The Cincinnati Bengals have started each of the last three seasons 0-2. In the last few years, NFL starters have played less in the preseason than just about ever before, so it’s not odd that the Bengals have kept their guys out as well. Because of course no one wants anyone to get hurt in a meaningless game.
Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase suggested during OTAs in May that maybe the key to a faster start just might be getting more work in the exhibition games.
“Sounds like we need to play in the preseason, huh?” Chase said.
And it sounds like someone heard him, because the Bengals are planning to play their starters most – if not all – of the first quarter on Thursday night as they take on the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
No one wants to get hurt, but Burrow wants to “play it like a game.”
It’s one thing for the starters to play in the preseason, but how will they approach it? Do they just run a few plays on the ground with maybe some safe, shorter throws? Quarterback Joe Burrow says they’ll approach it like a regular-season game.
“Play it like a game,” Burrow said. “Play it like a game. I’m sure we’ll have a little different philosophy on how we’re gonna call it than a regular game, but we’ll see when it gets here. I’m gonna go out and cheer you like a game, try to get that rhythm.”
It’s tough to play when you don’t want anyone to get hurt, and that’s a huge conundrum for every NFL team. Anyone who has played sports will tell you that as soon as you play to not get hurt…that’s when you get hurt.
Zac Taylor says the starters will play more against Washington
It sounds like the Bengals are taking a more traditional approach to the preseason. It used to be that starters played the first quarter or so in the first couple of games and then about a half in the third. The fourth exhibition (which no longer exists) used to be a full-on battle amongst guys squarely on the roster bubble.
Head coach Zac Taylor says the plan is to play the first stringers in the first quarter against the Eagles, but he’ll have to see how the game flow goes.
“This game. This one really, give or take,” Taylor said. “You’re really looking at… I’m going to define it for you—the first quarter.But it’s give or take. It could be a long possession that eats up most of the first quarter. Do you want them to get another one? I’ve always been in these preseason situations, you’re careful to say what I just said because it could go into the second quarter because of reps that we’ve gotten. But right now, that’s about the target period that we’ve got.”
Taylor also said not to make too big of a deal with this first game, as they are targeting the Washington Commanders game on August 18th as the game where starters will really get a chance to play.
“We don’t have this targeted as the biggest play time for our guys,” Taylor said. “We really picked Washington to be more of that. Another thing I hate to put in a stone—a couple of series, several series is what we’ll give those starters.”
