Jake Browning Press Conference – September 14

Jake Browning Press Conference – September 14

What is it? I don’t know. Last play going into the QB sneak didn’t work on the first one. So, as long as they were low, I was just going to jump and hope for the best and uh it worked. When was the last time you wrapped a QB sneak? I got a pretty bad one in the preseason, but on the goal line, uh, I don’t know, maybe Jack, maybe Jacksonville holds 2023. What goes through your mind when you see Joe down and knowing, hey, it’s my turn to step up right now. Yeah, I think you just go into all like get warm again. Um, and uh, just cooperate. And I think for me, it’s just staying level. Obviously, it’s like uh you’re used you think you’re going to be sitting on the sideline, then you get thrown in and that can kind of create like an emotional jump and try to ride that wave and just operate. What was your approach there on the last drive? You know, kind of pushing the ball down the field. I mean, should be delusional. Uh I think I’d thrown three picks and it was like somehow we still have chance to win the game and so you know can’t be a it sounds bad you can’t be afraid of the fourth in that situation because you know you got a chance to win it. Defense did a good job of forcing the the turnover on downs and uh yeah I think like I said just being a little delusional and just keep being aggressive because the moment calls for it. Uh the uh the fourth down interference to Yoshi. Yes. You guys converted that I guess. Yeah, I just saw press and uh Yeah, just throw it to him. Check to it. Sorry. The RPO passed to Tinsley for the touchdown. Was was it his specific matchup? Was it the fact that it was just one? What made you feel that? uh was one of he was one-on-one and uh yeah, I mean I I mean I don’t if you’re wearing a Bengals uniform on Sunday and you’re one-on-one like I’m I’m going down swinging like I’m going to give him a chance and uh I feel like good things happen to me when I just throw it up to Mitch. And so just did it and uh he made a unbelievable play. I haven’t I haven’t seen the replay but everybody said it was a one-hander. So happy for happy for him because, you know, I’ve I’ve done the P squad grind and so getting to see someone else kind of go through that and a guy that, man, I don’t think he says any doesn’t really talk at all and just works really hard and and uh so it was good to to see that. Being a guy who did the practice squad grind and having won as a starter in the NFL, when you get opportunities like this, what’s that like for you kind of emotionally? I know you’re locked into the game. Talking about for me or for Mitch? for you. Uh for me, I mean, I don’t know. There’s not really a ton of thoughts. It’s just all right, go operate. And uh you know, I think it’s I mean, I convince myself every Saturday that this is going to happen and I study and I get ready for it. So then it does happen. It’s surprising everybody else. Like that’s it’s my job as a backup is to be ready for that. So, um yeah, I think it’s just go operate. How do you shut that emotional part of your brain off every week? I don’t know. messed up in the head. Speaking of that, Jake, Zach praises you for the fact that every day, the way that you approach practice and and work, how do you find the focus and drive every day? I I would assume that’s probably hard to do, not knowing when you’re going to play. Like, where does that come from for you? Uh, I think it’s just the discipline of like that is my job. It’s what I’m here to do. And uh you know like just the work ethic part and just like I said I’m uh my worst nightmare would be getting thrown out there and not being ready and you know I didn’t didn’t have my best game but was ready enough to win and so um you know I think throughout the week it’s nobody knows if the backup quarterback’s paying attention at all until you get thrown in and then it’s like hey pretty important tape and uh yeah I think it’s something I just try to stay locked in. I think that’s it’s honestly easier to stay locked in as the backup than the third string practice squad guy. So, it’s actually a little bit easier. There’s actually a chance of playing. Did Joe did Joe say anything to you after the game? Uh, I’ll keep those conversations private. I obviously hope the best for him and and uh you know, it’s unfortunate. about your performance. Oh, he just said good job and and uh you know, he I’m dealing with getting close to passing out cuz I’m tired from the game. He’s dealing with an injury and and so you know, it was just it was brief, but yeah, I think he was said good job. Z, since you guys kept on the plan you had when you came in, like what were the conversations like about what you guys were going to do after you got in the game? Uh, I mean, I think Zach is about most steady. I mean, I came off the field up for throwing my third pick and it was just like, “All right, here we go.” And I think it’s it’s kind of nice. It allows you to like, you know, beating the Jaguars is hard enough and doing it with a coach yelling after you, yelling at you after you just threw your third pick would make it even harder. And so, I mean, a lot of credit to him for just I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him lose as cool ever. And so it makes it really easy to get thrown into a hard situation when you know that you know he’s he’s got my back and and uh he’s going to stay steady. Seemed like Jama gave you some juice coming out of the half. Sorry. It’s all I got. It seemed like he g he gave you guys some juice coming out of the Yeah. Coming out, you know, like like late in the first fourth quarter. Yeah. I was not surprised by that. I think he’s I mean best receiver in the NFL and just get him the ball. Looked like you and Pitch had a nice moment at your locker after the game that came over. What was that like? If you care to share what kind of conversation was had there with Pitch? Yeah, I mean I think he was just happy for me and everyone is riding the emotional high of having a crazy ending to a game where bunch of bad stuff happened and we still found a way to win. And so um you know I think pitch and I have been through a lot together. Uh and you know kind of the same as Zach like I just feel like he just keeps it cool and no matter what just happened or if I played well or played bad it’s just puts me in a his demeanor allows me to go out and play really well. So, um, really appreciative of that. Speaking to some of your teammates close to passing out after the game, jokingly. How much was were you feeling that on that last drive? Just feeling I think the energy. Yeah, I think everybody was. Um, you know, like I’m I’m sure the guys that actually run a lot were pretty tired, too. And um, so yeah, I think it was just I mean, it was definitely a gritty win. It was entertaining. And uh I’m just happy we found a way to win. At halftime, speaking to some of your teammates after the game today, it was kind of the same response they had a couple years ago when you were you were playing, you totally have the locker room. How have you won over the locker room as a backup? I mean, I think like when I’m a backup, just like the way Zack and Pitch were to me, like how I described that, like being that for Joe, you know, the O line, like just trying to be as helpful as possible. And I think they see that I I work really hard at this and uh I’m always prepared. I’m always ready and you know have everyone’s best interest like even if I’m not going to go on the field like I want to win. I’m going to do everything I can to try and help us win. And so I think there’s some appreciation for that. And I think the other thing is just I’ve been here for a while and uh I think everybody feels like hey this this I don’t know if this is weird to say but like this guy should have would would play at a lot of other places but I’m I’m behind Joe. It’s weird to say after throwing three picks but I think there’s some of that and so you know obviously no one’s happy about what happened to Joe and like it’s it’s awful but it’s also like hey this guy’s getting a chance. You talk about you know the calm demeanor Zach has. What did that do for you, you know, give you guys to give you guys a chance to I don’t know if reset is necessarily the right word, but you know, when you get the ball back, you know, at the 80 yard line with those three minutes go, how does that calm demeanor that you guys have on that sideline help you kind of refocus and get ready for that drive that you guys win? I I think it allows me to be, like I said, a little bit delusional and just know like I need to be aggressive here to try and win the game regardless of what just happened. And uh you know I think you can see sometimes when a quarterback isn’t there’s probably a lot of reasons for that but head coach screaming at you about turnovers is is you know makes it a lot harder and so he’s got a good demeanor and I mean just the voice in the helmet it’s pretty calm at all times and so it just allows me to go play without feeling that added pressure. What information at halftime did you go over like this is what I like to do. This is I like I have played a decent amount here. Um and I I mean I like the plan. So I uh yeah I feel like in that situation it’s just like just call what’s going to work and I’ll just operate. Did Joe or anybody say anything to you at halftime as you kind of start prepping to go out there for the second half one more time. Did Joe or anybody say anything to you at halftime as you get ready to go out there second half? Like just anybody say anything? No. We just go win the game. if if you have to end up playing uh on Sunday or for an extended amount of time, what gives you the most confidence that, you know, you’ll be able to go out? What’s the prep going to be like this, you know, throughout the week as you if you do have to end up starting uh a week from now? Uh I mean, I think for me it’s just one day at a time. Uh said this a bunch, but it wasn’t my best game. Obviously, I’m happy we won, so it makes Sunday happy, but I think Monday when come back in, it’s like, okay, we need to starting with me, like we need to continue to get better. It’s only week two and uh you know for me it’ll be the same. That’s one of the nice things about always being prepared and preparing hard is my preparation doesn’t really change that much. If anything it’s a little bit easier cuz you know if that ends up being the case. Uh I’m getting the walkthrough reps. I’m doing you know the practice reps. It’s significantly harder as a backup to just you know go through all the reads in your head and you haven’t really done it. You aware the team is waiting for you next Sunday. One day at a time. Jake, were you surprised that they didn’t kick the field goal to make it a six-point game and over the seven uh with a chance to tie or win it with the TD? Yeah. Um I mean surprised. I I don’t know. I wasn’t really thinking about it too much. um just knew whether they score a touchdown, field goal, whatever, or go forward and don’t get it that we’re going to get the ball back and we need to make something happen. Jake, after you throw your third pick, are you beating yourself up or do you know a way to pull yourself not go down that rabbit hole too far? Yeah, I mean I’ve I’ve had a lot of ups or a lot of tough times in my career where you just kind of have to keep a level head and um you know continue to focus on the task at hand which is there’s nothing I can do about just throwing my third pick. Um so you just got to move on and and wash it and you know Monday start to peel back the onion of like okay what do I need what is the things I need to improve on? Obviously, it’s hey, don’t throw ball to the other team, but there’s certain things that usually come up that create that end result and so trying to do better on those. Um, after that third pick, Zach admitted he couldn’t help but notice a lot of the fans leaving. Did you notice that? No, I was mad I threw my third pick, but moving on and trying to get ready for the next drive and, you know, I’m not really I’m not really looking at the fans during the game to be honest. I’m kind of focused on just playing quarterback. Do you have a satisfying win of your career or comeback of your career? Uh, where does it rank with Apple Cups? Apple Cups. I don’t know. I don’t really have a ranking for it, but glad we won. And uh, you know, looking forward to tomorrow and watching the film and figuring out how to play better because it was definitely not up to how I expect myself to play. Before this one, have you had a game-winning quarterback sneak? I don’t know. Been doing it for a while. It’s hard to remember. Kind of high. It went up kind of high. Is that Is that about as high as you higher than you can jump Hopson? H. All right, we got more questions.

Jake Browning speaks to the media following Week 2 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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