Significant preseason change could be exactly what Bengals need

So much for a meaningless preseason.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is ready to put a stop to his team's recent early-season woes, even if that includes suiting up for exhibition games in August.

Per the Associated Press, Chase, who signed an four-year, $161 million contract this offseason, making him the league's highest-paid non-quarterback on an annual average value (AAV) basis, was receptive to the idea of playing in the preseason.

The Bengals are 0-6 in Weeks 1-2 since the start of the 2022 season. Cincinnati rebounded in 2022 to finish the regular season 12-4 and reach the AFC Championship Game, but those slow starts kept i at home in the 2023 and 2024 playoffs.

"It sounds like we need to play in the preseason," Chase said on Tuesday.

Quarterback Joe Burrow's numbers tell the whole story.

In 10 games from Weeks 1-2 during his first five seasons, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft is 1-9, going 241-of-380 (63.4 percent) for 2,240 yards (224 yards per game), 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. When accounting for sacks and rushing attempts, Burrow has averaged 45.6 dropbacks for 216.9 yards per game (4.8 yards per dropback).

He's much better the rest of the season, completing 69.5 percent of his attempts in for an average of 284.1 yards (7.7 yards per attempt), 2.1 touchdowns and 0.6 interceptions per game. Burrow averages 42.6 dropbacks per game, gaining 276.6 yards (6.5 yards per dropback) when including rushes and sacks.

If the Bengals can avoid another slow start from Burrow, that will only help in their quest to return to postseason after a two-year absence. Cincinnati has gone 9-8 in each of the past two seasons, missing the playoffs by one game each year. Had they begun 2023 and 2024 at 2-0 instead of 0-2, the last two years could have looked much different for the Bengals.

Burrow took just 13 snaps last preseason, while Chase sat out for the third consecutive year. He hasn't appeared in the preseason since his 2021 rookie year.

As the former LSU teammates have shown throughout their careers, it doesn't take long for the two to get on the same page. If Cincinnati can iron out the kinks when the results don't matter in the preseason, that makes much more sense than waiting until the regular season.

The Bengals will have a much better chance of returning to the playoffs by starting strong.

The NFL preseason rarely matters. But this year, it could be the difference between Cincinnati playing in the postseason or sitting at home for a third year in a row.