When the Bengals were 0-2, there were plenty of chances to point out that the team has consistently started slowly with Joe Burrow at quarterback and wound up having good seasons.
Monday night’s loss to the Commanders pushed the Bengals into new territory. The 2018 Texans are the only team to start 0-3 and make the playoffs in this century and only five teams did it between 1980 and 1999.
Those are long odds, but Burrow doesn’t see them as being insurmountable.
“It’s an exciting opportunity, just like every season is,” Burrow said, via the team’s website. “There’s going to be some big games down the stretch that we’re going to have to step up for. We haven’t played any division opponents yet. The Steelers are 3-0, other teams are 1-2, we’re 0-3. We play all six of those games coming up. We’re by no means out of it. Playoffs and winning the division is the furthest thing from my mind. We have got to get better this week.”
Burrow’s correct that the Bengals can dig themselves out of the hole they put themselves in to start the season, but there’s not much margin for error for one of the league’s most disappointing teams through the first three weeks of the year.
