Tyler Boyd didn't sugarcoat Cincinnati's 27-3 blowout loss at Pittsburgh in prime time.
"We got embarrassed," the Bengals receiver told reporters after the game, per ESPN. "Straight like that. It sucks."
Boyd, a Clairton, Pa., native who attended the University of Pittsburgh, had higher hopes for his homecoming than a lowly 33-yard outing in a blowout loss.
"At the end of the day, I can take the losing, but when you go out there and get embarrassed, Monday night, prime time. I have too much pride to go out there and showcase what we showcased," Boyd said, via the Associated Press.
Not only did the Bengals' offense struggle to find a rhythm, quarterback Andy Dalton was sacked eight times and took 11 QB hits, both career highs. He finished 21 of 37 for 171 yards and an interception with a 7.2 QBR, his lowest since the 2017 season.
"We have to make plays, we have to execute better," Dalton said. "It's everywhere and it starts with me. We have to improve what we've done to this point because it's nowhere near the level that we want to play."
Adding insult to injury, first-year coach Zac Taylor became the second first-year coach to drop his first four games with the Bengals.
"We didn't expect to be an 0-4 team, but that's where we're at right now," Taylor said. "There's no excuses we can make."
The Bengals have a fighting chance to get their first win of the season when they host the 0-3-1 Cardinals in Week 5 action.