Taylor bro bowl

JACKSONVILLE, FLA. >> Jake Browning threw for 354 yards and a touchdown in his second career start, and the Cincinnati Bengals stunned the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-31 in overtime Monday night.

Browning also ran for a score as the Bengals (66) won on “Monday Night Football” for the first time since 1990 on Evan Mcpherson’s 48-yard field goal in the extra frame. This one was shocking and potentially costly for the Jaguars (8-4), who lost quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a right ankle injury late in the fourth quarter.

Left tackle Walker Little stepped on Lawrence’s ankle, causing him to twist it as he was sacked. Lawrence tried to get up, but dropped to the ground, ripped off his helmet and threw it in disgust. He was helped off the field and into the tunnel for X-rays.

It ended an otherwise stellar night for Lawrence, who completed 22 of 29 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a score.

Browning was equally stout in place of star Joe Burrow, who watched and coached from the sideline while wearing a cast and a sling. Browning completed 32 of 37 passes

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (6) gestures during the first half Monday in Jacksonville, Fla.

and directed the overtime drive that set up Mcpherson’s winner. Mcpherson, who played collegiately at nearby Florida, banged a 57-yarder off the crossbar in the same direction early in the game.

Jacksonville backup C.J. Beathard completed 9 of 10 passes for 63 yards in relief of Lawrence. Beathard put the Jaguars in position for Brandon Mcmanus’ 40yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining in regulation.

Ja’marr Chase caught 11 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown, a 76-yarder in the third quarter that got the Bengals going.

Joe Mixon ran for 68 yards and two scores, and rookie Chase Brown added 61 yards on the ground for the league’s worst rushing

poorly we started, you’re going to be frustrated when you watch the tape, and you see the multiple opportunities we had.”

That is the best the Broncos can take from the slow start at this point. It’s headscratching to come out flat in a game with such clear postseason implications, particularly when they’d been talked about, acknowledged and even embraced all week. There’s no such thing as silver linings for teams in the hunt this late into the season, but the most productive way to channel that frustration now is to ensure it’s not a repeat problem and to take confidence from knowing that, as bad as the first part of the game went, they still had several chances to win it late.

attack. Mixon also had six receptions for 49 yards.

The Bengals made it harder that it should have been when coach Zac Taylor called a trick play that turned into a debacle in third.

Browning lateraled to receiver Tyler Boyd, who inexplicably threw directly to pass rusher Josh Allen. Allen caught the ball for his second career interception. The Jaguars scored four plays later when Lawrence jumped and stretched the ball across the goal line.

It was the second bungled trick play for the Bengals, who also lost 7 yards when Chase completed a double pass to Browning.

Still, the Bengals finished with 491 yards and were 8 of 14 on third down.

Broncos players, for their part, said the fight from 1-5 to 6-5 gives them confidence that they can put the loss behind them and get on another winning streak.

“We’re still in the middle of everything and we’re still in a decent spot,” Cushenberry said. “We’ve just got to take care of business these next five games.”

The chore, of course, is figuring out how and why all three phases started so slowly.

“We let a guy run free early in the game on a punt rush,” Payton said. “Defensively, we’re off the field in a red-zone situation and we let a rookie bait us into a personal foul. That’s four points. Instead of finishing that game needing a touchdown, we’re kicking a field goal to win. Offensively, we

Interesting celebration

The Bengals celebrated Mixon’s first TD run with a choreographed dance in the end zone. It all seemed to be going as planned until left tackle Orlando Brown leaned into a TV camera and yelled an expletive. That could earn Brown a fine from the league.

Higgins returns

Bengals receiver Tee Higgins finished with three catches for 36 yards in his first game in a month. Higgins missed the last three games — all losses — with a hamstring injury. Higgins has 30 receptions for 364 yards and two touchdowns in a contract year. He called this injury his worst since his rookie season.

Zac Taylor pulled even with little brother Press in the “Taylor Bro Bowl” standings.

Their father, former Kansas State assistant coach Sherwood Taylor, keeps a trophy at their family home in Norman, Oklahoma, with the results of every head-to-head coaching matchup between his sons. Press, Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator, had won two of the last three meetings.

The all-time now 2-2-1. series is

talked about it: communication. Communication has to improve, especially on the road. Too many snaps where guys aren’t ready, or we didn’t get the shift, or we didn’t get the call.

“That’s troubling, especially this time of year.”

So, too, is going 0-of-11 on third down. And failing yet again to do anything with the first possession of the second half. And throwing three interceptions in your final four drives. And missing a shift on the game’s deciding play.

There’s plenty to go around from Sunday’s winning streak-snapper.

“All year long we’ve said we’re a tough group, resilient group. We’ve shown that,” Cushenberry said. “These next five games, it’s put up or shut up.”