Watching “Monday Night Football” last night (Dec. 4), I was actually surprised that the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals game turned out to be so competitive. Back when this matchup was picked for the Monday primetime slow, the Bengals had superstar quarterback Joe Burrow in the fold, but Burrow is now out with a season-ending injury. It’s something that’s been happening too much in the NFL right now, as a handful of franchise quarterbacks are out for the 2023 season with injuries, including Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets and Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings.
Unfortunately, there was a scary moment during the Jaguars vs. Bengals game when Jags franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence left the game with an injury. With all the season-ending Achilles injuries this year, my mind immediately went to the worse place. What if the NFL loses yet another franchise quarterback with Lawrence? It’s a reminder we need to protect our franchise quarterbacks.
Trevor Lawrence injury
The Jaguars fell to Cincinnati in overtime, but that certainly wasn’t the worst thing that happened on Monday. Lawrence suffered a right ankle sprain late in the game and had to exit to the locker rooms. So, how was Trevor Lawrence injured? He got hurt when left tackle Walker Little was pushed back and stepped on Lawrence’s right ankle. Then, Lawrence’s leg got snagged under him and he fell. It was a nasty looking spill, but thankfully, with the medical team saying this is an ankle sprain, he should be able to return this season.
Still, there’s no word on when Lawrence will be able to return. If he’s not back by the next game, the Jags will likely tap backup quarterbacks C.J. Beathard, who hasn’t started a game since Week 16 in 2021 against the San Francisco 49ers. Let’s hope Lawrence’s right ankle injury gets better soon, because the Jags are 8-4, and before Monday’s game, they were considered a major contender to top the AFC rankings at the end of the season.
Jake Browning showing his stuff
Meanwhile, the Bengals have been forging ahead without Joe Burrow. Backup quarterback Jake Browning has been doing a fantastic job, and with the help and guidance of Burrow, he made it happen on Monday. Now, the Bengals’ record has improved to 6-6, and Jacksonville is 8-4.
It’s hard to believe, but Monday’s game only marked Browning’s second career start. On top of that, it was a Monday night, primetime game against a division-leading team in the AFC. Can we say, pressure? The Bengals are fighting for a possible spot in the playoffs, even without Burrow, and Browning showed that he’s willing to give it all to make that happen.
As for stats, Browning was 32-of-37 passing for 354 yards and two touchdowns during the game. If Browning and the rest of the Bengals can keep these kinds of numbers up, this team could make it to the playoffs for the third consecutive year. What’s more, Cincinnati’s upcoming schedule is fairly easy. Most of the teams they’re taking on in the next few weeks actually don’t have their starting quarterbacks, the only team that does being the Kansas City Chiefs. But, as the Chiefs showed on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, they are beatable.
AIR LAWRENCE FOR SIX#CINvsJAX | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/AhQJ6mol2D
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 5, 2023