The Cincinnati Bengals suffered a rough 26-25 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday with Harrison Butker hitting a game-winning field goal on the final drive, and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was very frustrated after his team dropped to 0-2.
“As frustrating (a lot) as I've had,” Joe Burrow said, via Ben Baby of ESPN.
Baby also remarked that he believes that was as upset as he has seen Burrow after a loss as any in his career, including the Super Bowl LVI loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the 2021 season. It was certainly a tough loss for the Bengals, who were looking to rebound from an opening loss to the New England Patriots with a resounding win against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
The Bengals had plenty of chances in the game, and one of the turning points was Burrow's fumble, which was returned for a touchdown by the Chiefs, giving them the lead for a brief moment, before Cincinnati took it back with a field goal. The Bengals also could not ice the game away with a possession before the Chiefs' final drive. And then on the Chiefs' final drive, a game-ending incompletion on 4th-and-16 was wiped out by a pass interference penalty.
It is the third year in a row that the Bengals have dropped to 0-2 to start the season, so luckily they have experience with this situation, although it is not an ideal one.
Bengals' road to climb out of 0-2 hole once again
In 2022, the Bengals climbed out of an 0-2 hole to win the AFC North, and it looked like they were going to be a playoff team once again in 2023 before Burrow injured his hand, which led to them missing the playoffs. The coming weeks present opportunities for wins for the Bengals, and it would be a massive disappointment if they lose either.
Next week, Cincinnati will host the Washington Commanders, who got a win against the New York Giants in Week 2, but narrowly. The Bengals have more talent. The next game after that is the same when the Bengals play the Carolina Panthers on the road. It would be a surprise if the Bengals do not get back to 2-2 in the next couple of games.
After those two games, the Bengals will play the Baltimore Ravens at home, who are also 0-2, so that will be an interesting game to watch when it does come up.
Hopefully for the Bengals, they can get their season back on track with a win next week against the Commanders.