CINCINNATI — A good backup quarterback in the NFL is good to have on a roster.

But an excellent backup is priceless — just ask the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jake Browning, who is filling in for the rest of the season for an injured Joe Burrow, put up more than 30 points for the second week in a row — and led the Bengals to a 34-14 win over Indianapolis on Sunday at Paycor Stadium.

Browning, from the University of Washington, passed for 275 yards and completed 18 of 24 with two touchdowns and no picks.

Last week, he connected on 32 of 37 passes in the upset win over Jacksonville on Monday Night Football.

Over the past two games — both wins — he has completed 50 of 61 attempts for an 81-percent completion rating.

That’s remarkable for a starter, let along a backup.

“I thought Jake did a great job handling all the different situations,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “He knows what makes a really good backup quarterback. I feel like we have a veteran quarterback out there, just getting his first action in front of a whole stadium.”

Browning gave all the credit to the offensive line and kudos to the running game, which produced 111 yards.

“Our offense is doing a good job of running the ball well,” Browning said after the win. “It all seems to be flowing well. We’ve done a good job of complimenting each other.

There were some factors to Sunday’s important win as far as playoff implications.

Right now, the Bengals stand to be the No. 7 seed.

Each of the next four games are huge as Cincinnati stands at 7-6.

1. On Sunday, the Bengals offensive line did not allow the Colts to sack Browning. “The line played incredible,” Browning added. “No sacks and really not much pressure all night.”

2. The screen plays worked to perfection. With 6:31 to go in the first quarter, Browning hit Chase Brown on a screen — and the Illinois product romped 54 yards, that was highlighted with a nifty cutback move into the end zone to give the Bengals a 7-0 lead. On that play, Brown was clocked at 22.05 miles per hour — second-fastest only to Seattle’s D.K. Metcalf, who was clocked at 22.23 mph on a score. “We’ve learned that he is that fast,” Taylor said about Brown’s speed. “We do the GPS in practice on kickoff returns, things like that. He’s had opportunities to show how fast he is.” For Brown, it was just a day at the office. “It’s just normal, I guess,” Brown said. “I’m not doing anything different. Just working hard and playing my role. When I have the opportunity to run as fast as I can I’m going to do it.” Then the screen worked again — when Browning found Joe Mixon for a crucial third down for a 46-yard gain for the first that featured a strong stiffarm. “I don’t spend that much time on screens,” Browning added with a laugh. “I do my part on it and try to sell the pass.”

3. Tee Higgins was a factor. Although he dropped two passes, he still finished with four catches for 72 yards. “It feels good to just get the ‘W’ for our fans,” he said. “That’s most important. You know you’ve got to make sure The Jungle fans are happy. It felt good. It’s good for the team. We’ve just got to keep stacking.”

Mixon was solid and finished the game with 46 yards receiving and 79 yards rushing with a touchdown.

“It’s all about the will and want it,” Mixon said. “Will and want to and everybody doing the right things. Linemen making the big blocks, running backs doing whatever we can to make the right cuts and get positive yardage, and we’ve just been keeping our foot on the gas.”

Brown turned in a magnificent performance on Sunday.

He ran for 25 yards on eight carries, and had 80 yards receiving on three catches and a touchdown.

The defense forced a fumble and picked off Colts QB Gardner Minshew once.

The Bengals are making a good run to make the playoffs.

The team is hitting a stride on offense and making plays on defense – just like they’ve done in the past.

There was one little scare on Sunday — when Browning went into the locker room at the end of the second quarter with an injured thumb on his throwing hand.

Turns out it was just a cramp.

“My thumb was locking up on me. I couldn’t throw. Then I came in and got an IV and was fine,” Browning said. “I think sometimes when it’s cold, you just aren’t thirsty. It’s kind of embarrassing, but it is what it is.”

The solution?

“Hydrate better and drink more water,” he added. “Drink more water during the game.”

Can Cincinnati make it three in a row at crunch time in the season?

Stay tuned.

The Bengals will host Minnesota at 1 p.m. on Saturday.