Not everyone is sold on the Cincinnati Bengals just yet.
A 2-0 start going into Pittsburgh Steelers week, while the defense refreshingly does some heavy lifting for Joe Burrow, comes with some negatives.
Namely, onlookers have noticed that Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and the offense are off to a sort of slow start.
Appearing on First Things First, former NFL head coach Eric Mangini made it clear that he’s not impressed with the Bengals offense just yet.
“The idea that we’re talking about the offense catching up to the defense in Cincinnati is amazing and also unacceptable,” Mangini said. “When you pay three guys 30% of your salary cap…they need to go out & start producing at a really high level.”
“The idea that we’re talking about the offense
catching up to the defense in Cincinnati is amazing & also unacceptable. When you pay three guys 30% of your salary cap…they need to go out & start producing at a really high level.” Coach shares his expectations for the Bengals: pic.twitter.com/BvueyhmajX
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) September 24, 2026
Granted, this is how things look when zooming out and looking at the contract details. The Bengals? They’re more than happy to be 2-0 no matter how they got there and have certainly acknowledged that the offense needs to be better.
Even so, no major cause for concern just yet. Burrow tends to be a slow starter to seasons and as the passing attack gets in gear, the running game shouldn’t be at a 3.8 per-carry average.
A fast start for an offense breaking in more under-center looks and packages would’ve been nice. But if this is a “slow” start for Burrow and Co., the only real concern is keeping everyone healthy because the ceiling is still extremely high. Plus, they’re winning anyway, right?
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Joe Burrow's Bengals offense gets some harsh words from Eric Mangini
