CINCINNATI — Much of the talk this week in Cincinnati revolved around the conversations inside the building as the Bengals try to rebound from a befuddling 0-3 start.
Quarterback Joe Burrow, not known for being an overtly vocal leader, said he was mulling over times to pick his spots to speak up more ahead of Sunday’s road game against the Carolina Panthers. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said he prefers to lead by example — and while it’s not preferred, he’ll share his thoughts to his teammates if needed.
Whatever the approach, coach Zac Taylor said the conversations with players throughout the week have been encouraging as the team prepares for a critical contest.
“I’ve talked to a lot of guys in the last 48 hours to make sure we’re heading in the right direction,” Taylor said. “So I got a lot of confidence in our leadership in our team.”
Cincinnati is already facing steep odds. Just six teams that have started the season with an 0-3 record in the Super Bowl era have reached the postseason, according to ESPN Research. The last team to overcome that kind of start was the 2018 Houston Texans, which was before the NFL expanded the regular season in 2021 to a 17-game schedule.
Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt said the practices this week have been focused and displayed the proper sense of urgency as Cincinnati tries to recover from its worst start to a season since 2019. That was Pratt’s rookie year and Taylor’s first season with the team, when the Bengals lost their first 11 games and eventually finished with the league’s worst record.
“It’s urgency but not panic,” Pratt told ESPN on Friday.
Carolina (1-2) is coming off its first win, led by quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton was Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback from 2011 to 2019. He was replaced in 2020 after the Bengals drafted Burrow with the first overall pick that year.
Sunday will be Dalton’s fourth matchup against the Bengals. All four have been with different teams (Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints). Dalton’s teams have won two of those three meetings.
The defensive line tasked with stopping Dalton will not be at full strength. Defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins and BJ Hill missed last week’s game with hamstring injuries. On Friday, Taylor ruled Rankins out and said Hill will be doubtful for the second consecutive game.
There was a glimmer of good news, however. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson, a three-time Pro Bowler and one of the league’s best pass rushers, practiced on Friday and will be good for Sunday’s game after missing two practices this week with an undisclosed illness. Hendrickson has the NFL’s second-highest pass rush win rate as an edge rusher at 33.3% (ESPN metric powered by NFL Next Gen Stats).
