The Cincinnati Bengals' three-game losing streak has prompted questions regarding their current starting quarterback.
Head coach Zac Taylor isn't ruling out considering alternatives to backup Jake Browning, telling reporters on Monday that the team will evaluate its options at the position ahead of their Week 6 game at the Green Bay Packers.
"We'll see where it goes," Taylor said. "Like all personnel decisions, we've got to evaluate it. Jake's been very accountable for how the game went for him. I've got to be accountable for how the game went for me, as well. So we'll continue to progress here through the days."
Although the numbers (80 for 124, 757 yards, 6-8 TD-INT ratio, 70.5 passer rating) don't quite explain the full story, Browning has struggled mightily since taking over for the injured Joe Burrow. The Washington product and past Bengals hero has been tasked with operating an offense that doesn't pose a threat on the ground and includes a leaky offensive line that would make life difficult for almost any quarterback. Too often, Browning has been forced to resort to launching 50/50 balls toward Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and that's only when he's had enough time to get the ball out.
It's a far cry from how the Bengals manufactured success with Browning at the controls two years ago when he went 4-3 in seven starts.
Bad news, Bengals fans: The other options don't inspire much hope. Brett Rypien is listed as Browning's backup, while veteran Mike White and Penn State product Sean Clifford reside on the team's practice squad.
Of the three, White has the most success on his resume. White completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 2,145 yards, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions in eight games with the New York Jets before fading into a backup role in Miami and Buffalo. Jets fans might fondly remember White for injecting some life into their squads in 2021 and 2022, but that's about all White can point toward when making his case for another opportunity.
Rypien has appeared in 11 games in his five NFL seasons and thrown for 950 total yards, four touchdowns and nine interceptions. Clifford hasn't seen an NFL field since 2023.
That's how rough things are for the Bengals right now, losers of three straight with an offense that has cratered without Burrow and a defense that has been even worse. Though they made the final score of their loss to Detroit respectable on Sunday, the Bengals were essentially out of their Week 5 game midway through the third quarter, trailing 28-3 before finding some life offensively in the fourth.
After a 2-0 start, the Bengals are in the midst of a steep decline in a division that remains very winnable thanks to Baltimore's struggles. Likely sensing this opportunity -- and feeling the pressure that comes with an ugly losing streak -- Taylor is willing to explore alternative avenues if it means he'll get a better product this coming Sunday.
We'll see if such exploration produces notable change.
