The Cincinnati Bengals have made it a habit of starting the regular season with losses and it finally caught up to them last season.

The Bengals started the year 0-3 (0-2 in back-to-back seasons) which came back to haunt the team after missing the playoffs but just one game.

If the team hopes to win a Super Bowl during Joe Burrow’s career, Zac Taylor and his squad simply can not afford another slow start.

The team must come out of the gates ready to play and win games, plain and simple.

With that being said, people have said a lot of the issues surrounding the slow starts has been a lack of preseason play for the starters on both sides of the football.

Two minutes with Ja’Marr Chase on playing in the preseason and slow starts.

Does he want to play? Not really. Does he get the connection? Absolutely.

Said last year he was in his own head for the week one loss. #Bengals @FOX19 pic.twitter.com/BbVUSNqZVN

— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) May 27, 2025

Ja’Marr Chase recently shared his thoughts on the preseason issues and made it clear he had no interest in playing, “If it was up to me? No, of course not,” Chase said after Tuesday’s OTA session. “You ask me do I want to play? Not really.”

Chase did say that they probably do need to play in the preseason, but doesn’t see that making or breaking his play specifically.

Last season, Chase did have distractions off the field surrounding his contract situation but this go round he is the highest paid non-QB in the NFL and has nothing but ball to think about.

We are all hoping and praying the slow starts are slayed in 2025.