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The Bengals lost to the Ravens 41-38 in overtime on Sunday at Paycor Stadium. Cincinnati is 1-4 for the first time since 2007. They went winless in their first five games in 2008 and 2019, but this is by far the worst start of the Joe Burrow era.

Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are the Bengals’ two best players. Over the past three years, I’ve said the line “doubt Joe and Ja’Marr at your own risk.” They’ve earned that belief. It’s a statement I made multiple times going into Sunday’s game with the Ravens.

The Bengals knew how important that game was—and there was reason to believe that Burrow and Chase would lead them to victory. For most of the game, they did exactly that. Burrow completed 30-of-39 passes for 392 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. Chase finished with 10 catches for 193 yards and two scores. The 10 receptions and two touchdowns were both the most he’s had against Baltimore.

That’s what’s so damning about Sunday’s game and the past three weeks for the Bengals. Their two best players have been awesome.

Burrow has completed 75% of his passes (81-of-108) for 948 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in the past three games. Chase has 19 receptions (25 targets) for 396 yards and five touchdowns over that span. He has a 41-yard touchdown or longer in all three games.

Despite Burrow and Chase doing everything they can to will this team out of an 0-3 hole, the Bengals have come up short in two of their last three contests.

The Bengals have lost four games by a total of 15 points. From not being able to score against the Patriots to Daijahn Anthony’s unfortunate penalty, to not being able to stop Jayden Daniels and now a bad hold by Ryan Rehkow—the Bengals are finding new ways to lose games every week.

As bad as the defense was, they found a way to hold Lamar Jackson and the Ravens to a field goal with 1:35 left in the fourth quarter. They recovered Jackson’s bobbled snap to put the Bengals in position to win.

Good teams find ways to win close games. The Bengals are finding ways to lose games—even when they outplay their opponent. Had the Bengals won on Sunday, they would’ve moved into second place in the AFC North and would be just one game behind first place Pittsburgh after the Steelers lost to the Cowboys 20-17.

Instead, the Bengals are 1-4, the Ravens move into first place and Cincinnati is tied with Cleveland in the basement of the AFC North.

Sunday was a major swing game. If they found a way to win, it could’ve been a season-defining victory. Instead, it’s a deflating loss that’s going to be tough to overcome—especially for a team that entered the season with championship aspirations.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor opted to run the ball three-straight times from the Ravens 38-yard line in overtime, which included one pass play (second down) that Burrow checked to a run because he didn’t like the look. Ultimately, the Bengals settled for a 53-yard field goal and Rehkow botched the hold.

“We feel like we’re in field goal range,” Taylor said. “We’ve thrown the ball in that situation before. We called a pass. Joe actually did a great job of getting us out of it and back into a run because the look was not there to throw it. There was good management by him. Still got a couple yards out of it.”

The clock was a non-issue at that point. Of course a sack or interception could knock you back or end the drive, but Burrow had thrown for nearly 400 yards. Chase was cooking. Tee Higgins had nine catches and two touchdowns. You should always give your playmakers a chance to make a big play with the game on the line.

That isn’t why Rehkow botched the hold, but the lack of aggressiveness in what was a “must-win” game is worth noting—especially since the Bengals put themselves in position to win more than once on Sunday.