‘Same ol’ Jake’: Coaches rejoice as Bengals QB Browning dazzles on Monday Night Football

[Arkansas Bengal]

Joe Davidson

Tue, December 5, 2023 at 2:02 PM CST·5 min read

 

 

Jake Browning held a captive audience in Florida, most everyone against him in opposing colors. It was his latest Cool Hand Jake act, or, to those who know him best, it was simply another “Same ol’ Jake” routine.

 

Browning quarterbacked the Cincinnati Bengals past the host Jacksonville Jaguars 34-31 in overtime, setting an NFL record along the way in showing that perseverance pays off for a guy who before this stage never had to wait his turn. He dazzled in front of a Monday Night Football national television audience with color commentator Troy Aikman singing his praises. He had a following in Folsom, his roots and where he starred at Folsom High School in becoming the most prolific prep passer in U.S. history. And the man who taught him how to play quarterback attended the game at EverBank Stadium.

 

That was Troy Taylor, the Stanford coach who first started teaching Browning about the benefits of footwork, mechanics and progression reads when he was all of 9 years old. Taylor and Kris Richardson were co-coaches at Folsom when Browning worked defenses over. Jake then looks a lot like Jake now, only he’s a little older and has a much better beard going, though the work ethic and humility remain.

 

Taylor texted The Sacramento Bee a selfie photo of himself and son Noah at the game, adding: “Jake is playing great! Poised and accurate just like he always is.”

 

A moment later, just after halftime, Browning hit Ja’Marr Chase for a 76-yard touchdown for a 21-14 lead, and Taylor texted: “How about that?!?!”

 

Browning completed 32 of 37 passes for 354 yards and accounted for two scores. The completion percentage of 86.5% is the highest for anyone in their first or second start in NFL history.

 

Ever the proud coach, Taylor also texted The Bee that he could barely contain his glee: “I’ve somehow managed to tell everyone in Section 208, 209 and most of 207 that I know him.”

 

 

Here’s what to know: Browning never panics on a stage big or small. He torched defenses to the tune of a remarkable state-record 16,775 yards over three varsity seasons at Folsom from 2012-14, winning 44 of 46 games. He tossed a national prep record 229 touchdowns, including a mind-numbing 91 for a 16-0 team in 2014. He was a four-year starter for the Washington Huskies, where he became the winningest passer in Pac-12 history with 39 victories.

 

Browning is a 27-year-old rookie now, having waited for his NFL opportunity. Richardson wasn’t surprised at what Browning did Monday or that he has been patient to get to this point. Now in his fifth season as the assistant head coach at Sacramento State, Richardson watched Browning work his magic from his Folsom home, yelling at the TV in full-on fan mode.

 

“Beautiful!!!” Richardson texted The Bee after Browning’s 76-yarder. “Same ol’ Jake. Love that guy. Jake is an incredible teammate. Just get better every day. The elite of the elite. Intelligence, work ethic, coachability, mental toughness are all needed. Along with great physical tools.”

 

What added to the joy for Browning and his Folsom followers was that one of his starting tackles is an old friend. Jonah Williams was also a star at Folsom with Browning and a first-round pick of the Bengals in 2019.

 

Typical of Browning, he never seemed to break much of a sweat Monday. Afterward, Browning was his usual modest self, talking mostly about how “great of a win” this was and that there’s more work to be done next week. In leading the Bengals to their first MNF road win since 1990, Browning also kept his team in the AFC playoff hunt.

“It’s been a long time since I won a game,” Browning told Lisa Salters of ESPN right after the game.

 

 

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (6) calls a play during the third quarter of a regular season NFL football matchup Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-31 in overtime.

 

Nearly five years to the date, actually. Browning’s last victory as a starter was his senior season at Washington, the 2018 Pac-12 championship triumph over Utah that placed the Huskies in the Rose Bowl.

 

Browning was an undrafted free-agent signee in 2019 by the Minnesota Vikings. The club later released him, then signed him to the practice squad. The same happened in 2020. Browning signed with the Bengals in 2021, was cut and then re-signed to the practice squad in what is a normal flurry of transactions in the NFL for undrafted players. There was a point when Browning wondered if his playing days were numbered.

 

Browning got his first NFL regular-season snap earlier this season, then came on in relief of injured star Joe Burrow on Nov. 16, tossing a touchdown in a 34-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He passed for 227 yards on 19-of-26 passing with a touchdown in a 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Stealers on Nov. 26. With Burrow out for the season, this is now Browning’s team.

 

About the only time Browning was left on the turf with his head spinning was his welcome-to-football moment. He was 8 years old, all arms, legs and big cleats. Browning was hit with such force in a Folsom Junior Bulldogs practice one day that he had to straighten his helmet so he didn’t have to look out the ear hole.

 

“Eddie Flores hit me so hard that I cried,” Browning recalled to The Bee years later, adding with a laugh, “but we’re still friends.”

 

Flores now? Still a fan, still a follower. And he still tracks his old friend.

 

“Yes, Jake and I played many sports,” Flores said. “I saw him play last night. Surreal and incredible seeing him play in the NFL.”

 

https://news.yahoo.com/same-ol-jake-coaches-rejoice-200216129.html

[|BlackJesus|]