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For years, the Cincinnati Bengals have played it safe in the preseason. Under head coach Zac Taylor, starters-especially franchise quarterback Joe Burrow-have mostly watched from the sideline, preserving their health and avoiding unnecessary risk. But this year, something’s different.
As the Bengals prepare for Thursday’s preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, Burrow is set to start. So are several other top names, including Ja’Marr Chase. And it’s not just for show-Cincinnati is making a deliberate shift in how it approaches August football.
Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase made the best play of the NFL training camp so far
A Pattern That’s Finally Being Addressed
This change comes after multiple seasons of painfully slow starts. Since Taylor took over in 2019, the Bengals are just 1-5 in Week 1. Even worse, they’ve started each of the last three seasons at 0-2 or worse-including an 0-3 stumble in 2024 that played a major role in them missing the playoffs for a second straight year.
Taylor knows the pattern. And this time, he wants to break it. “We’ve got a road primetime game early in the season,”Taylor told reporters on Tuesday. “As much as we practice those situations, it’s just not the same as being out there under the lights, dealing with the real energy and communication challenges.”
That’s why Thursday’s game matters more than usual. Getting the starting offense-even for a few series-into game speed could be the edge the Bengals need to stop starting behind the pack.
“It’s the Right Call” – Burrow on Board
The Bengals’ star quarterback is all-in on the change. “I’m excited for the chance to get better,”Burrow said last week. “We haven’t had those reps in the past for good reason, but I think this is the right decision this year. I really do think it’ll help us.”
Burrow has thrown just eight preseason passes since 2021. That number could double in one night.
Still, Taylor isn’t planning to go full throttle right out of the gate. While Burrow and the starters will play “several series” against Philadelphia, the coaching staff has its eye on the Aug. 16 matchup against Washington as the preseason’s main dress rehearsal.
“We don’t have this week targeted for our biggest play time,” Taylor said. “Washington is where we’ll ramp things up.”
A New Trend Around the League
Cincinnati isn’t the only team rethinking preseason priorities. The Chiefs, 49ers, and even the Packers have all leaned into getting their starters more involved in August in recent years, seeing the value in game-speed reps over sideline caution.
As ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky put it this week: “Teams are realizing that getting your guys into rhythm in August might be the difference between 2-0 and 0-2.”
For the Bengals, it’s not about flashy numbers or preseason wins-it’s about being ready. They’ve learned the hard way that catching up is harder than staying ahead.
And in 2025, they’re trying something new to make sure they start the season the way they want to finish it.
This news was originally published on this post .
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