Heading into the 2025 NFL season, the Cincinnati Bengals had been seen as a Tremendous Bowl contender, however after dropping Joe Burrow to long-term harm on Sunday, the oddsmakers have primarily given up on the Bengals.
With Burrow set to miss at the very least three months on account of his toe harm, the Bengals Tremendous Bowl odds went from 20-to-1 to 80-to-1 in a span of 24 hours. With Burrow out, Jake Browning will now be taking up at quarterback and he really has expertise on this actual state of affairs: Again in 2023, Browning was compelled to make seven begins after Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist harm and he went 4-3.
At this level, there aren’t many individuals on the market who’re giving the Bengals an opportunity of even making the playoffs, however coach Zac Taylor is not listening to the surface noise. Throughout a press convention on Monday, Taylor made it clear that each aim that the Bengals made earlier than the season continues to be attainable with Browning at QB.
“I really feel very assured in Jake,” Taylor mentioned. “I believe Jake has confirmed his caliber on this league and he may also help us win soccer video games and contend for all of the issues we need to contend for.”
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So is that this simply loopy coach speak or can the Browning play properly sufficient to avoid wasting the Bengals’ season? Let’s break down the remainder of their schedule and discover out.
Week 3: Bengals at Vikings
The Bengals will really be catching a break right here with Carson Wentz set to be filling in at quarterback for J.J. McCarthy, who is anticipated to miss the sport on account of an injured ankle. Wentz has solely began a complete of two video games for the reason that starting of the 2023 season and it may be onerous to shake off that form of rust in a single week. On the Bengals’ finish, Browning has confronted a Brian Flores protection earlier than, so he is aware of what he is up towards. Again in 2023, he threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Minnesota. Prediction: Bengals 23-20 over Vikings
Week 4: Bengals at Broncos (Monday)
Browning has solely performed one Monday recreation in his profession and it was a wild one with the QB main the Bengals to a 34-31 win over the Jaguars in a recreation the place Jacksonville was favored by 10. Browning threw for 354 yards and a landing within the win. He is definitely ok to maintain the Bengals on this recreation, however the Broncos are a troublesome defensive matchup and it is onerous to see Cincinnati stealing this one on the highway. Prediction: Broncos 27-20 over Bengals
Week 5: Lions at Bengals
This recreation will come down as to whether the protection can decelerate Jared Goff and the Lions’ high-flying offense. Based mostly on the primary two weeks of the season that appears unlikely. The Bengals protection has struggled to decelerate the passing assault of their opponents with Joe Flacco throwing for 290 yards and Trevor Lawrence throwing for 271. The protection has compelled a number of large turnovers, but when that does not occur towards the Lions, it could possibly be an extended day. Prediction: Lions 31-24 over Bengals
Week 6: Bengals at Packers
The Packers presently seem like the perfect group within the NFL and it is onerous to think about Browning main the group into Lambeau and pulling off an upset right here. Prediction: Packers 27-17 over Bengals
Week 7: Steelers at Bengals (Thursday)
With the Bengals on a three-game dropping streak, this could possibly be a spot the place Browning probably has an opportunity to avoid wasting the Bengals season. The Steelers protection has utterly fallen aside. Not solely have they been unhealthy by means of the primary two weeks of the season, however they weren’t superb on the finish of final season.
With this recreation at dwelling in primetime, Browning and the Bengals decide up an enormous win by knocking off Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. Prediction: Bengals 27-24 over Steelers
Week 8: Jets at Bengals
WEEK 10: Bye
We’ve got the Bengals at 6-3 heading into their Week 10 bye and for that to truly occur, Browning simply must cause them to a 4-3 report from Week 3 by means of Week 9.
Week 11: Bengals at Steelers
Browning may lead the Bengals to 1 win over the Steelers, nevertheless it’s onerous to think about him pulling off the sweep. The Bengals have not swept this collection since 2021 and we do not see that altering this yr. Prediction: Steelers 24-17 over Bengals
Week 12: Patriots at Bengals
The Patriots pulled off one of many greatest upsets of the 2024 season after they beat the Bengals in Week 1 and so they pull off one other upset right here by taking down the Bengals in Cincinnati as soon as once more. And as soon as the season is over, it turns into clear simply how expensive this loss finally ends up being. Prediction: Patriots 19-16 over Bengals
Week 13: Bengals at Ravens
Week 14: Bengals at Payments
Week 15: Ravens at Bengals
These three video games are lumped collectively as a result of it is onerous to think about the Bengals profitable any of them. The primary one is a Thanksgiving matchup towards the Ravens that will likely be performed on the highway in primetime. The Ravens are 18-2 of their previous 20 dwelling primetime video games. Beating the Payments has been Joe Burrow’s specialty, however with Burrow out, and the Buffalo recreation sandwiched between two Baltimore video games, it could be a troublesome process to tug off the upset.
Prediction: Ravens 34-24 over Bengals
Prediction: Payments 30-20 over Bengals
Prediction: Ravens 31-23 over Bengals
Week 16: Bengals at Dolphins
That is the place issues will formally get attention-grabbing. If Burrow is out for 3 months, then there’s an opportunity that he can be again on the sector for this recreation. Based mostly on our predictions thus far, the Bengals can be sitting at 6-8 and within the thick of the playoff race. If they might run off three straight wins to finish the season, they might most likely get in. The Dolphins really feel like a group that could possibly be in whole meltdown mode by the point this recreation rolls round, so we’ll give the win to Cincinnati whether or not the QB is Burrow or Browning. Prediction: Bengals 31-20 over Dolphins
Week 17: Cardinals at Bengals
The Bengals must be getting an enormous homefield benefit and that is largely as a result of they’re going to be dealing with a indoor Cardinals group that has to fly throughout the nation to play an out of doors recreation in December. Because the begin of the 2022 season, the Cardinals are 0-3 when enjoying in a recreation the place the kickoff temperature is 40 levels or decrease. That features a loss to Carolina final December in a recreation the place the Cardinals had been favored by 5. Prediction: Bengals 24-20 over Cardinals
Week 18: Browns at Bengals
For the third straight season, the Bengals are going to search out themselves in the identical actual spot: Sitting at 8-8 going into the common season finale with a shot at a profitable report and a attainable playoff berth in the event that they win. At this level, there is not any method to know who the Browns will likely be beginning at quarterback, however with this recreation being performed in Cincinnati, we’ll give the win to the Bengals, who’ve gained 4 straight towards the Browns. Prediction: Bengals 20-17 over Browns
Jake Browning won’t get the Bengals to the playoffs, however he can definitely hold them in competition whereas Burrow is out. One factor working within the Bengals’ favor is that they’re going to be dealing with a number of defenses which are presently struggling. Heading into Week 3, there are eight groups who’re surrendering 29 factors per recreation or extra and the Bengals will play eight of their last 15 video games towards these groups (Browns, Ravens x 2, Steelers x 2, Dolphins, Bears, Jets), so the Bengals offense will definitely go into these video games with some confidence.
Though we’ve the Bengals going 9-8 right here, we’ve them dropping virtually each large recreation — at Broncos, Lions, at Packers, at Steelers, at Ravens, at Payments, Ravens — if they’ll steal simply ONE of these video games, that will give Cincinnati an opportunity to steal a playoff berth. If that occurs and the Bengals have Burrow again within the lineup for the postseason, they might rapidly turn out to be the group that nobody needs to face.
