The Cincinnati Bengals are sitting pretty at 2-0 as they gear up for Pittsburgh Steelers week, but don’t let that perfect record fool you into thinking everything’s sunshine and rainbows. Turns out, not everyone is sold on this squad just yet, especially when you zoom in on their offense. Seriously, folks are already talking!
“Unacceptable” for a 30% Salary Cap Crew
Alright, let’s cut to the chase: The defense is absolutely grinding, doing some serious heavy lifting for Joe Burrow and Co. That’s a huge flip from what we’ve seen before, right? But here’s the kicker: Onlookers, like former NFL head coach Eric Mangini, are calling out the slow start from Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins. Appearing on First Things First, Mangini went full savage, saying, “The idea that we’re talking about the offense catching up to the defense in Cincinnati is amazing and also unacceptable.” Unacceptable! Can you believe it? He wasn’t done there either, dropping the ultimate mic-drop: “When you pay three guys 30% of your salary cap…they need to go out & start producing at a really high level.” That’s the cold, hard truth of the business side of things. It’s wild to hear that kind of talk for a team that’s undefeated, but when you’ve got that kind of talent and those kinds of contracts, the expectations are through the roof.
Slow Starts, High Ceilings, and the Real Concern
Now, to be fair, the Bengals themselves are thrilled to be 2-0, no matter how they got there. They’ve even acknowledged the offense needs to clean things up and get better, which is the kind of honesty you want from a coaching staff. But here’s the good news: there’s no major cause for panic just yet. Historically, Burrow tends to be a slow starter to seasons. We’ve seen him kick it into high gear before, so maybe this is just the typical early season rust that he shakes off. The passing attack needs to find its rhythm, absolutely, and the running game’s 3.8 per-carry average is definitely not where it should be. They’re breaking in more under-center looks and packages, so a fast start would’ve been sweet, but sometimes it takes a minute for new stuff to click.
So, if this truly is just a “slow” start for Burrow and the offense, the only real concern is keeping everyone healthy. That’s the name of the game, right? Because despite the early struggles and the harsh words, the ceiling for this offense is still ridiculously high. They’re winning anyway, and if they can just get healthy and get their groove back, watch out. They’ve got the Steelers up next, a division rival, and you know they’ll be looking to make a statement that those “unacceptable” comments are way off base.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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