Jake Browning cooks Vikings after OT win: “They never should have cut me!”

A lot has changed since the Minnesota Vikings cut Jake Browning in 2021. Former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman have been let go. Enter new a new tandem in head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Browning resurfaced as Joe Burrow's backup on the Cincinnati Bengals, but with Burrow out for the year, this is Browning's time.

In the aftermath of the Bengals' come-from-behind home victory over the Vikings, Browning talked about the game and what it meant to play and beat the Vikings at the podium. He said that he had been cut a handful of ties in his NFL career, but the Vikings leaving him out to dry in 2021 was certainly the worst. You could say that this one was very personal for the former Washington Husky.

This may have been a game featuring a pair of veteran backups with Browning getting the best of his Minnesota counterpart in Nick Mullens. Minnesota is now down to its fourth starting quarterback of the season with Kirk Cousins out for the year and neither Jaren Hall or Josh Dobbs getting it done. Since taking over for Burrow, Browning has gotten his team to buy in, winners of three games in a row.

Here is Browning expounded on what it meant to beat the Vikings after they had previously cut him.

And as a surprise to absolutely no one, Browning has been randomly selected for a drug test Monday.

The Bengals are winners of three straight and now a fairly decent 8-6 on the season after this.

Jake Browning rips the Minnesota Vikings for cutting after beating them

It may have only been a 27-24 home victory in mid-December for the so-so Bengals, but it means so much more than that. Not only in the building, but for Browning himself. For the time being, an 8-6 record would have the Bengals in sole possession of the No. 6 seed in the deep AFC. That would put them half a game back of the 8-5 Cleveland Browns in-division for the AFC's top non-division winner.

The winner of the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Indianapolis Colts game will be 8-6 as well. Although the Baltimore Ravens are already 10-3 on the season, Cincinnati is right now, only 2.5 games out of first place with three left to play. A lot would have to go their way to even think about winning the division, but for the Bengals to even be a playoff team once Burrow went down is nothing short of incredible.

Overall, Browning's thoughts about beating his former team are not that unique. Everybody wants to get the best of someone who wronged them. However, I think Saturday's results are a great reflection of how quickly things can change in the NFL, as well as how anybody can beat anyone on any given Sunday. If they can beat the Steelers next week, Cincinnati has a decent shot of making the playoffs.

A win over the Steelers and a split between the Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs gets them to 10-7.