A lot of importance is placed on first impressions. In the Cincinnati Bengals case, last week’s first impressions didn’t match their true potential. One can thank the often-dismissed preseason for that.

The Cincinnati Reds made one of the worst first impressions in franchise history this year. Starting out 3-22, the season was basically over before April ended. That first impression matched the lackluster season the Reds are having. For the Reds, injuries have been practically as frequent as losses. After trading away a bunch of their best players ahead of this season. Most of their remaining star players have spent time on the injured list this year. The Reds are limping their way towards the finish line.

The Bengals also made a rough first impression last week. One that might not match the season they’ll ultimately have. The Bengals’ first impression compares more to FC Cincinnati than the Reds. FC Cincinnati lost their opening match of the season but are still contending for a playoff berth. The Bengals’ opening week struggles can be primarily chalked up to one thing. Their approach to the recently concluded preseason. Week one was an example of why the preseason should still matter to first string players.

There’s the old saying that practice makes perfect. A lack of preseason action for the Bengals most prominent players showcased itself last Sunday. With quarterback Joe Burrow throwing four interceptions and several incomplete passes in critical moments. While circumstances beyond Burrow’s control prevented him from playing in preseason games. That wasn’t the case for other Bengals that mostly didn’t play in the preseason. Ja’ Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd scored the Bengals touchdowns last Sunday. They along with Joe Mixon are core offensive players that didn’t play in preseason games.

This is not merely a Bengals issue. The Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams struggled in their opening game too. Faring worse than the Bengals fared in week one score-wise. Thanks to numerous turnovers throughout the NFL’s Kickoff Game. For many of the Rams’ most high-profile players. Fighting the Bengals in a joint practice was their only notable preseason moment.

Other teams that played in the playoffs last season looked flat in week one. The Green Bay Packers lost to the Minnesota Vikings. The Arizona Cardinals got walloped by the Kansas City Chiefs. While the Tennessee Titans lost to the New York Giants. It’s hard to say these results are indicative of how these teams will fare as the season progresses. Not only because it was week one of the season. It’s because many key playmakers in the league spent week one knocking the rust off.

This is the side effect of teams diminishing the importance of the preseason. Who basically used this year’s preseason for two reasons. Helping rookies adjust to the NFL and as a roster thinning exercise. Before the preseason shrunk from four to three games last year. Game three was typically the busiest for first string players. This year, many household names played a series at most in all preseason games.

I get the reasons why first stringers don’t play much in the preseason. Teams don’t want to risk being without their key players due to games that don’t officially count. Though in the Bengals case, having healthy first-string players sit out of the preseason didn’t help them in week one. History has shown that the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t a team to underestimate. Cincinnati’s preseason approach left them less prepared to take on the Steelers.

Ultimately, another impression I got from the Bengals opener was similar to one from Cincinnati Bearcats Football’s opener. Despite several mistakes and missed scoring opportunities. The Bengals stayed in a game they could’ve lost by 20. While both teams lost, those opening week results shouldn’t cause folks to hit the panic button. The Bearcats rebounded as expected in week two. The Bengals could do the same against the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday.