5 fast facts LA Rams should know about Bengals backup QB Jake Browning

The LA Rams are no strangers to facing the Cincinnati Bengals. The two powerhouses clashed in Super Bowl LVI, a game that the Rams won despite an injury riddled roster that left the Rams offense with WR Cooper Kupp, WR Ben Skowronek, and third-string tight end Brycen Hopkins leading the come from behind victory.

The two teams will face one another once more, this time in a Week 3 matchup of Super Bowl LVI opponents. But it's safe to say that right now, neither team is viewed as an NFL power house. With a combined record of 1-3, the LA Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals showdown may be vital to the trajectory of both teams, but the market appeal to all national NFL fans is based more upon the Super Bowl rematch than the 2023 potential of either team.

And that overall market appeal may be dropping.

The Cincinnati Bengals have become power brokers in the very competitive AFC North Division thanks to the potent passing of quarterback Joe Burrow. But Burrow has not been himself of late, as he is nursing a right calf injury that has limited his accuracy in the 2023 season. And it may prevent him from suiting up for Week 3:

It makes sense for the Bengals to give Burrow a chance to heal. While all games are important, the Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans has more tie-breaking bearing on the Bengals' AFC Playoffs probability than the Week 3 games against the NFC-based LA Rams. So what must the LA Rams know about Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning?

Fast Fact V: Jake Browning was originally signed after the 2019 NFL Draft by the Minnesota VIkings. Despite joining the NFL five seasons ago, he only threw his first NFL pass in Week 1 for the CIncinnati Bengals against the Cleveland Browns. He went 0 for 1 in that game, and rushed once for (-1) yards.

Fast Fact IV: He was a star starting quarterback for the Washington Huskies. He played and started all four seasons for the Huskies, leading the team to a 39-15 record over his tenure.

Fast Fact III: Jake Browning needed shoulder surgery while playing for the Huskies. He did fully recover, and completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 12,296 yards, 94 touchdowns, and 34 interceptions.

Fast Fact II: He participated in two training camps with the Minnesota Vikings, but was released in two consecutive years. He finally made his way to the Bengals practice squad in 2022.

Fast Fact I: In 2023 preseason games for the Bengals, Browning was 32 for 45 completions, throwing for 277 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. The Bengals opted to give Bowning their backup quarterback role and only carried two quarterbacks on their active roster this season.

The Bengals also had a lot of confidence in quarterback Will Grier, a player whom they signed to their practice squad. If you recall, Grier was a Cowboys prospect who played lights out in the preseason. But the New England Patriots signed Grier off the Bengals practice squad this week, forcing the Bengals to sign both QB Reid Sinnett and QB A.J. McCarron to their practice squad this week.

While there is never a reason to celebrate injury, it's not wrong to believe that the Rams have a better chance of winning Week 3 if they face QB Jake Browning rather than Joe Burrow. But in either case, the Bengals offense will likely lean more heavily on the running game.

Hopefully, the Rams can stuff the run and enter October 2023 with a record of 2-1.