The football gods haven’t exactly been kind to the Cincinnati Bengals this season.
Their misfortune started in training camp when star quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a strained calf yet continued to practice and play despite calls from many for him to shut things down until he had fully recovered.
He played uncharacteristically poorly to start the season, but in October, he started to regain his form, and the Bengals went on a four-game winning streak.
Then came the wrist ligament injury two weeks ago that prematurely ended his season, not to mention Cincinnati’s Super Bowl hopes.
Now, Jake Browning, who has been filling in for Burrow, is on the team’s injury report with a wrist injury of his own, per Ari Meirov.
Last week in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Browning went 19 of 26 and had one touchdown pass and one interception while getting sacked four times.
If he is unable to play on Monday at the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bengals will obviously be in a world of trouble.
They have a 5-6 record and are in 11th place in the AFC, and although they’re just one game behind the seventh-place Indianapolis Colts, they will have an uphill climb if they are to make the playoffs.
Cincinnati will have their hands full whether Browning plays or doesn’t suit up on Monday, as the Jaguars are a rising power and have an 8-3 record.
The Bengals will also have games against the Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, and Kansas City Chiefs coming up later in December, and none of them will be easy for them.