Bengals look to preseason to avoid another slow start in 2025

The Last two seasons have been disappointing for Cincinnati Bengals fans. After a Cinderella run to Super Bowl LVI and an AFC championship appearance the following season, Cincinnati has failed to reach the playoffs each of the last two years.

Slow starts

Much of the blame for their underperforming record since 2023 can be cast on their slow starts to each season. In 2023, the team lost its first two games and was 1-3 after four weeks. They ended up finishing 9-8 but missed the playoffs. Last season was even worse. Cincinnati started 0-3 and was never able to climb out of that hole. They sat 4-8 after 12 games, and despite winning their last five games, it was not enough to sneak into the postseason with another 9-8 record.

As the Cincinnati Bengals gear up for the 2025 season, the narrative has been avoiding a slow start. Whether due to injuries or other precautions, the Bengals’ key starters have had minimal preseason minutes in recent years. Some have speculated that this is at least partly to blame for the team’s early-season woes.

The team itself seems to have acknowledged the potential correlation in preseason to early regular season. Head Coach Zac Taylor made his intentions clear in July for giving starters more preseason time, specifically Quarterback Joe Burrow. Speaking to the media, Taylor said the plan was to play Burrow “more than we ever have” during the team’s preseason.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he anticipates playing QB Joe Burrow more in preseason games “than we ever have” as they ramp up for Week 1.

— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) July 23, 2025

While NFL preseason records are not necessarily predictive of regular-season success, it should be noted that the Bengals are winless in their last seven preseason games. Thursday night saw the team continue that streak with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Thursday night recap

However, as promised, the Burrow and the first unit played for the entirety of the first quarter. In that time, Burrow was nearly perfect and looked to be in midseason form. Last season’s Comeback Player of the Year went 9 of 10 for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns (157.5 rating). To put it bluntly, Burrow looked flawless on the field.

Thursday was far from a flawless performance all-around from the team. After the high-octane first quarter, the offense slowed. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati defense looked to be out of sorts at times and gave up several big plays to the Eagles’ offense. Philadelphia backup QB Tanner McKee had a strong performance, throwing for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns while completing 80% of his throws.

The team still has a lot to figure out before their regular season opener at Cleveland against the Browns. Despite a strong showing from Burrow and company, the star quarterback was not satisfied with the team’s overall performance Thursday. “We got to be better,” Burrow said. “Too many procedural penalties, too many errors. Today was average.”

Despite the loss, Bengals fans can feel optimistic about Burrow’s performance and candor. Fans can only hope that the team’s newfound emphasis on the preseason will lead to early-season successes as they look to return to the playoffs