It's not hard to envision a scenario where Jake Browning flourishes in Joe Burrow's absence as the Cincinnati Bengals' starting quarterback. Seeing is believing, and we've seen Browning do it before back in 2023 in a 4-3 stint as the starter.
That said, Browning did throw three interceptions in relief of Burrow this past Sunday. Although he still drove Cincinnati to victory by a score of 31-27, Browning's rust from when he last had meaningful snaps was evident.
Will those nerves or ill-advised throws carry over in Week 3? According to these bold NFL predictions, it's believed that Browning will bounce back in a big way.
Bengals QB Jake Browning predicted to exact vengeance on his former team (again) in Week 3
Over at NFL Spin Zone on FanSided, Ryan Heckman published some bold Week 3 NFL predictions. Very nice to see my beloved Bengals taking the lead story! Here's what Heckman had to say about the rough outing the Vikings just had, and what he foresees for Browning:
"What we saw from the Minnesota Vikings on prime time was alarming, to say the least. The Atlanta Falcons beat them down in every sense of the word, and in their home opener. Brian Flores' defense has had some concerns through two weeks, and what better storyline to come out of this than the Cincinnati Bengals being 3-0 and avoiding sheer panic over the Joe Burrow injury?
"This isn't to say Jake Browning is going to be other-worldly. But, he does toss a touchdown each to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in this one, en route to a gritty win."
If you told any Bengals fan that Browning would go on the road, and throw a TD apiece to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, I'd feel like the chances of winning were pretty good. Just based on those two scoring strikes alone.
Why do I feel this way? Well for one, Carson Wentz is starting at quarterback for Minnesota. Not that the injured J.J. McCarthy was lighting the world on fire with his play, but regardless of who was under center, the point is, the Bengals can give these guys serious problems.
It's not as much to do with any greatness in Cincinnati's defense as much as it is that the Vikings are so shorthanded. They're without their QB1, their RB1 Aaron Jones, and might be down to their third-string left tackle. Starting center Ryan Kelly is in the concussion protocol, too. Not to mention, explosive wide receiver Jordan Addison is still suspended.
The Bengals' offense is a tough matchup for Minnesota as is. Vikings defensive coordinator loves bringing pressure, and has a particular penchant for exotic post-snap rotations that get his unit into various iterations of NTTB. AKA Non-traditional Tampa. AKA Non-traditional Cover 2.
Two-high safety looks are more commonplace than ever throughout the league to take away explosive plays in the passing game. Browning proved he could exploit the Vikings' weaknesses in Week 15 of the 2023 campaign, when he threw for 324 yards and two TDs in guiding the Bengals to a 27-24 triumph in overtime.
You can bet Browning felt a type of way right as Evan McPherson drilled the winning field goal. After all, he'd been waived by the Vikings three times over before finding a home in Cincinnati.
Still one of my favorite Bengals moments in recent years. When Joe Burrow went down, the 2023 season seemed lost. Our QB2 kept us alive till Week 17. Even took a lead into the 4th quarter at KC.
— Matt Fitzgerald (@MattFitz_gerald) August 5, 2025
Jake Browning: "SHOULD'VE NEVER F*****G CUT ME!" pic.twitter.com/mX4Z0afZy3
Browning went full demon mode. The apotheosis of competitive rage.
I enter something of a Dory-memory depressive state whenever I sit and think about Joe Burrow's injury for more than a few seconds. In all likelihood because I'm still in denial that it actually happened. Does it not feel real to anyone else? Like, surely you can't be serious, football gods! Right?
Football gods be like, "We are serious — and don't call us Shirley."
Jake Browning spoke about being delusional whilst he led Week 2's decisive final drive. Since I can't be delusional in the sense that it is a fact, Joe Burrow is severely injured AGAIN, I will be delusionally optimistic about Jake Browning until proven otherwise.
Shout out to this generous Bengals forecast for feeding my mind's eye's Dorian Gray portrait of toxic positivity. I will endeavor not to weep the rest of the day.