Bengals Face Pressure to Overcome Slow Starts in 2025 NFL Season

Cincinnati, Ohio — All eyes will be on the Cincinnati Bengals as they begin the 2025 NFL season, aiming to shake off their reputation for slow starts. Last season’s sluggish beginning cost them a playoff spot, prompting former NFL head coach Eric Mangini to urge the team to address the issue.

“If you don’t like the narrative, then change the narrative,” Mangini said during a recent interview. He emphasized that despite offseason discussions about improving their performance at the start of games, the Bengals have yet to see results. “They haven’t changed the narrative, and it becomes the reason that they didn’t go to the playoffs each year,” he added.

Head coach Zac Taylor has acknowledged the problem, particularly as his record shows just one win and eleven losses in the first two weeks of the season over six years. Mangini pointed out that the urgency to change should have been recognized much earlier. “They might want to address this, and now here we are again,” he noted.

The Bengals will be looking to maximize their offensive potential with key players like quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. However, a lingering concern remains their defense, which has struggled to perform at a high level over the past seasons.

This season is viewed as a make-or-break year for Taylor, especially with a franchise quarterback like Burrow leading the charge. Mangini highlighted the importance of not wasting Burrow’s talent and urged for a commitment to improvement this year.

Many fans and analysts believe that the team’s success hinges on whether they can finally overcome their history of slow starts. The Bengals are intent on proving that they can be serious contenders moving forward as they prepare for their upcoming matches.