Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jake Browning Assigns Blame for Bengals' Loss to Lions

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 10:02 PM ET

The Cincinnati Bengals' time without star quarterback Joe Burrow has not gone well. In Week 5, the struggles continued as they lost to the Detroit Lions, 37-24, in Cincinnati.

The Lions led by 25 points going into the fourth quarter, and a 21-point fourth quarter made the score look much closer than it was.

Jake Browning struggled once again, going 26-of-40 for 251 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in the loss. In total, Browning has six touchdown passes and eight interceptions in four games, leaving much to be desired in Cincinnati.

After the game, the current Bengals' QB1 shouldered the blame after another ugly loss.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (6) walks on the field in the second quarter of the NFL Week 3 game between the Minnesota Vikings Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Obviously today I did not play well enough to win the game," Browning said. "There are a lot of people on our team that did play winning football. I did not. The three interceptions that put our defense in a tough spot...Putting our team in brutal situations due to bad decision-making. I gotta figure it out."

While Browning said he "doesn't have an answer right now," he did admit to playing "bad football.

"I threw three picks that were just bad," Browning said, via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. "Bad football from me."

“There were a lot of people on our team that played winning football and I did not.”

- Jake Browning#Bengals pic.twitter.com/PW1XkvZfJk
— Chatterbox Sports (@CBoxSports) October 6, 2025

Browning threw three interceptions in Week 2 after replacing Burrow, and he threw a pair of interceptions in a 48-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, which marked the largest margin of defeat in franchise history.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor also supported Browning but also said they would look at everything "personnel-wise."

Asked Zac Taylor if he still believes in Jake Browning as the #Bengals starting QB going forward. He said this:

"I do. Of course, after a game like that we’re going to look at all personnel to make sure we are doing the right thing. I won’t shy away from that because it’s a…
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) October 6, 2025

Whether that means a change of QB or not remains to be seen. Currently, Brett Rypien is the only other QB on the roster, but it might be time for a change in Cincinnati.

The Bengals face the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets and Chicago Bears before a Week 10 bye.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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