The Cincinnati Bengals‘ rocky start to the 2024 season has placed them in a precarious position, with Monday night’s 38-33 loss to the Washington Commanders dropping them to 0-3. While the team has built a reputation for slow starts under quarterback Joe Burrow, this time the climb back to playoff contention feels steeper.
The odds are against them: since 2000, only one team—the 2018 Houston Texans—has started 0-3 and made the playoffs. In fact, from 1980 to 1999, just five teams pulled off such a feat. It’s a daunting task, but Burrow remains confident in his team’s ability to turn things around.
“It’s an exciting opportunity, just like every season is,” Burrow said via the Bengals’ official website. “There are going to be some big games coming up that we need to perform well in. We haven’t faced any division rivals yet.”
With division matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens still on the horizon, Burrow sees an opportunity to regain ground in the standings. The Steelers currently lead the division at 3-0, with other teams hovering at 1-2, making the AFC North race far from decided.
“We’ll be playing all six of those games soon. We’re by no means out of it. Playoffs and winning the division are not on my mind right now. We need to improve this week,” Burrow added.
While Burrow’s optimism is admirable, the Bengals are undeniably one of the league’s most disappointing teams this season. A high-powered offense led by Burrow, wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and running back Joe Mixon hasn’t lived up to its potential. Burrow has been sacked multiple times in each game, and Cincinnati’s defense has struggled to contain opposing offenses, allowing over 30 points in two of their first three games.
Despite the challenges, Burrow’s leadership and resilience have been the backbone of the Bengals’ success in recent years. In 2022, the Bengals bounced back from a sluggish 0-2 start to win 10 of their next 11 games and ultimately reach the AFC Championship game. They’ve been in this position before, but there’s no denying that the margin for error is razor-thin now.
If the Bengals hope to salvage their season, their upcoming divisional games will be critical. A Week 4 showdown with the Tennessee Titans provides the first opportunity to course-correct, but it’s clear that Cincinnati needs to quickly find solutions on both sides of the ball.
With Burrow under center, the Bengals have the talent and potential to turn things around, but the clock is ticking. If they can’t, this season could quickly become one of their most disappointing campaigns in recent memory.
