Jake Browning of the Bengals Fires Message on Steelers Defense Following Week 16
Jake Browning, the quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, was perfect going into Week 16 and had thrown more touchdowns than interceptions versus all teams but the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, on December 23, the Steelers once more had the last say on Browning.
Browning had his worst game as a starter in the Steelers’ 34-11 triumph. Although he completed 335 yards on 66.7% of his passes, he only threw three interceptions and one touchdown.
Following the Steelers victory, Browning contended that Pittsburgh’s defense did not perform in an unexpected manner; rather, the group simply outplayed the opposition.
“I didn’t think it was something they secretly observed us or anything similar,” Browning stated to the media following the game. “I need to improve because they kicked our ass and I made some bad choices with the ball in my hand.”
The Bengals’ run yard total was limited to 59 by the Steelers defense, in addition to three interceptions. On all three of the Bengals’ red zone trips, the Steelers prevented them from reaching the end zone and earned three sacks.
For good reason, the Steelers offense took the brunt of the blame for the team’s three-game losing streak that started in December. However, the defense also struggled in a few crucial areas during that losing streak.
The Steelers learned one thing from their losses to the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, and Arizona Cardinals. Three interceptions were made by the Steelers defense against the Bengals during their lopsided victory.
Pittsburgh used those takeaways to score 17 points. That was more than the Steelers had scored in four of the previous five games combined.
Browning bemoaned his turnovers at his post-game press conference, labeling each one as “dumb.”
He told reporters, “I have to figure out how to make those three throws incomplete.”
The first half saw Browning throw two of his interceptions, which allowed the Steelers to take a 21-0 lead.
In Week 15, the Steelers led the Colts by two scores early on, but the pass rush was unable to capitalize on that advantage. Indianapolis was able to run the ball and end up with 30 unanswered points even with practice squad running backs.
The Bengals, though, were unable to produce anything on the ground. Cincinnati was forced to pass since they were behind by several touchdowns, and T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith took control of the game.
