The 2023 season has gotten off to a disastrous start for the Cincinnati Bengals. Sunday’s embarrassing 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans on the road dropped their record to 1-3 on the season and some panic is beginning to set in.
The team is struggling in multiple facets currently, but their inability to sustain success on the offense is truly baffling. The Bengals are not lacking for talent, as quarterback Joe Burrow has an elite supporting cast of running back Joe Mixon and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
This is a unit that should be among the best in the NFL, not floundering in the fashion in which they are through four games. Shockingly, the Bengals are currently last in the NFL in scoring, averaging only 12.3 points per game, and last in yardage gained.
Despite all of that firepower, Cincinnati is ranked 29th in passing yards and 31st in rushing yards. A lot is going wrong as the offensive line is struggling and the calf injury that Burrow is playing through is hampering him on the field.
Frustrations are beginning to boil over, as Chase had a short, but eye-opening comment, in the locker room after the loss to the Titans. Some people will take what he said as a shot at Burrow and his surprising struggles in the early going.
Through four games, Chase has been targeted 41 times, catching 29 passes for 284 scoreless yards. He is clearly annoyed with how the offense has performed to this point and believes that he could help if given the opportunity.
Never lacking confidence in himself, Chase believes that he is open on every play. It is easy to see how some would take that as a shot at Burrow, as the Bengals’ signal caller may not be looking the way of his No. 1 receiver as much as he would like.
After making the AFC Championship Game in two straight seasons, the lack of success isn’t something this new crop of Bengals is used to. Losing is difficult to deal with and the frustrations that Chase shared will become commonplace if the team doesn’t start winning some games soon.
The Bengals will travel to take on the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5 before hosting the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6. In Week 7, Cincinnati will go on bye but things won’t get any easier with matchups against the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills following that. If the Bengals don’t string together wins heading into their bye week, their season could be down the drain.
