Bengals quarterback Jake Browning's comments leave no margin for error in Week 12

The Bengals have no excuses.

Quarterback Jake Browning, thrust into a starting role after a season-ending wrist injury to Joe Burrow, set the expectation high for Cincinnati in Week 12 in an interview with Bengals reporter Geoff Hobson.

"It's not a Josh Dobbs situation where I'm showing up on a Tuesday, get thrown in on Sunday. I know the offense," Browning said.

Dobbs was traded by the Cardinals to the Vikings on Oct. 31 and played most of the team's 31-28 win over the Falcons five days later.

His ability to operate Minnesota's offense on the fly without much prior knowledge was one of the more incredible feats by a quarterback this season, and he followed that with an even stronger performance a week later against a solid Saints defense in a 27-19 win.

In his first three games with the Vikings, Dobbs is 63-of-96 (65.6 percent) for 647 yards, seven total touchdowns, an interception and 131 rushing yards.

He has raised the bar for what a backup quarterback can be capable of, and Browning's comments increase the pressure on him to produce. If Dobbs can slice up a defense with minimal preparation, Browning should be able to do much more after first joining the Bengals practice squad two years ago.

He may have difficulty replicating Dobbs' success, however.

In Week 11 against the Ravens, Browning was sacked three times, or 17.7 percent of his drop-backs, and his job won't get any easier facing a tough Steelers defense led by three-time All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt.

His situation, as he noted, isn't the same as Dobbs. On Sunday, we could find out how different they really are.