Arkansas Bengal

Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterDec 19, 2023, 06:41 PM ET CINCINNATI -- Bengals quarterback Jake Browning said his one regret following the team's recent win over the Minnesota Vikings was how it turned into a "revenge game" for him following his postgame comments. After the 27-24 victory, Browning looked into one of the team's cameras and yelled, 'They shouldn't have f---ing cut me,' a reference to the Vikings waiving him in 2021 after two years on their practice squad. His reaction went viral, and Browning, who had downplayed any revenge factor leading up to his fourth career start, discussed his departure from the Vikings at length afterward -- saying he was waived in 2021 without being informed of the decision. "I guess my biggest regret was that game turned into my revenge game, when in reality there were so many things that went into getting that win," Browning said Tuesday. "Making sure it's acknowledged it wasn't just my revenge game; it was a great team win." Browning was 29-of-42 for 324 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and made some key throws down the stretch to help the Bengals (8-6) beat his former club. He made it a point Tuesday to highlight plays by his teammates -- as well as some of his own errors -- that impacted the game. Browning pointed out defensive stops on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 in overtime to keep the Vikings from potentially getting into field goal position. He singled out receiver Tee Higgins' acrobatic 21-yard touchdown catch to force overtime. Browning also lamented his fourth-quarter interception that led to a Vikings field goal. The reasoning for Tuesday's exposition, he said, was his belief that quarterbacks get too much credit and blame for outcomes. "It's not that I don't think I'm playing well," Browning said. "I just want to make sure that it's highlighted that a lot goes into it and that the team aspect of it doesn't get lost just because I fully lost my mind and broke a helmet and all that." Browning said he wanted to move past the Vikings game, acknowledging that the NFL can provide humbling moments at any given time. His teammates, however, knew how much Browning wanted to get that win against Minnesota, whether he said it or not. "From a guy with experience like that, I know where he's coming from and how much that win meant to him," said cornerback Mike Hilton, who signed with the Bengals in 2021 after spending his first four seasons with the Pittsburgh Stealers. "We wanted to get him that one." Hilton smiled and said his first game against his old team was a bit personal. Now, however, it's all about competing against an AFC North rival. The Bengals next face the Stealers (7-7) on Saturday. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39150114/bengals-jake-browning-focuses-team-win-revenge-game

Cincinnati (8-6) at Pittsburgh (7-7) Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (NBC) Mike Tomlin is clearly in the Christmas spirit this week, and I know that, because that's only way to explain why he made the decision to bench Mitchell Trubisky for Mason Rudolph. "Rudolph, with your right arm so strong, won't you guide our offense along?" OK, so that's probably not how Tomlin let Rudolph know that he'd be starting this week, but the veteran QB will definitely be on the field making his first start since November 2021. Rudolph is going to be looking to jumpstart a Stealers offense that has been tripping over its own feet for the past few weeks. Although this offense did get a brief production bump after firing Matt Canada on Nov. 21, it turns out that the offensive problems might not have been Canada's fault. That post-firing bump lasted exactly one game. Over the past three weeks, the Stealers have gone 0-3 and a big reason for that is because their offense has been so bad. In losses to the Cardinals, Patriots and Colts, the Stealers have averaged just 265.7 yards and 13.7 points per game. That being said, the Stealers might actually enter this game with some confidence and that's because the Bengals are the ONE team that they were able to move the ball on this year. Back in Week 12, the Stealers piled up 421 yards in a 16-10 win over the Bengals, which marks the ONLY game this year where they've gone over 340 yards. Of course, the Bengals were a broken team back in Week 12. At the time, they had just learned that Joe Burrow was done for the season and Jake Browning was getting ready to make the first start of his career, which came against the Stealers. Since that game, Browning has caught fire while leading a Bengals offense that has averaged 31.7 points and 418 yards per game over the past three weeks. The problem for Browning and the Bengals is that Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) will likely miss this game. That being said, the Stealers won't have Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) or Damontae Kazee (suspension), so their secondary won't be anywhere near full strength. The Bengals haven't won a division game this year and there's a very good chance we could see Browning come crashing back to earth after three impressive starts, but even if that happens, the Bengals should still be able to pull this one out. I have a feeling that Rudolph is going to crash the Stealers' sleigh. The pick: Bengals 20-17 over Stealers https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-16-picks-cowboys-stun-dolphins-in-showdown-of-10-4-teams-49ers-and-ravens-play-christmas-thriller/

Kenny Pickett limited in his return to practice By Charean Williams Published December 19, 2023 04:36 PM The Stealers expect Mason Rudolph to start Saturday’s game against the Bengals, but Kenny Pickett is pointed in the right direction of being the backup this week. Pickett returned to limited work Tuesday. He has missed the past two weeks after tightrope surgery on a high ankle sprain. Safety Trenton Thompson (neck), running back Najee Harris (knee), safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) and guard Isaac Seumalo (shoulder) did not practice Tuesday. Safety Elijah Riley, who was designated to return from IR, had a limited practice in his return from an ankle injury. Offensive tackle Broderick Jones (ankle), tight end Pat Freiermuth (knee) and defensive tackle Cam Heyward (concussion) were limited. https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/cincinnati-bengals

Zac Taylor: Bengals not ready to rule out Ja’Marr Chase for Saturday at Pittsburgh By Michael David Smith Published December 19, 2023 02:36 PM Bengals head coach Zac Taylor says wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase hasn’t been ruled out for Saturday’s game at Pittsburgh. Asked today about a report that Chase will miss at least one game with a separated shoulder, Taylor said it’s too soon to determine that. “We’ll see how the week goes,” Taylor said. Chase is the Bengals’ leading receiver with 93 catches for 1,156 yards and seven touchdowns this season. The Bengals, whose season seemed to be all but over when Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury, have surprisingly won three straight games with Jake Browning at quarterback and are now in the thick of the AFC wild card race. They’d love to have Chase on the field in Pittsburgh on Saturday, and Taylor isn’t ruling that out. https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/cincinnati-bengals

Chris Roling Tue, Dec 19, 2023, 8:21 AM CST·1 min read The Cincinnati Bengals have made some quality additions over the waiver wire in recent years and attempted to make that happen again this week. Unfortunately for the Bengals, the Houston Texans got in the way. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Bengals were one of a handful of teams to put in a claim on defensive tackle Teair Tart after he was waived by the Tennessee Titans, but the Texans had top priority in the waiver wire order. Tart, 26, spent the last four seasons with the Titans and would have been a timely addition to the Cincinnati roster after losing star DJ Reader for the season to injury. Given some of the reported drama between Tart and the Titans this year, the fact the Bengals were willing to take the risk likely says a lot about their desire to add to the position in the middle of this attempted playoff run. https://sports.yahoo.com/bengals-attempted-claim-former-titans-142157979.html

Report: Ja’Marr Chase will miss time with a separated shoulder By Charean Williams Published December 18, 2023 10:40 PM The hits keep coming for the Bengals, who have managed to stay in playoff contention without quarterback Joe Burrow. Now, they will have to try to do it without star receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Chase separated his shoulder Saturday, which will keep Chase out for at least Sunday’s game against the Stealers if not longer. On Sunday, Bengals coach Zac Taylor called Chase day to day. Chase, though, appears to be week to week. He played 50 of 70 snaps, leaving after a 24-yard reception with 10:33 left in the game. Chase has 93 catches for 1,156 yards and seven touchdowns this season. The Bengals will lean on Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd as their top options without Chase, with Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones also available. The Bengals have won three in a row with Jake Browning at quarterback after a 16-10 loss to the Stealers with Browning in his first start at quarterback in Week 12. https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/cincinnati-bengals

Mike Tomlin promises to make changes after benching Mitch Trubisky in Stealers' loss to Colts MICHAEL MAROT Sat, December 16, 2023 at 9:31 PM CST·4 min read INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Mike Tomlin is tired of losing. After the Pittsburgh Stealers dropped their third straight, 30-13 at Indianapolis on Saturday, he promised changes. Tomlin didn't provide specifics in the immediate aftermath of another dismal offensive performance, but it looks like Pittsburgh could have a new starting quarterback next week at Cincinnati. “Everything is on the table at this juncture. We cannot continue to play football like this,” said Tomlin, the 17th-year Stealers coach who has never finished with a losing record. “We’ve got to make changes and we need to do it immediately. We’re not going to roll the ball out next week like we did today.” The simplest solution might be the return of quarterback Kenny Pickett, who had helped the Stealers stay in the playoff hunt despite leading one of the NFL's lowest-scoring offenses. He's missed the last two games with a sprained right ankle. Tomlin has said it's possible Pickett could return next week. If he can't go, Tomlin must decide whether to stay with Mitch Trubisky, who started Pittsburgh's last two games, or give a chance to Mason Rudolph, who relieved Trubisky late against the Colts. Trubisky finished 16 of 23 for 169 yards. He threw one touchdown pass and two interceptions and was sacked three times. He also scored on a 1-yard plunge that was initially ruled a fumble but was overturned on a replay review. After taking a 13-0 lead in the first 16 minutes, with one score coming after the Stealers recovered a blocked punt inside the Colts 1-yard line, Pittsburgh only had one more scoring chance — and Tomlin opted to punt instead of trying a 56-yard field goal. The Stealers finished with 216 total yards, including 74 on the ground. Najee Harris had 12 carries for 33 yards. Rudolph has started two games in four seasons, a 24-22 loss to Cleveland in the 2021 season finale and a 16-16 tie with Detroit in 2022. He was 2 of 3 for 3 yards Saturday. But with the Stealers sinking to last place in the rugged AFC North and their scoring average dropping to 15.9 points per game, it's clear they need a new direction. “We don’t have the answers right now, but we’re going to find them,” Trubisky said. "We’re going to work tirelessly at it, we’re going to come together, and our leaders have to step up.” While the offense is the most glaring problem, there are other issues. Pittsburgh's defense allowed Gardner Minshew to throw a career high-tying three TD passes and gave up 170 yards rushing to a backfield that was missing 2021 league rushing champion Jonathan Taylor and its leading rusher this season, Zack Moss, who left with a right arm injury after carrying four times for 13 yards. Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson produced 157 yards rushing on 28 combined carries. Both spent most of this season on Indy's practice squad, as did receiver D.J. Montgomery, whose 16-yard TD catch gave Indy a 14-13 lead just before halftime. The Colts scored the last 30 points. “You’re playing losing football. You’re not playing good enough to win,” cornerback Patrick Peterson said when asked to describe Tomlin's postgame message. “It’s simple for us right now: How much does it mean to you? The road (to the playoffs) is getting narrow.” As Pittsburgh begins its final three-week stretch, finding a way to score points — with or without Pickett — remains the top priority for Tomlin. The Stealers have scored fewer than 20 points in five consecutive games and have more than 20 just once in their last eight. Firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada in mid-November didn't make a difference. Trubisky, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2017, got his chances the last two weeks — and lost twice. “Let’s be honest, we’re a fundamentally poor football team right now. We’re playing losing football, and I own that,” Tomlin said. "I don’t necessarily have the answers today. If I did, we’d have played differently today. But I will acknowledge things will not continue the way they are.” https://news.yahoo.com/mike-tomlin-promises-changes-benching-033122023.html

NFL playoff picture: How things stand ahead of Ravens-Jaguars Story by Mark Schofield • 2h When Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season finally drew to a close, the playoff picture was rather chaotic. In the AFC alone, six teams boasted matching 7-6 records, crowding the field for the final two Wild Card spots. Over in the NFC, a glut of teams with identical 6-7 records left us resorting to multiple tiebreakers to see who would be in, and who would be out, if the playoffs were upon us. Thanks to results this weekend, the picture has become the slightest bit clearer. There are still two games remaining this week — the Sunday Night Football tile between the Baltimore Ravens and the Jacksonville Jaguars, and a big NFC clash between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night — but here is how things stand at the moment. We will update the NFL playoff picture after each of the final two games this week. Also, before we get going you might want to familiarize yourself with the NFL’s tie-breaking procedures. We’re gonna be using them ... a lot. AFC In right now 1. Baltimore Ravens (10-3) Remaining games: at Jaguars, at 49ers, Dolphins, Stealers 2. Miami Dolphins (10-4) Remaining games: Cowboys, at Ravens, Bills 3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-5) Remaining games: Raiders, Bengals, at Chargers 4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5) Remaining games: Ravens, at Buccaneers, Panthers, at Titans 5. Cleveland Browns (9-5) Remaining games: at Texans, Jets, at Bengals 6. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) Remaining games: at Stealers, at Chiefs, Browns 7. Indianapolis Colts (8-6) Remaining games: at Falcons, Raiders, Texans In the hunt 8. Houston Texans (8-6) Remaining games: Browns, Titans, at Colts 9. Buffalo Bills (8-6) Remaining games: at Chargers, Patriots, at Dolphins 10. Pittsburgh Stealers (7-7) Remaining games: Bengals, at Seahawks, at Ravens 11. Denver Broncos (7-7) Remaining games: Patriots, Chargers, at Raiders Let’s start at the top. With their win on Sunday against the Jets, the Dolphins moved to 10-4 on the year. But they are still behind the Ravens for the top spot in the conference at the moment. However, should Baltimore lose tonight, Miami would slide into the top spot, as they would have the better conference record. Regarding the final two spots, the Bengals are tied with the Colts, the Bills, and the Texans. Under the tiebreaker rules, the two AFC South teams are pitted against each other until one is left standing. In this process the Colts “eliminate” the Texans, as Indianapolis has the better head-to-head record. Then between the three. remaining teams, Cincinnati has wins over both Indianapolis and Buffalo, so they slide into sixth. Between Indianapolis and Buffalo, the Colts have the better conference record, so they drop into seventh, while the Bills slide out of playoff position. Between the Texans and the Bills, Houston has the edge right now due to a better conference record. So the Texans are in eighth, and the Bills in ninth. AFC playoff matchups if the postseason started right now If the AFC playoffs began today, these would be the three matchups on Wild Card Weekend: Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs The Baltimore Ravens, as outlined above, would have the first-overall seed, and the first-round bye, in the AFC. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/nfl-playoff-picture-how-things-stand-ahead-of-ravens-jaguars/ar-AA1lEjcL?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=bfb4cfc4395740909d4fdaac7d4e2c0d&ei=30

By Josh Alper Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase wasn’t around for the end of Saturday’s win over the Vikings and it remains to be seen when he might be able to return to action. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Chase suffered an AC joint sprain in his shoulder while making a catch during the fourth quarter of the Bengals’ 27-24 overtime win. Chase left for the locker room and then returned to watch the final minutes without a helmet or pads on the sideline. Rapoport adds that Chase will have further tests on Sunday to determine the severity of the injury. A timeline for his return will come together after getting those results and it’s thought that Chase might not miss any additional time. The Bengals lost defensive lineman D.J. Reader for the season when he tore his quad in the win and defensive back DJ Ivey hurt his knee, so there are multiple injury situations for the team to deal with after improving to 8-6 on the season. nbcsports.com

Cam Heyward enters concussion protocol after Stealers’ loss Stealers defensive tackle Cam Heyward was diagnosed with a concussion after Saturday’s loss to the Colts. The team announced Heyward has entered concussion protocol. It is unclear when Heyward was injured. He was not reported with an injury during the game, and coach Mike Tomlin said nothing about Heyward’s head injury in his postgame news conference. Thus, it seems likely Heyward didn’t experience symptoms until getting back to the locker room. profootballtalk.com

Charlie Goldsmith Cincinnati Enquirer Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning remembers the days where he got four reps every week in practice. He spent four years on practice squads, and he barely even received an opportunity to show the type of quarterback he could be. “When you only get four reps,” Browning said, “they all feel very important.” He knows how to handle pressure because he has spent his entire professional life handling pressure. As an undrafted quarterback, he had to battle for a chance to even get practice reps. He had to work out with the Bengals before they offered him a spot on their practice squad. His only NFL experience before this year was in practice and the preseason. For Browning, those preseason games were like a playoff run. So the situation he finds himself in now doesn’t seem a whole lot different. The Bengals beat the Minnesota Vikings, 27-24, on a 29-yard walk-off field goal in overtime by Evan McPherson on Saturday at Paycor Stadium. The game mirrored the arc of Browning’s entire career as he led the Bengals back from a 14-point deficit. “Jake is just so steady,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “He doesn’t get rattled by a negative play. He doesn’t overreact to it. A guy in his fourth ever career start throws a pick… Then he just came right back and led us to a touchdown. That’s what you want to see from a quarterback.” The Bengals were down 17-3 entering the fourth quarter before Browning led two consecutive touchdown drives. Then after the Bengals’ defense allowed a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter, Browning led the Bengals into the end zone again. This time, he did it with an injured Ja’Marr Chase in the locker room with a shoulder injury. After picking up pressures from the best blitzing defense in the NFL and leading the Bengals down the field, Browning threw up a prayer for wide receiver Tee Higgins in a tie game with 48 seconds left. Knowing that Higgins is one of the best contested catch playmakers in the NFL, Browning’s aspirational throw was the correct read. Higgins snared the catch and reached the ball across the goal line to tie the score. In overtime, the Bengals got the ball first and punted. But the Bengals’ defense gave Browning one more shot by stopping quarterback sneaks on third and fourth downs. Playing without injured defensive tackle DJ Reader, one of the best run stoppers in the NFL, the Bengals defense delivered one of their gutsiest stretches of the year. When Browning got one more chance, he made the best throw of his career. He escaped a sack, scrambled toward the left sideline and made a throw across his body to wide receiver Tyler Boyd for a 44-yard pickup. Boyd sprung open on the scramble drill and showed the ability to create separation that has made him a standout slot receiver for years. Boyd’s catch got the Bengals into the red zone, and McPherson did the rest. Now with an 8-6 record, the Bengals have a half-game lead on a playoff spot with three games left in the season. “We’ll always believe,” Boyd said. “Everyone knows we don’t have Burrow. Everybody doesn’t think we can get it done. They think we’re a one-hit wonder. They think we had one-or-two good games and will start to tank. But we know what we’re capable of. We know what type of team that we have.” For three quarters on Saturday, Browning looked like a career backup. On the Bengals’ first play of the game, Browning had Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins wide open down the sideline. The Bengals had a chance to make a statement against one of the best defenses in the NFL. But Browning underthrew Higgins, who had to adjust his route and dropped the ball. In the second quarter, Browning had wide receiver Charlie Jones wide open down the middle of the field on 3rd and 15. If Browning had read the field more quickly, he would have had a 44-yard touchdown. He eventually made the throw, but Jones hesitated on his route and didn’t reel in the pass down the field. Then shortly after halftime, Browning threw a careless pick when he forced a throw into double coverage to tight end Irv Smith Jr. “My first half was pretty bad,” Browning said. “At halftime, it was like, ‘Alright that was a bad first half. Put it back together.’ Then I threw a pick. I told myself, ‘That was a bad decision. Keep rallying.’” At that point, it looked like the Bengals’ season was over. They trailed by 14 points with a backup quarterback against the hottest defense in football, and the Bengals only had 116 total yards of offense for the entire game. That adversity was nothing like the adversity that Browning overcame to get a shot with the Bengals. “The louder it gets,” Browning said, “The quieter it gets in my own head.” The Vikings cut Browning three times between 2019 and 2021. After the third time that Browning got cut, they told him that they may or may not be able to give him a spot on the team’s practice squad. They told him to wait in a nearby hotel. A few hours later, Browning got the call from his agent that he wouldn’t get another chance. He called it the worst way he has ever been cut. The moment went full circle on Saturday. After Browning threw for 324 yards, he shouted at a camera, “They never should have cut me!" 'That's unbelievable':Reactions to pass interference on Tee Higgins' catch attempt It was a window into the confidence that kept Browning going when it looked like his career wasn’t going to work out. Browning didn’t think another call was coming in 2021. He was ready to get into coaching before Taylor offered him a lifeline. The Bengals were interested in Browning because they like quarterbacks who are winners. They like players who have shown that they don’t flinch in the biggest moments, and the Bengals will prioritize that type of player over a quarterback who’s faster or has a stronger arm. Browning doesn’t have any elite tools, but he’s tough. He set records as a high school quarterback and set records at the University of Washington. The Bengals believed in him, and they told potential free agent backup quarterbacks this offseason that they’d have to compete with Browning. The Bengals had hope, but you can’t really know what you really have until you see a quarterback under the spotlight. Now, the Bengals have seen it. “Maybe,” Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said, “(Jake) is just a really pretty good quarterback.” Browning was spectacular when the Bengals won consecutive games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts, but he reached a new level on Saturday. It’s supposed to be impossible to come back from a 14-point deficit against the Vikings defense, but Browning has gotten used to overcoming long odds. The entire way, Browning looked calm. He navigated the pocket and flicked a first-down throw to tight end Tanner Hudson. He found Hudson again in a tight window. He lofted a fade to Higgins for the Bengals’ first touchdown of the game to make it a 17-10 game. “Brian Callahan, the first thing he told me when we came in the building on Tuesday was he thought I’d throw for 500 yards,” Browning said. “That set the tone for the week. We’re attacking. They’re an attack blitzing defense. Don’t let that get you in a shell. We were able to keep that mindset.” Following a stop from the Bengals’ defense, Browning somehow looked even more poised on the following drive. On 3rd and 21, he connected over the middle with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Browning calmly went through his reads, watched Chase reach a soft spot in the Vikings’ defense and took a shot down the field that set up the game-tying touchdown. The Vikings’ defense went 13 consecutive quarters without allowing a touchdown. Then Browning got three in a row to take the game to overtime. Then in overtime, he showed his clutch gene with his throw down the field to Boyd as Browning set up the walk-off field goal. It shouldn’t be possible for Browning to deliver a more impressive and more dramatic win than he did two weeks ago against the Jaguars. It also shouldn’t be possible for an undrafted free agent quarterback to be playing like this. But Browning has made it happen, and the Bengals’ playoff hopes are alive and well. “It was an emotional game,” Taylor said. “It was a rollercoaster. That’s like the season, a little bit. You have to be able to stay composed and not panic. Just like when you’re down in the season, when you’re down in this game, there’s no fear. It’s ‘who’s going to step up and make the play that keeps us in this thing?’ That came true for us.’” https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2023/12/16/the-jake-browning-legend-continues-as-the-bengals-beat-the-vikings/71942833007/

Jason Williams Cincinnati Enquirer Jake Browning scrambling for his life, throwing on the run and connecting with Tyler Boyd on a 44-yard reception in overtime perfectly sums up the Cincinnati Bengals. They refuse to give in. They thrive in the face of adversity. They are flawed and fun. They are why we love sports. And they are winners. Again. Browning-to-Boyd set up the game-winning field goal in a 27-24 thriller against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday afternoon at Paycor Stadium. The Bengals needed someone to step up at that very moment, just minutes after star receiver Ja’Marr Chase had been ruled out with a shoulder injury. Fitting someone would step up. It was a month ago to the day that quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending injury, and everyone outside the Bengals locker room left their season for dead. "It took everybody," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. "(For) anyone that represents the Bengals, this is a good day." Is it time to call the Bengals a team of destiny? It’s sure starting to feel that way for Cincinnati, which has won three straight games with its backup quarterback. But let’s be careful to put a label on the Bengals. Labeling them could put an expectation on the Bengals, and they are thriving on playing pressure-free after Burrow went down in Baltimore on Nov. 16. The locker room doesn’t want you to call them a team of destiny or anything like that. The Bengals are just looking toward next week’s game in Pittsburgh. It’s an approach that’s kept them in the thick of the AFC playoff chase. There was a time not long ago when many of us didn’t think the Bengals would win another game this season. They’re now probably two wins away from making the playoffs. They have a tough three-game stretch to finish the season. It'll be more difficult if Chase doesn't return. To the Bengals, though, so be it. All that matters to them right now: Pittsburgh. The Bengals’ passionate fanbase has embraced no-expectations and is along for the ride. I mean, how fun was it to watch the Bengals come back from a 17-3 deficit in the fourth quarter? Did you tell yourself when the Bengals were down two touchdowns: Oh, well, it was a helluva few games with Browning. The last few weeks were a lot of fun. Love the fight in this team. Looking forward to next season. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Taylor’s Bengals the last three seasons: Whether Burrow is playing or not, never count them out. The Bengals pretty much stunk on defense against the Vikings, who’d scored one total touchdown in the previous two games. Minnesota came to town with a backup quarterback and a backup running back. Nick Mullens and Ty Chandler absolutely carved up the Bengals, who reverted to the problems they had earlier in the season. The Bengals couldn’t stop the run, and they couldn’t cover the tight end over the middle. Chandler, in his second season, rushed for a career-high 132 yards. It was the first time in his career he’d hit the 100-yard rushing mark. It didn’t help the Bengals lost run-stuffing defensive tackle DJ Reader to a leg injury in the first quarter. Or maybe it did help in some way. Reader's injury was yet another obstacle for the Bengals to overcome, and they have a locker room full of guys who take it upon themselves to step up when a teammate goes down. Browning is a perfect example. Burrow’s undrafted backup just kept plugging away against maybe the best defense Browning has faced in his four starts. With 39 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Browning scrambled and heaved the ball while falling sideways. Tee Higgins (remember him?) leaped in front of a defender, caught the ball at the 1-yard line and then stretched it over the goal line with one hand as he was falling backward out of bounds. The throw. The catch. The stretch. Yet more examples of the Bengals’ refuse-to-lose, improbable run. And the best part about this run? No one knows where it’s going to end. https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2023/12/16/nfl-cincinnati-bengals-feel-like-team-of-destiny-after-overtime-win-over-minnesota-vikings-column/71881419007/

Stealers QB Kenny Pickett is 'pushing' to play vs Cincinnati Bengals Allison Koehler follow December 16, 2023 2:28 pm ET When Pittsburgh Stealers quarterback Kenny Pickett got surgery for his high ankle sprain, the timetable for his return was somewhere in the range of two to four weeks for his return. This week marks his second straight absence as Pittsburgh prepares to take on the Indianapolis Colts. According to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport, Pickett is pushing to come back in Week 16 when the Stealers take on the Cincinnati Bengals in a huge AFC showdown at Acrisure Stadium. Rapoport says it is more realistic that Pickett gets back on the field in Week 17 for the Stealers road game against the Seattle Seahawks. The reality is, if the Stealers lose today against the Colts and next week against the Bengals, the season is over and bringing Pickett back at all wouldn’t make much sense. https://sports.yahoo.com/m/dfcc25f1-b317-3e8a-8021-aea89b9a5cf6/Stealers-qb-kenny-pickett-is.html

Updated: 3:54 PM EST Dec 16, 2023 Infinite Scroll Enabled By Zach Scott Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon, top, celebrates a touchdown with Alex Cappa (65) and Jonah Williams (73) in the first half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Cincinnati, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) SOURCE: Carolyn Kaster CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals have been home to running back Joe Mixon since he was a second round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. On Saturday vs. the Minnesota Vikings, Mixon found the endzone in the 4th quarter to tie the franchise record for most rushing touchdowns in a career. Mixon logged his 48th touchdown since his emergence from the University of Oklahoma. The only other Bengal to accomplish such a feat was Rudi Johnson, a fourth round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. Johnson played college football at the University of Auburn before declaring for the NFL Draft. Mixon now has eight touchdowns and just north of 800 yards on the ground this season. Over the course of Mixon's career, he has rushed for over 6,000 yards on 1,515 carries. Johnson logged very similar numbers as he toted the rock 1,517 times for 5,979 yards. After his departure from Cincinnati, Johnson played one season with the Detroit Lions where he rushed for 237 yards and one touchdown. Mixon has three games left on the 2023 season to surpass the former Bengal for most rushing touchdowns in Franchise history. https://www.wlwt.com/article/ohio-cincinnati-bengals-joe-mixon-franchise-record-minnesota/46153633

Bengals lose Chase, Reader, Ivey, but hold off Vikings in OT Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterDec 16, 2023, 06:42 PM CINCINNATI - Losing two of their best players didn't stop the Cincinnati Bengals for pulling off an improbable 27-24 overtime victory against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday. Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and defensive tackle DJ Reader both left the games with injuries of varying severity, but Cincinnati was able to rally from two deficits in the fourth quarter and make big plays to win its third straight game. "It took everybody," coach Zac Taylor said after the game. "We found a way to regain the momentum in the fourth quarter. That was as hard-fought a game as I've ever been a part of in my entire life. And our guys found a way at the end." Taylor did not have additional information on Chase after the game. The third-year player out of LSU was initially ruled questionable before he was eventually downgraded to out in overtime. He finished the game with four catches for 64 yards. He appeared to favor his right shoulder after he made a 24-yard catch to extend a drive early in the fourth. He came to the sideline for a moment before he returned to the game. After a four-yard completion from quarterback Jake Browning to running back Joe Mixon with more than three minutes left in regulation, Chase exited the game. With Chase out, Cincinnati leaned on Tee Higgins, who had two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including an improbable 21-yard touchdown with :39 left in regulation that helped tie things at 24-all ahead of overtime. Higgins knew that he had to fill the void left by Chase, especially with Cincinnati needing a big play, and a win to remain in control of their playoff fate in what is a crowded AFC wild-card race. "(Bengals assistant coach) Troy Walters came up to me and said, 'It's time to be the alpha," Higgins said. "I was able to do that." Higgins scored two of the three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter as the Bengals (8-6) offense found a spark in the fourth quarter. Browning threw for as many yards in the fourth quarter (140) as he did in the previous three quarters combined. He acknowledged that he didn't have a good first half and then proceeded to throw a bad interception at the beginning of the third quarter. But he finished 29-of-42 passing for 324 yards and two touchdowns and got revenge against his former team. Browning went undrafted out of Washington in 2019 and was signed by the Vikings, who cut him in 2021. While downplaying any bad blood earlier in the week, Browning confirmed that this game meant more to him after the way Minnesota cut him. According to him, the Vikings never informed him that he was being cut until he got a call from his agent. "I've been cut my fair share of times and that was probably the s---tiest one," Browning said after the game, who added that the team has a new front office and coaching personnel and has great people still employed. "But that one felt good. "I think right after we made the field goal to win the game, I screamed at the camera and said, 'They never should have cut me." But it wasn't all positive for the Bengals. Cincinnati fears that Reader, one of the building blocks of the franchise's resurgence, is potentially done for the season after he suffered a right knee injury in the first quarter of Saturday's game. "I'll get more information, but I don't think it's positive for DJ," Taylor said after the game. Reader was ruled out in the first quarter following a collision at the line of scrimmage. Shortly after Reader went down, Cincinnati's medical staff called for a cart to take him off the field. He was ruled out for the remainder of the contest before the Vikings finished their offensive drive. The veteran has been one of the most important players for Cincinnati's defense in recent years. The eighth-year player out of Clemson signed with Cincinnati during 2020 free agency. His four-year deal worth $53 million was the first key acquisition for a Bengals team that finished the 2019 season with the NFL's worst record. Reader also suffered a season-ending quadriceps injury in 2020. In four years with the Bengals, he has started in all 43 of his appearances and has been one of the most consistent players during his tenure. Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou is one of the few players on the roster who has been with Cincinnati since 2019 and spoke about the impact Reader has made in his time with the club. "Ever since he's been here, the media sees it, the players see it, he makes a tremendous difference," Tupou said. "It's one of those things where the only way we live up to him as a group. Not every individual on our d-line can because he's such a great player." Bengals rookie defensive back DJ Ivey was also knocked out of Saturday's game with a left knee injury. The seventh-round pick was injured in the second quarter while trying to make a tackle on a punt return. https://africa.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39125441/bengals-dt-dj-reader-carted-vs-vikings-knee-injury

Cincinnati 27, Minnesota 24 Bengals Are the Bengals too banged up to keep the magic rolling? Cincinnati suffered two massive injuries in Sunday's win. Defensive tackle DJ Reader left the game with a lower-body injury, and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase was also knocked out with a right shoulder injury. The Bengals have been able to withstand the loss of quarterback Joe Burrow, but also being down a top defender and one of the league's best wide receivers will complicate things further. Stock up after the win: Defensive tackle BJ Hill. Hill now owns one of the more improbable stats of the NFL season: He has recorded an interception in back-to-back games. Stock down after the win: Cornerback DJ Turner. The promising rookie cornerback allowed five catches on his first six targets as the nearest defender, plays that yielded 100 yards and a touchdown. -- Ben Baby Next game: at Stealers (Saturday, Dec. 23, 4:30 p.m. ET) Vikings Why does an otherwise great defense keep giving up late leads? Saturday marked the third time in four games the Vikings have lost after giving up the winning score with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game. They led 17-3 early in the fourth quarter and 24-17 with 3:48 remaining. Bengals receiver Tee Higgins deserves credit for an acrobatic effort to score with 39 seconds remaining, but the Vikings have proved vulnerable to deep dig routes. Bengals quarterback Jake Browning, in fact, completed 10 of 14 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns to wide receivers on their final six drives. Stock up after the loss: Running back Ty Chandler. In his first NFL start, Chandler produced a 132-yard effort, the Vikings' first 100-yard game of the season. Stock down after the loss: The Vikings' "tush push." Minnesota overthought its personnel on two failed quarterback sneaks in overtime, using receiver Brandon Powell as the pusher in hopes of keeping the Bengals out of their goal-line defense. -- Kevin Seifert Next game: vs. Lions (Sunday, Dec. 24, 1 p.m. ET) https://africa.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39099854/nfl-week-15-2023-questions-risers-fallers-takeaways-lessons-stats#mincin

Dec 16, 2023, 09:37 PM CINCINNATI -- A game that once appeared destined to be a blowout turned into a competitive and entertaining matchup Saturday at Paycor Stadium. Down by 14 points as the fourth quarter began, the Cincinnati Bengals scored three touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings' vaunted defense, forced overtime and won 27-24 on Evan McPherson's 29-yard field goal. Both teams started their backup quarterbacks in the absence of their injured starters, and both the Bengals' Jake Browning and the Vikings' Nick Mullens produced 300-yard passing games. But Mullens threw two second-quarter interceptions to end scoring opportunities, and he was unable to convert on consecutive quarterback sneaks in overtime. The second failure, on fourth-and-1, gave the Bengals the ball at Cincinnati's 42-yard line to set up a short field for the winning drive. The win moves the Bengals to 8-6 on the season, while the Vikings drop to 7-7. Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati's playoff outlook looked bleak at various points during Saturday's game. A loss would have made it difficult for the Bengals to reach the postseason for a third straight season. But somehow, Cincinnati pulled off a 27-24 overtime victory over the Vikings to win its third straight game. McPherson nailed a 29-yard field goal to give Cincinnati the win with 3:11 left in overtime. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Cincinnati's playoff odds would have dropped to 9% with a loss. Instead, those chances rose to 34% after the Bengals overcame deficits of 14 and 7 points in the fourth quarter to extend the game. Pivotal play: Tee Higgins might have saved Cincinnati's playoff hopes. With less than a minute left in regulation, Higgins caught a 21-yard pass from Browning that was essentially a jump ball. Not only did Higgins get both feet in bounds after making the catch near the sideline, but he had the presence of mind to turn and extend the ball over the goal line to complete the play and produce the game-tying touchdown. It's worth noting that the Higgins play came with Ja'Marr Chase out of the game. Biggest hole in the game plan: The Vikings excelled at throwing outside of the numbers. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Mullens completed his first nine attempts for 85 yards. The Bengals were gashed at various points throughout the game, and allowed 24 points to a team that mustered a mere field goal the previous week. Eye-popping Next Gen stat: Cincinnati had trouble stopping Mullens on intermediate throws. Through the first three quarters, Mullens completed six of seven throws on passes that were between 10 and 19 air yards, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. That was good for a completion percentage over expectation of 28.1%. It's a massive reason why the Vikings had outgained the Bengals 321 to 178 in the first three quarters. Next game: at Stealers (4:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 23) Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens threw for 303 yards against the Bengals on Saturday. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster Minnesota Vikings The decision to go with a second quarterback sneak in overtime may haunt coach Kevin O'Connell. The loss dealt a significant blow to the Vikings' playoff hopes. ESPN's Football Power Index now gives them a 51% chance to make the postseason, and they'll almost certainly need to win two of their final three games to advance. Their remaining schedule is tough, with two games against the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions and another against the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings are the first team since the start of last season to fail on the "tush push" multiple times in a game when needing 1 yard or fewer, per ESPN Stats & Information. The Vikings went 1-of-3 on those plays Saturday. Breakout performer: Running back Ty Chandler. Making his first NFL start in place of Alexander Mattison (ankle), Chandler became the first Vikings running back to produce a 100-yard game this season. His 30-yard run to the Bengals' 1-yard line late in the fourth quarter set up wide receiver Jordan Addison's go-ahead touchdown catch. Chandler finished with 132 yards on 23 carries. The Vikings have struggled to find their rhythm in the running game since parting ways with Dalvin Cook in the offseason -- in fact, Cook had the Vikings' last 100-yard game: in Week 10 of the 2022 season. Promising trend: A touchdown on the opening possession! It might seem incredible, but before Saturday, the Vikings hadn't scored a touchdown on their opening possession all season. But in a purposeful, 75-yard march downfield, the Vikings called nine running plays and only three dropbacks. That approach made sense for Mullens, who hadn't started a game in two seasons, and it was rewarded when Chandler scored on a 1-yard run. It was out of character in multiple ways; the Vikings had entered the game with only two rushing touchdowns by running backs this season, the fewest in the league. Eye-popping Next Gen stat: Mullens' second interception, which defensive lineman BJ Hill tipped and then eventually caught as he lay on the ground, was historic. According to Next Gen Stats, the ball traveled 1.6 yards -- the fewest air yards an interception has traveled in the past five seasons, and the second fewest since tracking began in 2016. In an additional twist, the Bengals were the intercepting team on the only interception that has been thrown fewer yards since 2016. In 2018, they batted a Ryan Tannehill screen pass and intercepted it after it traveled 0.9 yards. Next game: vs. Lions (1 p.m. ET, Dec. 24) https://africa.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39126505/bengals-boost-playoff-chances-ot-win-vs-vikings

Ben Goessling, Star Tribune Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 8:48 PM CST·6 min read CINCINNATI – It appeared for a split second, as Jake Browning evaded the Vikings pass rush and floated his final pass of regulation toward the end zone, like Akayleb Evans would have a chance to intercept the pass. Kevin O'Connell was so convinced the Vikings had reached the line to gain on the first of their two failed quarterback sneaks in overtime that turned out to be their last offensive plays that he started making his first-down call in search of a winning field goal. Browning's 44-yard overtime connection with Tyler Boyd grazed Byron Murphy Jr.'s fingertip, the cornerback said, before Boyd secured the pass that would seal the Vikings' fate. The laments provided context, not comfort, after Evan McPherson's 29-yard overtime field goal sealed Cincinnati's second 27-24 victory over the Vikings in three years. These Vikings, after their seventh one-score loss of the season, are just about out of time for comfort. The Vikings blew a two-touchdown lead on Saturday, allowing the Bengals to score three fourth-quarter TDs and tie the score twice. The Vikings have now surrendered leads in the final two minutes in each of their past three losses, and though they remained in playoff position after falling to the Bengals on Saturday, they are once again tied in the loss column with three NFC teams who will play later this weekend, meaning their claim on a playoff spot could soon be reduced to tiebreaker advantages. Whether by mistakes, mismanagement, misfortune or some menagerie of the three, the Vikings returned to Minnesota on Saturday night minus another victory that seemed in their grasp. "Very unfortunate," O'Connell said. "I felt we let one slip away. I think you've got to credit the Bengals, getting their offense going there in the second half. We just didn't capitalize on our last opportunity offensively there. I thought we had a good look at it on third down. The official spotted it otherwise, so they probably had a better look than I did. We've got to get a little bit more than that in that inches-type situation." The Vikings' 424 yards were their most since losing Kirk Cousins to a torn right Achilles tendon. Nick Mullens became the first quarterback other than Cousins to surpass 300 yards in a game since Case Keenum in 2017, and Ty Chandler's 132 rushing yards were the most by a Vikings running back since O'Connell became coach. The game, despite the production, slipped away by familiar means. Mullens was intercepted twice inside the Bengals 25-yard line, throwing into double coverage for Justin Jefferson in the second quarter and flipping one to B.J. Hill — the same defender dragging him to the ground — just before halftime. Evans, who was beaten by Tee Higgins on Browning's jump ball with 39 seconds left, became the second young Vikings cornerback in four games to surrender a critical last-minute touchdown. Browning, the former Vikings backup who lost out to third-round pick Kellen Mond for the No. 2 job in 2021, completed 13 of 19 fourth-quarter passes for 184 yards against coverages that left too much space in the middle of the field. And requiring only a field goal to win the game, the Vikings came up short of the yard they needed on the ground when Mullens was stopped twice from the Cincinnati 42 in overtime. The failed sneaks — known these days as tush pushes — will likely command outsize attention in the aftermath of the game, given the fact that, according to ESPN Stats and Information, the Vikings became the first team to come up short on back-to-back attempts since Jalen Hurts and the Eagles popularized the play last year. O'Connell opted to have 181-pound receiver Brandon Powell push Mullens on both attempts, choosing to run the play out of a three-receiver set to keep the Bengals from switching to heavier defensive personnel. Mullens was turned sideways on the first attempt, though O'Connell said he started calling a first-down play because the side judge on the Vikings' sideline started to react as though the play was a first down. "The guy on our sideline, I started calling a first-and-10 play because I saw him; I was standing right there across the line," O'Connell said. "The side judge on the other side must have had it short and saw his knee go down." Mullens, too, said he thought he'd reached the line to gain on the first attempt, though he added, "There's also a lot of carnage, I guess you could say, right there in the middle, so you're not exactly sure. But I felt like it was a pretty good attempt." O'Connell stuck with the same personnel group on fourth down and had Powell pushing Mullens, but Hill defeated Garrett Bradbury's block quickly enough to choke off Mullens' space in the middle of the line. "Whatever happens, you have to find a way to execute, and we have to find a way to get it done," Mullens said. "This stinks for sure." Browning, who found Ja'Marr Chase for 24 yards on third-and-21 in the fourth quarter, then got another big pickup on third-and-9 when he rolled away from a four-man rush and floated a pass for Boyd in the vicinity of three Vikings defenders. Murphy, who was Browning's college teammate at Washington, came up just short of deflecting the pass, and Boyd evaded Evans and Camryn Bynum to gain another 24 yards after the catch to the Vikings 13. Two years ago, McPherson hit the game-winner from 34 yards in overtime of his first NFL game. On Saturday, his 29-yard kick sailed through with no hint it would drift off course. "That was a tough one," said Vikings linebacker Danielle Hunter, who had two sacks to reach a career-high 15½ for the season. "You're good all week, and then right at the end came up short, lost the turnover battle, so we definitely got to get better at that." The Vikings have lost games through unfortunate bounces and become the first team in franchise history to start four quarterbacks in a season, but they have piled up seven losses through a process that has happened so frequently that it feels almost mechanistic. They have three games left, all against fellow NFC North playoff contenders, and might need to win two of them to become the first Vikings team in 14 years to reach the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Otherwise, they will begin an offseason full of pivotal decisions at a lamentably early date. "We're still in it. We're still right there," Jefferson said. "Even this game, we're one, two plays away from winning the game. That's the difficult part about it, but it is what it is. We've got to move on and think about next week." https://sports.yahoo.com/vikings-lose-game-inches-fall-012500608.html

Browning has completed 75.9% of his passes as a starter By Ryan Morik Fox News Published December 16, 2023 9:24pm EST Ever since replacing Joe Burrow, Jake Browning has kind of looked like Joe Burrow. The Washington product replaced the 2020 No. 1 overall pick Nov. 16 after Burrow tore a ligament in his wrist. Browning has looked like anything but a backup quarterback, and Saturday may have been his most impressive performance. Jake Browning of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates after a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Paycor Stadium Dec. 16, 2023, in Cincinnati. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images) He led the Cincinnati Bengals to a 27-24 overtime victory after they trailed by two touchdowns at one point. Browning went undrafted as a free agent, but he's put the entire league on notice. After the game, Browning shared on his Instagram story that he received a text from an NFL employee, calling on him for a urine test for performance-enhancing drugs. "This is Joe, DCO on behalf of the NFL. You’re on my list for a urine steroid test tomorrow," the text said. "I will be in the testing area from 9:30-12:30. Please confirm you are receiving this." The message was sent at 4:34 p.m. ET, roughly 15 minutes after the game went final. Jake Browning of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates after he scored a touchdown in the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Paycor Stadium Dec. 10, 2023, in Cincinnati. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images) In four games as a starter, Browning is 3-1 and has completed 75.9% of his passes for 1,180 yards and six touchdowns. With the win, the Bengals jumped from the 10th seed in the AFC to No. 6, giving them a playoff spot. Browning's lone loss as a starter came against the Pittsburgh Stealers in Week 12, and he will get a chance at revenge next weekend. The Stealers have a question mark at quarterback. Mitch Trubisky was replaced by Mason Rudolph in the fourth quarter in their loss to the Indianapolis Colts Saturday, which dropped the Stealers' record to 7-7 and moved them from the seventh seed in the AFC to 12th. Jake Browning (6) of the Cincinnati Bengals throws during the second half of a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Paycor Stadium Dec. 10, 2023, in Cincinnati. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images) But if the Bengals lose that matchup, the Stealers will jump ahead of them by virtue of a tiebreaker. Browning went 29-for-42 for 324 yards in the victory. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/bengals-jake-browning-summoned-steroid-test-leading-team-comeback-victory

Browning on beating Vikings: 'They never should've cut me' Bengals QB Jake Browning discusses why the team's win over the Vikings was more personal after being cut by Minnesota. ByAP Updated: Dec 16, 2023, 06:06 pm CINCINNATI -- — Trailing 17-3 late in the third quarter behind an offense that had struggled to move the ball, the Bengals needed Jake Browning to be nearly perfect — and he was. Browning led Cincinnati to three fourth-quarter touchdowns and directed the winning drive in overtime in his latest extraordinary performance since taking over for the injured Joe Burrow, and the Bengals beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-24 on Saturday to improve their position in the playoff race. Browning won his third straight start and improved to 3-1 since Burrow suffered a season-ending right wrist injury in a loss at Baltimore. This time, he threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime, becoming the fourth QB in the past two years to throw for at least that many yards and two or more scores after three quarters. “I feel like I need a beer,” said Browning, who beat a team that cut him from its practice squad two years ago. Tee Higgins went high over a Vikings defender to catch a 16-yard pass from Browning and make a twisting move at the goal line for the tying touchdown with 39 seconds left in regulation. Then, in overtime, a scrambling Browning found Tyler Boyd for a 44-yard completion that got Cincinnati (8-6) into Vikings territory and set up Evan McPherson's game-ending 29-yard field goal. “Jake’s just so steady, you know?” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “He really is. He doesn’t get rattled by a negative play. He doesn’t overreact to it.” Browning was 29 for 42 for 324 yards with two touchdowns — both to Higgins — and an interception. He completed passes to 11 receivers and has a 110.9 passer rating in his four starts.. Nick Mullens, the fourth quarterback to start a game this season for the Vikings, was solid in defeat. He passed for 303 yards with two TDs but threw two interceptions. “An absolute grind of a football game,” Mullens said. “But those are the types of games you want to be in.” Minnesota (7-7) has lost three of four, the only win in that stretch a 3-0 decision at Las Vegas that led to Joshua Dobbs being benched in favor of Mullens, who had more success finding the Vikings' playmakers. Jordan Addison had six catches for 111 yards and two TDs. Justin Jefferson had seven receptions for 84 yards in his first full game since returning from a hamstring injury. He suffered a chest injury in the Raiders game. “Nick did a fantastic job today,” Jefferson said. “Especially with just a week of preparation of him being the starting quarterback. I feel like he came out today with confidence.” Backup Ty Chandler had a career-high 132 rushing yards and a touchdown for Minnesota. Chandler got the start in place of Alexander Mattison, who has a sprained ankle. With five teams a half-game behind them in the NFC standings, the Vikings could be out of playoff position by the end of the weekend. “Very unfortunate,” Minnesota coach Kevin O'Connell said. “Come on the road and battle a team that’s playing well right now. Felt like we let one slip away.” TAKE THAT The Vikings let Browning go from their practice squad in 2021. The Bengals picked him up for their practice squad, and he won the job as Burrow's backup before this season. “I think right after we made the field goal and won the game, I screamed at camera and said, ‘They never should have cut me,’" Browning said. LATE-GAME HEROICS Browning took over the game late in the third quarter, throwing seven straight completions during a 75-yard drive for the Bengals' first touchdown, a 13-yard strike to Higgins. On the Bengals' next possession, Browning hit Ja'Marr Chase for 24 yards to convert a third-and-21. Joe Mixon's 1-yard TD run on fourth-and-goal tied the game at 17-all. Minnesota pushed back in front on Addison's second TD catch of the game before Browning and Higgins found a way to tie it. Higgins finished with four catches for 61 yards. “All I can say is, we always count on Tee Higgins,” Taylor said. “Tee stepped up big for us, and those were two big touchdowns that he scored for us at the end of the game, and he also made some bigger catches across the middle at other points.” INJURIES Bengals: DT DJ Reader suffered an injury to his right leg early in the game and was declared out. ... CB DJ Ivey left in the first quarter with a knee injury. ... Chase went out with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter. UP NEXT Vikings: Host Detroit on Sunday, Dec. 24. Bengals: At Pittsburgh next Saturday. AP.com

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor on QB Browning: "Jake's just so steady, you know? He really is. He doesn't get rattled by a negative play. He doesn't overreact to it." Vikings QB Mullens: "An absolute grind of a football game. But those are the types of games you want to be in." Bengals QB Browning, who was formerly of the Vikings: "I think right after we made the field goal and won the game, I screamed at camera and said, 'They never should have cut me'."

FUCK the stealers!!! I laughed my ass off today watching them get their asses beat by Indianapolis.

The Vikings have hit big plays on us today and we’ve missed on all of ours. so far…

Be nice if they call Holding on their offensive line…

Zero pass rush