Arkansas Bengal Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 Story by Bill Bender Will Bengals fire Zac Taylor? Why coach is on hot seat after another slow start The Bengals are 1-4 and tied for last place in the AFC North heading into a 'Sunday Night Football' matchup against the Giants in Week 6. That increases the pressure on sixth-year coach Zac Taylor to engineer a turnaround. Cincinnati lost to division rival Baltimore 41-38 in Week 5, and Taylor has taken criticism for how overtime unfolded. Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt recovered a Lamar Jackson fumble on the first possession, but Cincinnati settled for a 53-yard field-goal attempt. Evan McPherson missed the attempt, and Baltimore responded with the game-winning field goal. "I got to put us in a better position, really," Taylor said via ESPN.com. "There's a lot of talent on the team, and as the coach, you've got to find ways to maximize that and make sure we're walking off with wins, and I haven't done a good enough job with that." Yet another slow start under Taylor and put Cincinnati behind in a tight AFC playoff race. How much heat is Taylor under now? A closer look at the coach's hot seat: Bengals record with Zac Taylor Taylor is 38-48-1 since taking over as Cincinnati's head coach in 2019, but that record is misleading. The first two seasons, which amounted to a 6-25-1 record, were part of a rebuild. Cincinnati took Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and receiver JaMarr Chase with the No. 5 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. That helped reverse the fortunes of the franchise. The Bengals finished 10-7 in 2021, and they made a run to Super Bowl LVI, where they lost to the Los Angeles Rams 23-30. Cincinnati finished 12-4 the following season and made the AFC championship game. The Bengals lost to the Chiefs 23-20. In 2023, Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury and the Bengals finished 9-8. Now, Cincinnati is 1-4 and in danger of missing the postseason for the second straight year. Cincinnati's slow starts under Zac Taylor Despite that success, Cincinnati has become known for slow starts the past few seasons. A look at the Bengals' record through five games each of the last four seasons: YEAR RECORD THROUGH 5 GAMES 2021 3-2 2022 2-3 2023 2-3 2024 1-4 The Bengals started 0-2 in 2022 and 2023, and they were 0-3 this season before beating Carolina 34-24 in Week 4. Those slow starts have been a frequent criticism of Taylor. Zac Taylor contract Taylor is under contract with the Bengals through 2026. He signed an extension in 2022 after leading Cincinnati to an appearance in the Super Bowl. Terms of the buyout were not disclosed, and per reports, Taylor makes $4.5 million per season. Of coaches whose salaries are available, only four coaches have a lower annual salary. How hot is the coaching seat under Zac Taylor? There are other factors that have played into the Bengals' slow start. The franchise has downplayed contract disputes involving three star players. Chase has no plans to negotiate a long-term deal during the season and would potentially be a free agent in 2026. Tee Higgins is under a franchise tag this season, and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson requested a trade during the offseason. Taylor cannot be blamed for those situations. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who has been with Taylor over the past six seasons, is feeling more pressure now. Cincinnati ranks 31st in scoring defense (31.0 ppg.) and 26th in total defense (365.4 ypg.) and the Ravens racked up 520 total yards in Week 5. The Bengals have dealt with several injuries on defense, the latest coming when cornerback Dax Hill suffered a torn ACL. Still, this team misses D.J. Reader, who signed with Detroit this offseason. This is the same team that lost 26-25 to Kansas City in Week 2 in a matchup decided by a controversial pass interference call in the game's final drive, and the Bengals are the last team to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs. Burrow leads the NFL with 12 TD passes and has a career-high 72.3-percent completion percentage. There still is time to get back in the AFC playoff mix over the next four games, a stretch that includes the Giants, Browns, Eagles, and Raiders. A coaching change seems unlikely given Brown's history of retaining coaches, especially if the relationship between Taylor and Burrow remains steady and gets the Bengals back on track, but at some point, Taylor needs to start winning to ensure his job is secure. 1 Quote
|High School Harry| Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/columnists/jason-williams/2024/10/10/bengals-dont-change-coach-zac-taylor-isnt-getting-fired-nfl-week-6/75612266007/ Williams: Cincinnati Bengals don't change. It's why Taylor isn't getting fired Jason Williams Cincinnati Enquirer Subject: Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor on hot seat? Message: Zac Taylor is getting hammered for the play-calling in overtime and a lot of fans want him fired. Do you think he’s on the hot seat? Reply: Most teams would’ve fired Zac Taylor after a start like this. But this is yet another reminder: The Bengals don’t do things like most teams. They don’t make trades They play hardball in every contract negotiation, which they conduct on their timeline and not anyone else’s. They refuse to build their own practice complex away from the stadium. They refused to hire more scouts to try to do better in the draft. And they hate paying people not to work for them. That goes for cutting under-performing players they owe a lot of money to. That goes for firing coaches with multiple years left on their contracts. I’ve had to remind readers and friends about the way the Bengals operate lately. That two-year run to the Super Bowl and back to the AFC Championship game didn’t mean the Bengals had suddenly changed how they do business. Reminder: That success is because they failed so much they had no choice but to draft Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Now that we’ve had a quick history lesson, Taylor is not on the hot seat – nor should he be. He’s under contract through the 2026 season. If the Bengals go on to have a disastrous season, they likely give Taylor at least 2025 to turn things around. If 2025 is a disaster, maybe – maybe – the Bengals would fire Taylor. The Bengals did part ways with Marvin Lewis after the 2018 season with one year still left on his contract. Calling for Taylor to be fired is an irrational, knee-jerk reaction. For goodness sake, Taylor took this team to its glory days in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He did a hell of a job last season getting the Bengals to finish 9-7 and on the brink of making the playoffs after losing Burrow to injury in mid-November. Taylor is an offensive guy, and the Bengals rank fourth in the NFL in points. Taylor is certainly not perfect. The Bengals have never been ready to play to start the season during his tenure – evidenced by a 1-10 record in Weeks 1-2 under Taylor – and preparation is definitely on him. Taylor's play-calling in crunch time and in goal-line situations is head-scratching at times. But the Bengals are losing because they can't stop anyone. And this awful defense isn't really on Taylor – or Lou Anarumo, one of the best defensive coordinators in the league. The Bengals' front office put a bunch of mostly subpar defensive players on the roster, and the coaches can only do so much. 1 Quote
Jamie_B Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 36 minutes ago, High School Harry said: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/columnists/jason-williams/2024/10/10/bengals-dont-change-coach-zac-taylor-isnt-getting-fired-nfl-week-6/75612266007/ Williams: Cincinnati Bengals don't change. It's why Taylor isn't getting fired Jason Williams Cincinnati Enquirer Subject: Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor on hot seat? Message: Zac Taylor is getting hammered for the play-calling in overtime and a lot of fans want him fired. Do you think he’s on the hot seat? Reply: Most teams would’ve fired Zac Taylor after a start like this. But this is yet another reminder: The Bengals don’t do things like most teams. They don’t make trades They play hardball in every contract negotiation, which they conduct on their timeline and not anyone else’s. They refuse to build their own practice complex away from the stadium. They refused to hire more scouts to try to do better in the draft. And they hate paying people not to work for them. That goes for cutting under-performing players they owe a lot of money to. That goes for firing coaches with multiple years left on their contracts. I’ve had to remind readers and friends about the way the Bengals operate lately. That two-year run to the Super Bowl and back to the AFC Championship game didn’t mean the Bengals had suddenly changed how they do business. Reminder: That success is because they failed so much they had no choice but to draft Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Now that we’ve had a quick history lesson, Taylor is not on the hot seat – nor should he be. He’s under contract through the 2026 season. If the Bengals go on to have a disastrous season, they likely give Taylor at least 2025 to turn things around. If 2025 is a disaster, maybe – maybe – the Bengals would fire Taylor. The Bengals did part ways with Marvin Lewis after the 2018 season with one year still left on his contract. Calling for Taylor to be fired is an irrational, knee-jerk reaction. For goodness sake, Taylor took this team to its glory days in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He did a hell of a job last season getting the Bengals to finish 9-7 and on the brink of making the playoffs after losing Burrow to injury in mid-November. Taylor is an offensive guy, and the Bengals rank fourth in the NFL in points. Taylor is certainly not perfect. The Bengals have never been ready to play to start the season during his tenure – evidenced by a 1-10 record in Weeks 1-2 under Taylor – and preparation is definitely on him. Taylor's play-calling in crunch time and in goal-line situations is head-scratching at times. But the Bengals are losing because they can't stop anyone. And this awful defense isn't really on Taylor – or Lou Anarumo, one of the best defensive coordinators in the league. The Bengals' front office put a bunch of mostly subpar defensive players on the roster, and the coaches can only do so much. Somone with some sense. Now of course the coaches weighing in on what we are picking is fair game to criticize them for. 1 Quote
MichaelWeston Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 23 minutes ago, Jamie_B said: Somone with some sense. Now of course the coaches weighing in on what we are picking is fair game to criticize them for. Jason Williams isn't even a football writer. This is the equivalent of agreeing with Steven A Smith over Paul Dehner. Quote
Jamie_B Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 15 minutes ago, MichaelWeston said: Jason Williams isn't even a football writer. This is the equivalent of agreeing with Steven A Smith over Paul Dehner. You don't need to be a football writer to see what is going on. 1 Quote
Cricket Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 The Bengals typically play to the level of their competition. Therefore ONE “Oops” play or bad call or no-call can determine the winner. No 🥷 1 Quote
PatternMaster Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 31 minutes ago, Cricket said: The Bengals typically play to the level of their competition. Therefore ONE “Oops” play or bad call or no-call can determine the winner. No I think this is one of my main criticisms of Taylor is that they play to the level of competition, they rarely blow anyone out but they also rarely get blown out. Quote
MichaelWeston Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 36 minutes ago, Cricket said: The Bengals typically play to the level of their competition. Therefore ONE “Oops” play or bad call or no-call can determine the winner. No 🥷 This is the problem with Anarumo's defense. Quote
Shebengal Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 1 hour ago, PatternMaster said: I think this is one of my main criticisms of Taylor is that they play to the level of competition, they rarely blow anyone out but they also rarely get blown out. He's 16-29-1 in one score games during the regular season. He doesn't know how to go for the jugular. 3 Quote
Jamie_B Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 1 hour ago, PatternMaster said: I think this is one of my main criticisms of Taylor is that they play to the level of competition, they rarely blow anyone out but they also rarely get blown out. They did that during Marvin's time too. It seems to be a organizational problem. Quote
Jamie_B Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 1 hour ago, MichaelWeston said: This is the problem with Anarumo's defense. Explain why it happened when Marvin was here. Quote
sparky151 Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 Here's Dehner, agreeing with Williams: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5834617/2024/10/11/afc-north-whiparound-week-6-2024/ Dehner Jr.: Remember where President Biden’s approval numbers were when he dropped out of the race? That’s about where Zac Taylor is residing after Sunday’s overtime loss. Fans want his head after the conservative overtime play calls. That doesn’t mean his seat is hot. The heating pad is in the closet, unplugged and not working. This is Cincinnati, where change moves at a glacial pace with head coaches. He’s calling plays for the most potent offense in recent franchise memory and has a history of leading runs late in the season. The sheen has certainly come off at 1-4, but nobody with any sense of the organization thinks for a second his seat is hot. 1 Quote
|High School Harry| Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 3 hours ago, Jamie_B said: Somone with some sense. Now of course the coaches weighing in on what we are picking is fair game to criticize them for. 3 hours ago, MichaelWeston said: Jason Williams isn't even a football writer. This is the equivalent of agreeing with Steven A Smith over Paul Dehner. Jason Williams is basically a negative, new saying troll. I'm sure there's something out there but he basically always trashes the Bengals. I think he was at one time a sports writer but "promoted" to another department. Still, he rears is ugly little head to mud sling and pile on the poop at every opportunity. Quite honestly... I didn't even read it. Just saw Arkansas's post and threw it on there for anyone interested, And I like Stephen A, the reincarnation of George Jefferson. 1 Quote
Jamie_B Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 8 minutes ago, High School Harry said: Jason Williams is basically a negative, new saying troll. I'm sure there's something out there but he basically always trashes the Bengals. I think he was at one time a sports writer but "promoted" to another department. Still, he rears is ugly little head to mud sling and pile on the poop at every opportunity. Quite honestly... I didn't even read it. Just saw Arkansas's post and threw it on there for anyone interested, And I like Stephen A, the reincarnation of George Jefferson. Ok and where is he wrong in this specific incident? Quote
Whodeyman Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 Only gets fired if Bengals continue to lose. If they start winning next 4 games then he will stay. If they get back to .500 anything can happen. Quote
MichaelWeston Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 44 minutes ago, sparky151 said: Here's Dehner, agreeing with Williams: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5834617/2024/10/11/afc-north-whiparound-week-6-2024/ Dehner Jr.: Remember where President Biden’s approval numbers were when he dropped out of the race? That’s about where Zac Taylor is residing after Sunday’s overtime loss. Fans want his head after the conservative overtime play calls. That doesn’t mean his seat is hot. The heating pad is in the closet, unplugged and not working. This is Cincinnati, where change moves at a glacial pace with head coaches. He’s calling plays for the most potent offense in recent franchise memory and has a history of leading runs late in the season. The sheen has certainly come off at 1-4, but nobody with any sense of the organization thinks for a second his seat is hot. About Taylor Quote
Inigo Montoya Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 It will take a complete collapse for ZT to get fired. More likely that they end up in the neighborhood of .500 and we don’t see any major changes. We can always dream about landing a head coach with name recognition or good pedigree but the front office will always keep that from happening. Things are just run differently here and plenty of coaches want no part of it. 3 Quote
T-Dub Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 35 minutes ago, Jamie_B said: Same cold seat for Lou The Bengals do not own a hot seat. 2 Quote
Jamie_B Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 33 minutes ago, T-Dub said: The Bengals do not own a hot seat. At all. Quote
MichaelWeston Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 1 hour ago, Inigo Montoya said: It will take a complete collapse for ZT to get fired. More likely that they end up in the neighborhood of .500 and we don’t see any major changes. We can always dream about landing a head coach with name recognition or good pedigree but the front office will always keep that from happening. Things are just run differently here and plenty of coaches want no part of it. if this defense doesn't markedly improve they will replace Anarumo. Burrow won't allow them to roll back out with the same thing. Quote
MichaelWeston Posted October 11 Report Posted October 11 DC Candidates for 2025 if we don't rebound and Anarumo is the Head Coach at Purdue..... 1. Saleh, Jets HC and former Niners DC 2. Staley, 49ers assistant, former Rams DC and Chargers HC 3. Leslie Frazier, AHC in Seattle, Former DC at Buffalo, Tampa, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Former HC at Minnesota, 66 years old 4. Jim Leonhard, DBs and Passing game coordinator at Denver, DC at Wisconsin Quote
-GoBengals- Posted October 12 Report Posted October 12 he is, in fact, 100%, not on any hot seat Quote
-GoBengals- Posted October 12 Report Posted October 12 4 hours ago, MichaelWeston said: if this defense doesn't markedly improve they will replace Anarumo. Burrow won't allow them to roll back out with the same thing. they will in fact not replace Lou. the bengals get made fun of for many things, most of which are wrong AND stupid, their loyalty ot lack of panic is one of them, Loud has done such a phenomenal job so many times he was almost every offseason discussed as a prime HC candidate. the bengals are also aware, not having healthy palyers on the field good enough to compete isnt a reflection on the job lou is doing, because no DC on the fucking planet can turn a pile of street shit into pumpkin pie. no matter how many lazy bafoon media writers or limp dick fans rage on facebook about firing someone becasue the season isnt going well for possibly the most obvious reason in the history of sports, the bengals arent known to fire people who have proven to be successful here. and frankly i cannot for the life of me understand that fans and lazy media dont understand sand see the clear reasoning behind the seasons results, and also ignore or have no clue of the 60 years of bengals behavioral history in how they hire and fire staff and cut players. being a fan who is mad cause your team didnt win and raging online about firing someone doesnt have any effect on the real world, the real world where the billion dollar organization makes team and business decisions. the front office loves lou and taylor, the players love lou and taylor, who the fuck do you all think is going to fire either one? both have had extreme success and are loved by everyone in the team. what the fuck are you even talking about? the dumbest god damn shit i ahve ever seen. buncha sports karens with their internet pitch forks. rage simps mad, rage simps write article, rage simps think firing and uprooting team will somehow make better.. ffs 2 1 Quote
MichaelWeston Posted October 12 Report Posted October 12 1 hour ago, GoBengals said: they will in fact not replace Lou. the bengals get made fun of for many things, most of which are wrong AND stupid, their loyalty ot lack of panic is one of them, Loud has done such a phenomenal job so many times he was almost every offseason discussed as a prime HC candidate. the bengals are also aware, not having healthy palyers on the field good enough to compete isnt a reflection on the job lou is doing, because no DC on the fucking planet can turn a pile of street shit into pumpkin pie. no matter how many lazy bafoon media writers or limp dick fans rage on facebook about firing someone becasue the season isnt going well for possibly the most obvious reason in the history of sports, the bengals arent known to fire people who have proven to be successful here. and frankly i cannot for the life of me understand that fans and lazy media dont understand sand see the clear reasoning behind the seasons results, and also ignore or have no clue of the 60 years of bengals behavioral history in how they hire and fire staff and cut players. being a fan who is mad cause your team didnt win and raging online about firing someone doesnt have any effect on the real world, the real world where the billion dollar organization makes team and business decisions. the front office loves lou and taylor, the players love lou and taylor, who the fuck do you all think is going to fire either one? both have had extreme success and are loved by everyone in the team. what the fuck are you even talking about? the dumbest god damn shit i ahve ever seen. buncha sports karens with their internet pitch forks. rage simps mad, rage simps write article, rage simps think firing and uprooting team will somehow make better.. ffs If the defense doesn't improve Lou will be replaced at the end of the year. And he should be. 1 Quote
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