The Cincinnati Bengals’ season is spiraling — and backup quarterback Jake Browning is feeling the pressure. Despite a pair of late touchdown passes to Ja’Marr Chase, Browning couldn’t stop the bleeding as the Detroit Lions dominated for much of Sunday afternoon in a 37–24 win at Paycor Stadium.
With Joe Burrow still sidelined after a toe injury suffered on Sept. 14, the Bengals have now lost three straight, and the offense has cratered during that span. Cincinnati has been outscored 113–37 in those games, and while Browning’s stat line on Sunday — 26-of-40, 251 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs — might suggest improvement, the performance didn’t pass the eye test until the game was out of reach.
Detroit built a 28–3 lead by the late third quarter before Browning finally connected with Chase on two highlight-reel touchdowns. The first came early in the fourth quarter — a 15-yard toe-tap score in the corner of the end zone with only 0.6 yards of separation and just 0.2 yards from the sideline, making it the most improbable TD pass of the season per NFL Next Gen Stats (12.5 percent completion probability). The second was a 65-yard bomb, where Chase burned Detroit’s Amik Robertson and strolled in untouched.
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But it was too little, too late.
“We didn’t get things going until it was already too far gone,” said Browning postgame. “I’ve got to take better care of the football and start faster.”
Indeed, Browning’s three interceptions stalled multiple drives and erased any early momentum. His pick in the second quarter set up one of Jared Goff’s three touchdown passes, and another in the third led to a short-field opportunity for Detroit that they quickly converted.
Even with Chase’s 110 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions, the Bengals’ offense was inconsistent and outclassed by a Lions team firing on all cylinders. Browning’s pocket presence was shaky, and his decision-making under pressure led to missed opportunities.
The Bengals’ touchdown to Chase in the fourth quarter also marked the team’s first touchdown in 20 possessions, not including kneel-downs — a streak that spanned nearly three full games.
Detroit, meanwhile, put on an offensive clinic. Quarterback Jared Goff was nearly perfect, completing 19 of 23 passes for 258 yards and three scores. Former Cincinnati high school star David Montgomery was the story of the day for the Lions, both rushing and passing for touchdowns in his hometown. He also had 64 yards on the ground and over 20 friends and family cheering him on — including his sister Kiki, who was paralyzed in a car accident last year.
Montgomery’s touchdown pass out of a wildcat formation caught the Bengals defense off guard, and his 8-yard rushing score gave Detroit a 28–3 lead and effectively sealed the outcome. Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Isaac TeSlaa also added touchdowns as the Lions cruised to 4-1 on the season.
Cincinnati added a late field goal and watched as Browning was sacked in the end zone for a safety with just under two minutes left, an appropriate cap to another frustrating performance.
The Bengals were once viewed as a dark horse contender, but with Burrow’s timeline still uncertain and Browning unable to consistently execute, the pressure is mounting on head coach Zac Taylor to find answers before the season slips away.
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“I know we’re better than this,” Browning said. “But knowing isn’t enough — we’ve got to show it.”
Cincinnati (2–3) heads to Green Bay next Sunday, looking to avoid a fourth straight loss. Detroit will visit Kansas City for a primetime showdown with the defending Super Bowl champions.
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