Jake Browning threw for 354 yards and a touchdown in his second career start, and the Cincinnati Bengals stunned the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-31 in overtime on Monday night.
Browning also ran for a score as the Bengals (6-6) won for the first time since 1990 on Monday Night Football with Evan McPherson's 48-yard field goal. Even more than the result could prove costly for the Jaguars (8-4), who lost quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a right ankle injury late in the fourth quarter. Left tackle Walker Little stepped on Lawrence's ankle, twisting it as he was sacked. Lawrence tried to get up, but fell to the ground, ripped off his helmet and threw it away in disgust. He was helped off the field and into the tunnel for X-rays. ESPN's Adam Schefter later reported that initial tests showed Lawrence sprained his ankle. The quarterback will be further examined on Tuesday. Lawrence hasn't missed a game in his three-year NFL career.
The injury ended an otherwise great night for Lawrence, who completed 22 of 29 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a score.
Browning was equally brilliant in place of Joe Burrow, who watched from the sidelines and coached while wearing a cast and a sling. Browning completed 32 of 37 passes and directed the overtime that set up McPherson's winner. McPherson, who played collegiately at nearby Florida, hit a 57-yarder off the crossbar in the same direction early in the match.
“It feels good, I definitely had to earn it,” Browning said when asked about his first professional victory as a starter. “I thought we played a complete game on offense, the defense came up with the stops we needed. It's been a long time since I won a competition, so it feels good.
“It started up front and we were able to run the ball very well. That's a tribute to Joe Mixon and the o-line. Just having a week (in preparation) under my belt was huge. It's not a nice answer, but it was.”
Jacksonville backup CJ Beathard completed 9 of 10 passes for 63 yards in relief of Lawrence. Beathard put the Jaguars in position for Brandon McManus' 40-yard field goal with 26 seconds left in regulation, making the score 31–31.
Ja'Marr Chase caught 11 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown, a 76-yarder in the third quarter that paced the Bengals. Joe Mixon ran for 68 yards and two scores, and rookie Chase Brown added 61 yards on the ground for the league's worst rushing attack. Mixon also had six receptions for 49 yards.
The Bengals made it harder than it should have been when coach Zac Taylor called that a trick play turned into a debacle in the third quarter. Browning passed laterally to receiver Tyler Boyd, who inexplicably threw directly to pass rusher Josh Allen. Allen caught the ball for his second career interception. The Jaguars scored four plays later when Lawrence jumped and stretched the ball across the goal line.
It was the second failed trick play for the Bengals, who also lost seven yards when Chase completed a double pass to Browning. Still, the Bengals finished with 491 yards and were 8 of 14 on third down.