The Cincinnati Bengals have officially entered the top half of the power rankings again after winning two games in a row.
Fresh off a win over the Indianapolis Colts spearheaded by backup quarterback Jake Browning, the Bengals have jumped up to 14th overall in the latest offering from USA Today’s Nate Davis:
14. Cincinnati Bengals (21): QB2 Jake Browning’s 79.3% completion rate through his first three starts is a record during the Super Bowl era (since 1966). He and Chad Pennington are the only ones in that span to connect on 70% of their passes and post a QB rating of at least 95.0 through their initial three starts, Browning’s rating an astronomical 113.4.
If the Bengals want to keep climbing the rankings and — more importantly — keep those playoff hopes alive, the team will need to make it three in a row by taking down the Minnesota Vikings next weekend.
And as far as playoffs go, that’s the last non-AFC opponent the Bengals will play the rest of the way, but it’s just as important given the current playoff scenarios.