Not only did the Bengals tie the game with 39 seconds left in regulation, but they also won the game 27–24 in overtime against the Vikings in Week 15. For quarterback Jake Browning, it was a satisfying way to wrap up a story.
Prior to the 2021 season, Browning was waived by Minnesota. He is currently the starting quarterback for the Bengals as a result of Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury. Browning let it be known that the incident hurt him deeply, screaming into the camera, “You never should’ve f—— cut me!” after Cincinnati overcame the Vikings.
Browning gets his sweet revenge, right? Perhaps in a personal sense. However, Browning wanted to ensure that the reductive narrative was broadened to tell the entire story when he spoke with media on Tuesday.
“You hold everything inside and then it comes out,” said Browning. However, I think my biggest regret is that, despite the fact that many factors went into achieving the victory, the game ended up becoming my revenge game. Making sure everyone knows that it was a fantastic team victory and not just my game of retaliation.
Fans of sports are aware that sportsmen can find motivation in even the smallest perceived slight. The Michael Jordan “I took that personally” meme can now begin. Browning admitted in a tearful moment that he did, in fact, take the Vikings cutting him personally.
He is aware, nevertheless, that without the team’s collective contribution to the successful outcome, he would not have had such a fulfilling personal victory. Football is never that easy, even though Browning threw for 324 yards and a touchdown to help the Bengals win. It was a sign of leadership from the quarterback to remind everyone of that.
