Things looked bleak for the Cincinnati Bengals when star quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury, but Jake Browning raised the team's spirits with an inspiring performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Browning did his best Burrow impression, running the offense efficiently and effectively to lead Cincinnati to a 34-31 overtime win at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville on Monday Night Football. He went 32-of-37 for 354 yards and a touchdown while also adding a rushing score. He stood toe-to-toe with Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who was forced to exit the game in the fourth quarter due to an ankle sprain.

Browning displayed strong chemistry with Bengals star receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who was targeted 12 times and caught 11 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. He showed no fear while playing from behind, as he helped Cincinnati score 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to overcome a late deficit before Jacksonville forced overtime. In the extra period, he made some key throws to get the team into position for a game-winning 48-yard field goal by Evan McPherson.

The Bengals offense wasn't perfect, but the team's worst plays came when head coach Zac Taylor tried to get cute with a couple of trick plays that took the ball out of Browning's hands. Chase threw an ill-advised pass early on that resulted in a loss of seven yards. Fellow receiver Tyler Boyd made an even worse mistake when he threw an interception to Jaguars defensive end Josh Allen that led to a Jacksonville touchdown.

But Browning was the star of the show. Fans on social media were impressed with what they saw from him in Monday night's win:

Browning had one of the tougher roads to the NFL. After going undrafted in 2019, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings and joined the team's practice squad. He was waived prior to the 2021 season and signed with the Bengals practice squad. During the 2023 preseason, he beat out veteran Trevor Siemian for the backup quarterback position.

After earning his first NFL win as a starter, Browning should be able to carry that momentum forward as Cincinnati tries to keep pace in the hunt for the playoffs. The team should be more confident in him after Monday night's performance.

Browning and the Bengals (6-6) will return home to face the Indianapolis Colts (7-5) on Sunday.