Losing an elite quarterback is liable to send your team tumbling down the NFL power rankings, and for the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Burrow's latest injury has them on the hierarchical decline entering Week 3.
Burrow will be out for at least three months to undergo surgery and recover from a left turf toe injury. Thankfully, Cincinnati has an absolute dawg of a backup quarterback in Jake Browning to hold the fort down till December, or whenever Burrow does return.
Part of the reason the Bengals didn't fall further in league-wide perception is how capable Browning is. He proved that on a game-winning drive this Sunday in Cincinnati's 31-27 win over the Jaguars in the home opener. Anyway, let's get a little deeper on these latest rankings.
Joe Burrow injury drops Bengals to playoff fringe in Week 3 NFL power rankings
FanSided's own Sayre Bedinger posted his Week 3 NFL power rankings on Monday at NFL Spin Zone, wherein the Bengals placed 14th and sixth among AFC teams.
Many criticize Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor at every turn. One thing you have to give him credit for is keeping the team focused in the wake of Burrow's injury, and putting Browning in position to make big plays despite getting zero starting reps in practice. Here's the tail end of Bedinger's write-up on the Bengals:
"They’re not going to be able to win many more games with Browning throwing three picks like that, but Zac Taylor has long trusted him to operate that offense when needed and getting this win was absolutely huge."
Cincinnati's front office has a borderline sadistic fixation on controlling the fates of their in-house talent. We saw that manifest in brutal negotiations with Trey Hendrickson this offseason, and let's be honest, the team has held Browning back from exploring a potential starting shot elsewhere.
Browning was never going to get the chance to play legit snaps unless Burrow got hurt. He got that shot in 2023, and performed very well, going 4-3 in seven starts with a 70.4% completion rate, 12 TDs, seven INTs, and a 98.4 passer rating.
Nothing really came of it. If teams called about a potential trade, the Bengals must've shut those suitors down pretty fast. They had the leverage to sign Browning to an exclusive rights free agent deal each of the last two years, meaning he'd make a little over $1 million each season.
To me, Browning has had the biggest bargain contract of any QB in the sport. Once the next offseason hits, he'll finally be in position to be a restricted free agent, with the chance to sign elsewhere and compete for a starting gig.
Before any of that can come to fruition, though, Browning must take advantage of the opportunity before him. I'm bullish on what he can do with starter's practice reps and more actual games under his belt. He's flashed an elite level of play at times, and could earn himself a lot of money going forward if this extended stint to spell Burrow goes well.
I'd be shocked to see Browning have another three-interception game like he did in Week 2. If he can rein in the turnovers, play within himself, and the defense or running game help him out even a little, Browning could very well lead the Bengals north of .500 like he did two years ago.
In the worst-case scenario of Burrow being out for the remainder of the season, an 8-7 run the rest of the way should be enough to get Cincinnati into the playoffs. We'll find out quickly if Browning is up to the task, as he faces brutal tests against the Vikings, Broncos, Lions and Packers for the next month.