As more games have been added to the NFL regular season over the years, we've seen the preseason diminish—both in terms of games played and snaps handed out to starting players. However, a major Pittsburgh Steelers rival is about to buck this trend.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor intends to play his starting players in his team's preseason opener against the Washington Commanders, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. This includes superstar quarterback Joe Burrow.
This is a gutsy move for an exhibition game, and exposing Burrow to hits from bottom-of-the-roster players trying to stick around in the NFL is less than ideal. Burrow already has an extensive injury history.
The former No. 1 overall pick sustained a season-ending ACL, MCL, and PCL injury 10 games into his rookie season in 2020. In 2023, Burrow dealt with a calf strain that impacted his early-season performance as well as a torn ligament in his right wrist that ended his season short after 10 games.
But even with all of the risks involved, it's not hard to understand why the Bengals are taking this approach.
The Cincinnati Bengals want to begin their season like the Pittsburgh Steelers often do
In the first five games of 2024, the Cincinnati Bengals began the year with a dismal 1-4 record. This made their climb back into the playoff race nearly impossible. Even after catching fire late in the season with five straight wins to close out the year, the Bengals had little room for error. They finished with a 9-8 record and missed the playoffs despite having a lethal offense.
The story has been the same for Zac Taylor's team for three straight years now. Before their 1-4 start in 2024, the Bengals started the season 1-3 in their first four games of 2023, and 2-3 in their first five games of 2022.
These slow starts have led to a major uphill battle in a crowded AFC North.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, on the other hand, have had the opposite problem—they've started strong but finished weak. Last season, Mike Tomlin's team came out swinging with three straight wins and went 8-2 in their first 10 games, and in 2023, the Steelers started their first six games with a 4-2 record.
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Taylor knows that the Bengals have enough firepower to wreak havoc if they can enter the postseason, but getting there consistently has been a chore. Now, Taylor is taking drastic measures by exposing his star players to potential injuries in hopes of having a faster start to the season.
Will this gutsy decision pay off? That's anyone's guess. It seems like a bold strategy, but Taylor could soon find himself in the hot seat if the Bengals continue to fall short of expectations.