Ja'Marr Chase believes preseason key to Bengals' slow starts - ESPN

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase took a page out of a reporter's notebook on Tuesday.

In the middle of an interview, he started asking questions to find an answer that has eluded the Bengals for several years. When asked about whether playing in the preseason could help Cincinnati solve its slow starts, Chase eyed the semi-circle of media members surrounding his locker and started rattling off a series of questions with a simple premise — what were the records for the Bengals in the first two weeks of the season and how much did Cincinnati practice in the preseason?

In coach Zac Taylor's six seasons, the Bengals have sparingly used starters in preseason games. During that span, Cincinnati has a 1-11 record, the worst in the NFL. After running reporters through the slew of 0-2 starts to multiple seasons, Chase wrapped up his questions and arrived at a conclusion.

«Sounds like we need to play in the preseason, huh?» Chase quipped after the team's first voluntary OTA.

Cincinnati's starters have rarely seen the field in the team's exhibition contests preceding Week 1. Last year, offensive starters only played the opening series of the team's preseason opener against Tampa Bay. The only other occurrence was in the 2021 preseason finale, a three-play sequence that featured a Chase dropped pass on a screen pass that almost felt forgotten.

«It wasn't a great screen,» Chase recalled, drawing a few laughs. «I remember what happened now.»

But the way Cincinnati has started each of the last six seasons has drawn anything but smiles. Last season, the Bengals went 0-3 to start the year, including a Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots, which finished the season with a 4-13 record that resulted in coach