“I just had my back tighten up on me on a rollout pass,” Browning explained. “I went to pump and felt it tighten. I don’t think it’s a long-term thing at all. It felt good today. I felt like I probably could have played in the game. I was kind of told that, ‘Hey, you weren’t going to play very much to begin with, so we’re just going to rest you and kind of ease you back in.’ So, yeah, I feel good. I’m excited to play this week and glad it wasn’t a long-term thing.
“I’m excited to [play]. Like I said, if you’re building your résumé, for us what you put on tape is your résumé. I think it’s a good opportunity to play whether it’s Week One, Week Two, Week 15, whatever it is. You’re always excited to go play some live football.”
Browning doesn’t treat his preseason opportunities any different than a regular season chance to play, though of course he’ll go into it knowing he won’t be finishing it. It’s a chance to put what he thinks has been very good preparation in camp into practice with the cameras rolling.
“You’re playing a game – just try to operate the offense well just like you would in a Week Three game of the regular season,” he said. “Any time you get to play, I’m excited for it. I don’t think you treat it any different. Maybe if you’re a 10-year vet that’s started over 100 games, maybe you’re looking at it a little different, but for now I just want to go in, play with good feet, good eyes, operate the offense well, move down the field, make the right reads. That’s kind of where my mind’s at.
“I think any time you’re playing whether it’s in-season, regular season, preseason or anything like that, you’re building a résumé. So you’ve got to prepare for your opportunities to play. I try not to over-think my play. I’ve been a backup for a while. You get used to it a little bit. That is the job. Nobody knows if you’re prepared until you get thrown in there. I try not to over-think that too much. I’ve got a routine that I prepare, and once I get on the field I feel my confidence and preparation and just let it rip.”