed a near-league-average starter, he didn't look like it in his 2025 starting debut. That's reflected in a new set of QB power rankings.
Jake Browning brings up the rear in post-Week 3 NFL QB power rankings
Sayre Bedinger of FanSided's NFL Spin Zone dropped some new quarterback power rankings as the pro football world braces for Week 4. And I say "brace" regarding the Bengals, because they'll be in for a stiff test in Denver on Monday Night Football.
Before we dive any further into what lies ahead, here's what Bedinger had to say in ranking Browning 32nd out of 32 starting QBs:
"Nobody was under the illusion that things were going to be great with a Joe Burrow injury in Week 2, but Jake Browning has been an inefficient turnover machine. He’s obviously a backup, so you can’t be too harsh, but the way the Bengals laid flat against the Vikings – who were also using a backup QB – was disappointing. Browning had another pair of interceptions and the offense lost three fumbles. Ugly."
Facing a Vikings defense masterminded by Brian Flores was no picnic. Week 4 won't be any easier for Browning and Co.
The Broncos are tied with the Rams for the league lead with 12 sacks. That doesn't bode well for Browning or the Bengals' offensive line to put it in the kindest terms I'm capable of.
Now listen, I don't put much of that awful blowout on Browning whatsoever. Cincinnati cannot run the football, which makes life difficult for even the best QBs on the planet. Yes, Browning threw two interceptions to go with the three he had in Week 2, but he didn't lose three fumbles.
Good luck winning any game in the NFL when you turn it over five times. The bare minimum ball security and just a little better play from the defense should render the Bengals far more competitive in the Mile High City.
Unfortunately for Browning, the widespread perception is that he's among the worst starting QBs in the sport. I don't agree with this, nor do I expect him to continue rocking a sub-70 passer rating all year after completing 70.4% of his throws and logging a 98.4 rating back in 2023.
All Cincinnati needs to do is get the ground game going a bit for Chase Brown to keep defenses more honest. That means Zac Taylor needs to add wrinkles to his scheme — a concept he often appears to have a legitimate aversion to.
Having said that, I assume Taylor wants to keep his job beyond this season. Positioning Browning for better success via a more balanced offense would help the cause a lot. And it just might have Browning shoot up these QB power rankings sooner than anyone would expect.