What's the old Paul Brown line?

Act like you've been there before.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor had no timeline Monday for Joe Burrow and his turf toe, but he did have an experienced backup quarterback with three career fourth-quarter comebacks to his credit in the person of Jake Browning.

The latest one came Sunday in relief of Burrow, and now Browning stares at his eighth NFL start this coming Sunday in Minnesota (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) and that seems to have had a calming effect in this Category 5 of a hurricane.

At least it is for a seven-year vet like right guard Dalton Risner, who was on the other side two years ago in the thrilling overtime victory Browning authored over the Vikings at Paycor Stadium.

On Sunday, Risner made his first Bengals start and although it was adventurous, it was also winning.

"He was the calm one. I felt like at times there might have been things around him that weren't too calm and Jake was the one that was calm," said Risner Monday, thinking of the first down from the Jags 1 with 57 seconds left.

"I think the first thing he said was, 'We've got four downs to get in here.' The confidence. In the huddle, it's, this dude knows we're going to score.'"

There's enough chemistry bubbling here that with about $60 million lining up wide on the left side with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, No. 3 wide receiver Andre Iosivas conspired with Browning to pull off Sunday's game-changing play while lined up on the right.

Browning saw Hunter pressing, changed Iosivas' route to a go route, and they converted a fourth-and-five with 1:56 left when Iosivas drew a pass interference penalty on Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter moonlighting at cornerback.

It will be recalled during Browning's seven starts in 2023, Iosivas emerged late in the season with Browning throwing him two of his four rookie touchdowns, as well as career-highs of four and then five catches.

"The backup Q is always that fun kind of chill guy," Iosivas said. "Sometimes it's easier to have a rapport with him because he's kind of like one of the bros. He kind of has that. That will be good chemistry with him coming in.

"He trusts me, I trust him. We threw the ball a lot back in the day when I was a rookie in the preseason, too. We have a lot of reps with each other. We're on the same page."

That chemistry is why the Bengals are prepared to go the long haul with Browning. They'll add a third quarterback behind Browning and Brett Rypien, but it's just hard to replicate that training camp karma.

This Sunday, Browning has five starters who were with him in the win over the Vikes in 2023. And four subs (Iosivas, running back Chase Brown, tight end Tanner Hudson, and wide receiver Charlie Jones) who worked extensively with him in the last three training camps.

"I think it's probably more helpful than hurtful that it's closer to (camp) time because he's gotten that live action fairly recently in the last month or so," Taylor said.

PITCH AND CATCH

No one knows Browning better than offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher. He was his quarterback coach when the Bengals signed him to the practice squad just before the '21 season and when he had the 4-3 run in '23. In those seven games, he completed 70.4% of his 243 passes, third best in Bengals history and, according to Pro Football Reference, tied for the 11^th highest percentage in a season with Burrow in 2021 and Geno Smith last season.

As Pitcher reflected on Sunday's winning 92-yard drive, he went to the third play, a third-and-10 Browning made sure got something to set up the manageable fourth-and-three pass to running back Chase Brown that broke for 13 yards.

"I think back to 2023 when we went to Jacksonville, and the mantra of the entire week was just chase completions, and he completed (87.5%) of his passes, so he can play that way,' Pitcher said. "But we don't have to box him in there. For him, it's just about recognition of the moment. What are the game circumstances? Where does this dial need to be right now from aggressive to conservative? And I thought the start of that drive was in a moment where you might think it's got to be all the way through the roof aggressive. Well, no, we have two downs. Get us half if we can call good play and let's move forward."

PICK OFF FESTIVAL

Led by NFL interceptions leader Jordan Battle (his two are tied with Lou Anarumo's Cam Bynum in Indy), the Bengals defense is off to the start new coordinator Al Golden sought in the turnover count. They've got four in the first two games for the first time since the 2-0 start of 2014.

"These turnovers they keep getting for us are huge because they are momentum killers for the other team," Taylor said. "Especially when you get a red zone pick like (cornerback) Dax Hill, that just changes the whole momentum of the game because it really takes seven off the board potentially for them.

"Those have been turning points in the last two games, just getting these turnovers that they're getting, which aren't easy ones. They're tip, and guys are going to get them. Dax made a great play on the corner out in the end zone."

MORE JA'MARR

Ja'Marr Chase began his drive to win back-to-back NFL Triple Crowns for the first time since World War II on Sunday when his 14 catches for 165 yards gave him the third most catches and seventh most yards in the league.

His 411 career catches put him possibly days away from passing two of the biggest names in Bengals history. Ring of Honor member Isaac Curtis has 416 catches, and three-time Pro Bowler Cris Collinsworth 417. When Chase goes by them, he'll be in sixth place on the club's all-time receptions list and shooting for T.J. Houshmandzadeh's 507.

"I was really excited when he got named a captain because I think he was, whether he was recognized as such, these guys can't help but just look up to a guy that is as great as he is," Pitcher said. "I thought yesterday was just a really good example of him making plays and rising up in the moment. Even the five-yard catch that got us to the five-yard line. That's a spectacular catch that gets us down in there to where we can call a run, and then we can sneak the ball, and then we move back, and then we get back down there, we can sneak it again. None of that happens without that play."

SLANTS AND SCREENS

On Monday, Taylor and Pitcher defended the scheme's protection and Burrow's swashbuckling approach in which he often tries to buy time, knowing many of their explosive plays come late in the snap as he's on the move.

"I understand where people are going to come from. It's going to be very attacking of us and our style of play that's got us to a Super Bowl, an AFC championship, and two division titles, and won a lot of games for us," Taylor said. "We're always evaluating how we can protect our players and put them in the best position possible. So I take accountability for that, and if people want to blame me for putting them in a position, I'm fine taking that."

Since 2021, Burrow has 38 wins. Only five quarterbacks have more.

Pitcher broke down the play where Burrow appeared to get hurt as Jags tackle Arik Armstead put a bull rush on Risner and ended up falling on Burrow's foot after Burrow tried to spin out of the pocket.

"It's about as standard of a football play as you're going to have. It's a pick a side read. He's on the right side. He didn't love the relationship with the corner and the receiver, and that's going to happen sometimes," Pitcher said. "When you're faced with the decision, Do I throw the ball anyway and have to maybe target the ball in a spot that might put the ball at risk? Or do I pull the ball down and try to find a secondary answer? And both of those are viable options. We chose the second one. There are times where he's chosen the first one. It's a football play. It's a really unfortunate outcome to a standard football play. I wish it didn't happen. I feel terrible for Joe."

Or, as Taylor said, "There's always a risk. I think if you watch a lot of the top offenses in this league, especially in this conference, you're going to see a lot of quarterbacks running around in the pocket making big plays. And so that's just part of it. You have a great quarterback who can extend plays and the receivers we've got that you're going to hit big plays. You're not going to say don't do that. We've all sat here and watched all the game-breaking plays we've made when we've extended plays and made plays." …

Taylor said first-round pick Shemar Stewart (ankle) is doubtful for Minnesota …

Risner was called for lining up offsides on that first and-goal, and it was close. He wasn't sure until he saw it on tape.

"We're sneaking the ball and he's trying to get every inch," Pitcher said. "It's probably an easier call for the official to make at that moment because the ball is so close to the goal line." …

The Bengals won't see the Vikings' J.J. McCarthy in his third NFL start at quarterback. He's out and, instead, get a guy making his 95th start with a winning record in Carson Wentz at 47-46-1. The tie came to the rookie Burrow in a 2020 game in Philly. The rookie Wentz lost at Paycor in 2016 when the Bengals intercepted three of his 60 passes. He's made two starts the last two years, winning for the Rams in 2023 and losing last year's finale, 38-0, to the Broncos for the Chiefs in the game that knocked the Bengals out of the playoffs ...