Arkansas Bengal Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 Jason Williams Cincinnati Enquirer Subject: Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator role Message: “The Bengals have a new offensive coordinator after Brian Callahan was named the Titans’ new head coach this week. Is this really that big of a deal? Zac Taylor calls the plays. The OC position doesn’t seem as important to the Bengals as it does other teams.” Reply: It’s not a huge deal, and that’s no slight against new offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, Callahan or anyone else who may hold the OC title during Taylor’s tenure. The Bengals could probably go without having someone with the OC title, and fans wouldn’t notice. How many times did you curse Callahan’s name when the offense sputtered this past season? That’s right, never. It’s Taylor’s offense. He calls the plays. Joe Burrow has a big say in the offense. The Bengals don’t have a passing game coordinator. And offensive line coach Frank Pollack is the run-game coordinator. It was no surprise the Bengals went in-house and promoted Pitcher on Thursday after he spent the previous four seasons as quarterbacks coach. Pitcher is a rising star in NFL coaching and having the OC title puts him on track to potentially being a head coach someday. Pitcher has been Burrow’s position coach since Day 1 of the star QB’s NFL career, and they have a fantastic relationship. Pitcher also has helped backup Jake Browning develop from a practice-squad player to potentially becoming an NFL starter someday. Pitcher’s duties probably won’t drastically change. He’ll continue to play a big part in helping to develop Burrow and Browning and have a big voice in planning the passing scheme. The Bengals aren’t alone in not having a traditional offensive coordinator who calls the plays. Entering the 2023 season, 14 other head coaches were also their team’s primary play-caller, according to ESPN. Half the teams still alive in the playoffs have their head coach calling the plays – Kansas City’s Andy Reid and San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan. Reid has been calling plays for most of his head-coaching career with Kansas City and Philadelphia. The trend of younger head coaches handling play-calling has partly been inspired by 38-year-old offensive innovator Sean McVay’s success calling plays as the Los Angeles Rams head coach. Taylor is a member of McVay’s growing coaching tree. Bengals offensive coordinator takes backseat to Zac Taylor, Joe Burrow (cincinnati.com) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkansas Bengal Posted January 26 Author Report Share Posted January 26 Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor Considered Giving Up Play Calling to Brian Callahan Taylor has been the Bengals offensive play caller since being named head coach in 2019. JAMES RAPIEN 2 HOURS AGO CINCINNATI — The Bengals officially introduced new offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher on Thursday. The 37-year-old takes over for Brian Callahan, who spent the past five years in Cincinnati. Callahan became head coach of the Titans earlier this week, which paved the way for Pitcher's promotion. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is expected to call plays again in 2024, but he considered making a change before Callahan landed a head coaching job according to Dave Lapham. "I heard that Zac Taylor was considering giving up the play calling role to Brian Callahan next season," Lapham told Lance McAlister on 700 WLW. "That changed when Brian Callahan moved on." Callahan will call plays for the Titans next season. And Taylor will likely remain the Bengals' play caller. This does show Taylor's willingness to change. He's open to ideas, which aligns with what Lapham said later in the interview. "It is done by democracy, it is not a dictatorship. Everybody has a voice and everybody has a big voice," Lapham added. "If you show that your voice merits it, you're gonna get a bigger voice and that's what happened with Dan Pitcher." Taylor and the Bengals are hoping to rebound after finishing 9-8 in 2023. Injuries to Joe Burrow and other key players derailed their season, but they're clearly open to making changes in hopes of maximizing their offense. https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/news/bengals-head-coach-zac-taylor-considered-giving-up-play-calling-to-brian-callahan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicoli Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 Good stuff here.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 Really good stuff. Wonder if Ryans did the same thing this year with the Texans which resulted in a fairly slow start after looking so good against Buffalo and SF. Getting guys in the route is going to be a big reason why I’d expect to see a FA signing at tight end and a day 1/2 pick on WR. Get some playmakers in routes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claptonrocks Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 1 hour ago, spicoli said: Good stuff here.. Great concept around JB. Drafting a RT and NT is imperative to keep the train rollin. Muaga Lathem or Mims could help. DT Sweat in Rd 2 .. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claptonrocks Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 38 minutes ago, JC said: Really good stuff. Wonder if Ryans did the same thing this year with the Texans which resulted in a fairly slow start after looking so good against Buffalo and SF. Getting guys in the route is going to be a big reason why I’d expect to see a FA signing at tight end and a day 1/2 pick on WR. Get some playmakers in routes. Maybe if the oline could hold up better JB would make any receiver look good. It starts in the trenches on both sides. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicoli Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 6 hours ago, claptonrocks said: Muaga Lathem or Mims could help. DT Sweat in Rd 2 .. You have no idea what FA moves get made. They could easily address those positions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 10 minutes ago, spicoli said: You have no idea what FA moves get made. They could easily address those positions. The tackle market is pretty bare, if they get one I have to think it will be a short term rental like they did with Reiff. Now DT there are a few guys that they could get, but unless they sign 2 of them I think they still look to the draft. So even if they get FAs they are still likely to draft both positions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicoli Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 10 minutes ago, Jamie_B said: The tackle market is pretty bare, if they get one I have to think it will be a short term rental like they did with Reiff Or they could just re-sign Williams and ignore RT completely. It’s January…we have no clue. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 2 minutes ago, spicoli said: Or they could just re-sign Williams and ignore RT completely. It’s January…we have no clue. If they resign Williams..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicoli Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 8 minutes ago, Jamie_B said: If they resign Williams..... Lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicoli Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 Seriously though…I definitely believe they’ll draft some OL, I just don’t think they’ll do it early is all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claptonrocks Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 3 hours ago, spicoli said: You have no idea what FA moves get made. They could easily address those positions. That's true. Just adding some prospects in case FA doesn't work out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claptonrocks Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 3 hours ago, spicoli said: Or they could just re-sign Williams and ignore RT completely. It’s January…we have no clue. Ok ...how shall we have a dialogue about anything if we don't toss things out there? Jeez..lighten up.. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Dub Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 If Pollack is both the OL coach and run game coordinator I am now on board with firing him. He's failing at 2 different positions & while I still question his draft involvement they can't just ignore that both of those areas of responsibility are terrible. Unless there's no accountability at all... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claptonrocks Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 1 hour ago, T-Dub said: If Pollack is both the OL coach and run game coordinator I am now on board with firing him. He's failing at 2 different positions & while I still question his draft involvement they can't just ignore that both of those areas of responsibility are terrible. Unless there's no accountability at all... Is Zach that loyal to Pollack? I see no results in his coaching methods since he arrived with all this fanfare about his extrodniary talents... Never saw any of it here. Time for Frank to hit the road outta here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky151 Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 Yeah, he's the one who vouched for Lael Collins, who didn't live up to the billing. Burrow may like sending 5 receivers out on pass plays but that's not a recipe for long term success as defenses pound him over and over. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Dub Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 On 1/26/2024 at 7:11 PM, Jamie_B said: If they resign Williams..... Have to hope someone pays him LT money because you know the Bengals will make an offer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Jersey Bengal Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 Just now, T-Dub said: Have to hope someone pays him LT money because you know the Bengals will make an offer If the bengals are honest with themselves need to let him go and Re make the o line Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Dub Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 19 minutes ago, New Jersey Bengal said: If the bengals are honest with themselves need to let him go and Re make the o line yeah pretty weird to replace a guy, have him demand a trade, then instead shoehorn him into a position he's never played. whoever thought that was a good idea definitely needs to be fired. remaking the OL isn't going to happen without hitting on some draft picks, though. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|High School Harry| Posted January 29 Report Share Posted January 29 14 hours ago, T-Dub said: Have to hope someone pays him LT money because you know the Bengals will make an offer OMG... I certainly hope not if for no other reason than he can't play with the big boys and there's a hella lot of them in our division. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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