Bengals QB Joe Burrow and their starters will actually play in the preseason this year, HC Zac Taylor recently confirmed. Part of an effort to stave off slow starts that have plagued them, the Sean McVay disciple is shifting strategies. The new-wave approach has prioritized keeping starters healthy, but early-season rust is just as big a threat to their season.
A year ago, Cincinnati began the season 0-3, then 1-4. After a hard-charging finish, the Bengals finished 9-8 on the strength of a 5-0 run, but Burrow and company just missed reaching the postseason. As it turns out, the first game of the season counts just as much as the 11th or the 15th.
Notably, while Taylor committed to playing Burrow and company for a few series in the opener, he said the plan is for the Bengals’ starters to see even more action the following week. In a three-game preseason schedule, most teams now use the second as the warm-up game for the regular season.
“We don’t have this targeted for our biggest play time for all of our guys”, Taylor said of Burrow and the Bengals’ starters playing this weekend, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We really picked Washington (on Aug. 18) to be able to do that,” Taylor said. “Another thing, I hate to put it in stone. A couple series. Several series. Several series is what we’ll give those starters”.
This isn’t exactly new, for what it’s worth. Last month, Taylor talked about Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ starters seeing preseason action this year. The one thing I do feel good about is playing our guys in the preseason”, he said. “That’s one thing that we’ve openly talked about with our players, and I think will help us as we do it”.
Ja’Marr Chase has only played three preseason snaps in his life, back in his rookie season. Those were the same three snaps Joe Burrow played, his last snaps for the Bengals in the preseason since playing 13 snaps in the first game last year. He did not play as a rookie, and thus has a total of 16 snaps of preseason experience overall.
“We’re going to get off to a faster start, I know we will. I’m not worried about it”, said LB Logan Wilson. “I’ve got the confidence in our guys. The way we’re building. The guys are going out and executing. The energy on the sidelines. The culture-type things on defense that have been built the right way and help us execute for sure”.
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