An up-and-down season got tougher for the Cincinnati Bengals when Joe Burrow went down with an injury during their Week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens as the team’s playoff odds continued to lengthen.
They have weathered the storm in recent weeks with back-to-back wins despite not having Burrow at quarterback.
How Long Is Joe Burrow Out For?
Burrow suffered a wrist injury during the second quarter of the Bengals’ 34-20 loss to the Ravens. He threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Joe Mixon on what would be his final play of the game but was in visible pain immediately after releasing the throw and was favoring his right hand/wrist area.
Burrow initially went into the blue medical tent for evaluation, then came out and attempted a couple of practice throws. He was in clear pain on both attempts and quickly jogged back to the locker room for further evaluation.
“I felt a pop in the middle of the throw,” Burrow told reporters. “I tried to give it a go but couldn’t get it done and got the news today. I had a feeling before we got the official news.”
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor later revealed the injury to be a season-ender for Burrow as he tore a ligament in his wrist. He also speculated that the injury likely occurred the play before when Burrow was hit in the elbow area by Jadeveon Clowney, and Clowney landed on Burrow’s right hand as they went to the ground.
Burrow finished the game 11 of 17 for 101 yards and the one touchdown pass. He ended the 2023 season with a career-low 2,309 passing yards for 15 touchdowns and six interceptions across just 10 starts.
MORE: Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart
Still, Jake Browning has stepped up, leading Cincinnati to a pair of big wins over the last two weeks since taking over as the team’s starting quarterback. He posted strong performances in a 34-31 overtime win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and a 34-14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts to keep the Bengals in the AFC playoff hunt.
Browning is up to 77 of 102 for 924 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions in five total appearances on the year, including three starts. He put up a career-best 354 passing yards against the Jaguars, adding a career-high two touchdown passes on 275 passing yards against the Colts.
Time will tell whether Browning can help Cincinnati reach the postseason, but he has, at minimum, shown an ability to turn in some solid performances thus far.
He will have a chance to deliver another on Saturday when the Bengals (7-6) face the Minnesota Vikings (7-6) in a crucial clash for both teams’ playoff hopes in their respective conferences.
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