Browning lifts Bengals over Vikings in overtime
Trailing 17-3 late in the third quarter behind an offense that had struggled to move the ball, the host Cincinnati Bengals needed Jake Browning to be nearly perfect — and he was.
Browning led Cincinnati to three fourth-quarter touchdowns and directed the winning drive in overtime in his latest extraordinary performance since taking over for the injured Joe Burrow, and the Bengals beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-24 on Saturday to improve their position in the playoff race.
Browning won his third straight start and improved to 3-1 since Burrow suffered a season-ending right wrist injury in a loss at Baltimore. This time, he threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime, becoming the fourth QB in the past two years to throw for at least that many yards and two or more scores after three quarters.
“I feel like I need a beer,” said Browning, who beat a team that cut him from its practice squad two years ago.
Tee Higgins went high over a Vikings defender to catch a 16-yard pass from Browning and make a twisting move at the goal line for the tying touchdown with 39 seconds left in regulation.
Then, in overtime, a scrambling Browning found Tyler Boyd for a 44-yard completion that got Cincinnati (8-6) into Vikings territory and set up Evan McPherson's game-ending 29-yard field goal.
“Jake's just so steady, you know?” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “He really is. He doesn't get rattled by a negative play. He doesn't overreact to it.”
Browning was 29 for 42 for 324 yards with two touchdowns — both to Higgins — and an interception. He completed passes to 11 receivers and has a 110.9 passer rating in his four starts..
Nick Mullens, the fourth quarterback to start a game this season for the Vikings, was solid in defeat. He passed for 303 yards with two TDs but threw two interceptions.
Minnesota (7-7) has lost three of four, the only win in that stretch a 3-0 decision at Las Vegas that led to Joshua Dobbs being benched in favor of Mullens. The Vikings' loss helps the Rams (6-7) — they host Washington today
— as both are vying for an NFC wild-card playoff spot. COLTS 30, STEELERS 13 » Gardner Minshew got the most out of his depleted supporting cast. The Indianapolis quarterback, himself a backup, made big plays with backup receivers. He got the Colts' reserve running backs into play calls that would succeed. It was some of Minshew's finest work of the season — perhaps of his entire career.
Minshew matched his career high with three touchdown passes, Indianapolis rushed for 170 yards and the host Colts improved their playoff prospects with a win over sagging Pittsburgh.
“We've needed to win these games and we've done a great job down the stretch,” Minshew said. “I think everybody was locked in, the urgency was there, the attention to details. At this point it's all about winning games, however, you've got to get it done.”
Minshew and the Colts (8-6) have won five of six to move from the bottom of the AFC South into playoff contention. They currently hold the No. 7 position in the AFC, and they will remain there when this weekend's games conclude because of tiebreakers.
They wouldn't be in that spot without Minshew, who replaced injured rookie Anthony Richardson in Week 5. On Saturday, Minshew went 18 of 28 with 215 yards despite losing top receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to a concussion and top rusher Zack Moss to an injured right arm. Jonathan Taylor (right thumb), the 2021 NFL rushing champ, didn't play, either.
The Steelers (7-7) dropped their third straight and fell into last place in the rugged AFC North, putting coach Mike Tomlin's run of 16 straight seasons at .500 or better in jeopardy.
Pittsburgh took an early 13-0 lead behind backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who made his second start in place of the injured Kenny Pickett. But by late in the fourth quarter, the Colts had scored 30 consecutive points and third-stringer Mason Rudolph was slinging passes for the Steelers.
Trubisky was 16 of 23 for 169 yards with one TD pass and two interceptions.
Lucas Oil Stadium fell silent when Steelers safety Damontae Kazee launched his shoulder into Pittman as the receiver tried to make a diving catch. The Colts later said Pittman had a concussion. Kazee was ejected for the hit.
LIONS 42, BRONCOS 17 » Jared Goff matched a career high with five touchdown passes, three to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, and host Detroit routed Denver.
The NFC North-leading Lions (10-4) could clinch a spot in the postseason for the first time since the 2016 season if other results go their way this weekend. The simplest scenario would be a loss or tie by Seattle to Philadelphia on Monday night.
The Broncos' hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season took a hit. Denver (7-7) had won six of its previous seven games to pull within a game of AFC West-leading Kansas City.
Goff and the the Lions bounced back from some poor outings — losing two of three games — with a dominant second quarter.
The veteran quarterback, who turned the ball over eight times in the previous four games, threw touchdown passes in the period to LaPorta, rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown to give Detroit a 21-0 halftime lead.
Denver, meanwhile, was 1 of 6 on third down and had just 75 yards in the first half.
Russell Wilson lofted a 3-yard touchdown pass to Lil'Jordan Humphrey midway through the third quarter. The Lions responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that Goff capped with another touchdown pass to LaPorta.
The Broncos had a touchdown on fourth down negated late in the third when offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz was flagged for being offside.
Broncos coach Sean Payton proceeded to scream at Wilson on the sideline and Denver settled for a field goal to cut its deficit to 28-10.
Wilson, who lost a fumble on his first possession, finished 18 of 32 for 223 yards with a touchdown pass and a rushing TD.
Goff was 24 of 34 for 278 yards, throwing five touchdown passes for the first time since 2018 when he played for the Rams, and didn't have a turnover.