Zac Taylor's Clock Management Malpractice Should Be Studied By All Aspiring Head Coaches Who No Longer Wish To Be Employed

[KA14_HOF]

1 hour ago, Cricket said:

Should Sam Wyche had been fired after they blew that game in Riverfront Stadium against the 49ers with horrible clock management?

 

 

Not sure if this was directed at me, but if so...

 

1. Anytime a coach does something that catastrophically stupid, he should wonder whether or not he just cost himself his job. (see also "Miracle in the Meadowlands") BTW, this applies in any line of work.

 

2. Did Sam ever do it again? Recidivism makes the transgression worse.

 

3. Nowhere did I call for Zac to be fired. In other posts I've acknowledged I don't know enough about football to call for any football coach's job. But that doesn't mean I can't recognize obvious strategic ineptitude when I see it in a given situation. And it certainly doesn't mean I can't complain about that ineptitude.

[KA14_HOF]

1 hour ago, dex said:

Yeah, pretty obvious that Taylor has had little faith in Cade York during the last few games. Just felt like what he wanted yesterday was to both run down the clock before scoring a TD. Seemed highly unlikely that the Broncos could score a TD with 30-35 seconds left - which I believe was his thought process.

 

Zac passing up FGs in the early going was not indicative of any distrust of York, IMO. It was Zac being Zac. He's done this for years. If he lacked confidence that York could make a chip shot FG near the end of regulation when the game was tied, 17-17, then he wouldn't have sent York on to attempt the game-winner from 33 yards out in OT on 3rd down. He would've put the ball in Joe's hands on 3rd in hopes of not needing York. That decision actually demonstrated HIGH confidence in York.

 

And the problem with the missed FG wasn't entirely on York. While Adomitis' snap wasn't horrific, it was high. A better snap, and maaaaaaybe York nails it. But up until then, he's been quite reliable from inside of 40.

 

Zac's failing to have Burrow take a knee 3 times on 1st-and-goal with 1:39 left in regulation was all about Zac's lack of clock management awareness, not any uncertainty about York.

[Randle P McMurphy]

York should have never been put in that situation to begin with.  If Zac had taken the points TWICE earlier in the game,

more than likely York would have hit 1 of those 2 at least and he's not even attempting a game winner later.  That, of

course would require "accountability" and that's not allowed in the Bengals organization. 

[Jamie_B]

8 minutes ago, Randle P McMurphy said:

York should have never been put in that situation to begin with.  If Zac had taken the points TWICE earlier in the game,

more than likely York would have hit 1 of those 2 at least and he's not even attempting a game winner later.  That, of

course would require "accountability" and that's not allowed in the Bengals organization. 

 

If Jamar doesnt drop that TD we're not talking about this.

[KA14_HOF]

Here's another potential issue...

 

2022 - Week 1

Match-up: Stealers at Bengals

Situation: tied 20-20 with 3:37 left in OT

Down & Distance: 3rd-and-8, on the Stealers' 11-yard-line

Zac's call: Zac sends McPherson on to try a game-winning 29-yard FG

The Play: Wilcox' snap is so high, Huber has to reach above his head to catch the ball. He snags it, gets the ball down (laces IN), and McPherson hooks it badly wide left.

 

2024 - Week 17

Match-up: Broncos at Bengals

Situation: tied 24-24 with 2:51 left in OT

Down & Distance: 3rd-and-3, on the Broncos' 15-yard-line

Zac's call: Zac sends York on to try a game-winning 33-yard FG

The Play: Adomitis' snap is just a bit high, Rekhow receives the ball up around his facemask. He catches it, puts it ball down (laces out), and York doinks it off the left upright.

 

The whole reason you kick on 3rd down is that if something goes wrong, the holder can just eat it, and you try again on 4th down, albeit from 7 yards further away.

 

Our holders seem oblivious to the option to abort the kick on 3rd-down and just fall on the ball. Adomitis' snap wasn't nearly as bad as Wilcox' was, but it wasn't perfect. If you're kicking on 3rd down, expect a perfect snap. Anything else, try again on 4th. I have to wonder if and how we practice this scenario. As the saying goes, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training.

 

This is the 2nd time Zac has called for a FG on 3rd down. Both times the snaps were less than ideal. In neither case did our holder have the presence of mind to fall on the ball. And in both cases, we botched the game-winning FG attempt.

[sois]

3 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

 

Zack did talk about the decision to go for it instead of taking the points after Chase Brown went down. He said they had planned on downing and forcing them to use their time out, but when Brown got hurt and they got their time out back it changed the math.

 

Of course as it was pointed out here, taking the knee and letting time run down could have been an option as well.

 

I really want to know what his math was before calling chase to run the ball and not try to score.

[Jamie_B]

11 minutes ago, sois said:

 

I really want to know what his math was before calling chase to run the ball and not try to score.

 

You force the to take the time out if Chase doesnt get hurt, and run the clock down to kick from there.

 

Could have done that without Chase running, and just kneeling but whatever.

[T-Dub]

Is this where we talk about how many time outs they call in the redzone or on 3rd downs because of the play clock?

 

Could it be that the man responsible for getting the play communicated quickly is also the man responsible for clock management - among 100 other responsibilities - and thus unable to devote his full attention to anything?

 

Maybe this also leads to rushed or impulsive decisions in pressure situations? Details slipping through the cracks? An overall lack of focus?

 

 

[Shebengal]

3 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

yeah Taylor isnt going anywhere

 

I dont think Lou is either but I think if you let Russel Wilson put up 400 against you again on Saturday a conversation needs to be had

 

I also think they need to take a real look at who is helping to scout and find these players on defense, especially in the draft, because we are not doing well there at all

That's the flip side of making the playoffs, if we do. It saves the coaches' jobs, even though clearly the defense has digressed. We were 9-8 last year without Joe B. for a lot of the season and playing a first place schedule. This year, we're 8-8 and could be 9-8 with a last place schedule and Joe B. for the whole year. 

[Shebengal]

3 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

Is there where we talk about how many time outs they call in the redzone or on 3rd downs because of the play clock?

 

Could it be that the man responsible for getting the play communicated quickly is also the man responsible for clock management - among 100 other responsibilities - and thus unable to devote his full attention to either?

Then he needs to give up one of the responsibilities, like maybe the play calling. 

[T-Dub]

3 minutes ago, Shebengal said:

Then he needs to give up one of the responsibilities, like maybe the play calling. 

 

I think maybe he should've been an OC at the pro level somewhere for a few years before being promoted and taking on both jobs.

 

To your other point I don't think any of these coaches are in danger no matter how it ends. They'll land around .500 this year either way, with ready excuses - that's good enough for these owners.

[Jamie_B]

12 minutes ago, Shebengal said:

That's the flip side of making the playoffs, if we do. It saves the coaches' jobs, even though clearly the defense has digressed. We were 9-8 last year without Joe B. for a lot of the season and playing a first place schedule. This year, we're 8-8 and could be 9-8 with a last place schedule and Joe B. for the whole year. 

 

No doubt. And the defense has regressed over a 2 year period if you look deeper. Someone needs to answer for that but I'm not sure its coaching so much as talent evaluation.

[MichaelWeston]

Someone mentioned recividism.....I can't spell it but you know what I mean.

 

To me that's the issue. If he says I messed up and fixes it having one of the best offenses in the league is a reason enough to keep him. If he doesn't see his error that's different. 

[sparky151]

I thought the snap and hold were ok on the OT FG attempt. As pointed out in this piece, the Bengals could have helped Chase Brown off the field and the officials wouldn't have then charged a TO to the Bengals and restored one to Denver.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6026641/2024/12/30/joe-burrow-bengals-zac-taylor-defense/

 

2. Bengals coach Zac Taylor declared quarterback Joe Burrow the best player in the world. Why is it so hard for Cincinnati to win, then?

With Burrow passing for 412 yards and three touchdowns Saturday, the Bengals overcame the Denver Broncos, and themselves, to score a 30-24 overtime victory, sustaining their faint playoff hopes.

The performance left Burrow with 4,641 yards passing, 42 scoring tosses, eight interceptions and a 109.8 passer rating.

Per Pro Football Reference, this is the 16th time since 1950 that a quarterback will finish a season with at least 4,000 yards passing, 40 touchdown passes and a triple-digit passer rating.

The other 15 quarterbacks won 79 percent of their starts, with none finishing worse than 10-6 (Aaron Rodgers with Green Bay in 2016). Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield needs one touchdown pass in Week 18 to join this exclusive club. His 9-7 Buccaneers rank 17th in points per game allowed.

Burrow has an 8-8 record. One reason is obvious.

The 2024 Bengals rank 29th in points per game allowed, lower than any of those other quarterbacks’ teams ranked. Still, the 2018 Chiefs ranked 24th in points allowed and went 13-3 as Patrick Mahomes put up big numbers (5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns, 113.8 rating).

Some might question Burrow’s play in critical situations, but if that narrative did not die Saturday, consider this update to our Burrow analysis from earlier in the season:

Burrow has led touchdown drives five times in nine career chances when trailing by 4-8 points and taking over possession with 1-8 minutes left in regulation. His 56 percent TD drive rate in those “need TD” situations beats the career rates for Lamar Jackson (6 of 12, 50 percent), Josh Allen (6 of 15, 40 percent) and Mahomes (5 of 13, 39 percent). That includes two TDs in three chances for Burrow this season, both against Baltimore in games the Bengals lost anyway (Burrow did fail against New England in that situation, contributing to an inexplicable Week 1 defeat).

The issues Cincinnati must resolve to win most of its games with the “best player in the world” might include:

• Game management: The Bengals used timeouts on offense during two third-quarter drives, adding to their league-leading total this season (10 of 35 third-quarter drives for 29 percent, more than double the rate for any other team). Cincy has used timeouts on offense during 15 percent of all third-quarter drives since Taylor was hired in 2019, the highest rate in the league and more than twice the average for other teams.

Teams with offensive play-calling head coaches usually rank high on these lists. These coaches, at their worst, prioritize dialing up the perfect plays at the expense of overall game management. Taylor’s third-quarter timeouts Sunday preceded third-and-7 and second-and-17 plays. Cincinnati eventually converted first downs on those drives, at great cost.

The Bengals’ hotly debated end-of-regulation strategy against the Broncos drew scrutiny for the wrong reasons. Coaches from other teams were most alarmed by Cincinnati’s failure to help running back Chase Brown off the field to spare the team’s final timeout when the Bengals were trying to position themselves for the go-ahead field goal late in regulation.

The score was 17-17 with 1:39 remaining when Brown took the first-and-goal carry to the 1-yard line, where he purposely went to the ground. The plan was for the Bengals to rob Denver of its final timeout, which would have allowed Cincinnati to run the clock under 10 seconds by kneeling on second and third downs. The Bengals could have then used their final timeout before attempting the go-ahead chip-shot field goal, leaving almost no time for Denver.

GO DEEPER

Bengals' Zac Taylor explains his game management at end of regulation vs. Broncos

The strategy changed when Brown suffered an injury at the end of his carry. Denver had used its final timeout at this point, when 1:31 remained, but officials restored that timeout, instead charging Cincinnati with its final timeout after realizing Brown was injured on the play.

Brown spent about three seconds on his knees after the play, but it wasn’t clear whether he would remain down. He then stood up and walked for another five seconds before going to the ground again. Cincinnati should have quickly carried Brown off the field because it was clear after he stood up that he was hurting, but not seriously injured, coaches said. Better yet, could Brown have gotten himself off the field, as then-West Virginia center and current Pittsburgh Steeler Zach Frazier did despite breaking his ankle in 2023?

 

“They also should have just taken the knee (at the 6-yard-line),” one coach said. “There is no reason to run it there if you are going to concede that you are not going to score.”

Some coaches also thought officials erred in restoring Denver’s timeout anyway because too much time lapsed between the end of the play and Brown falling to the ground a second time.

• Defensive philosophy: Lou Anarumo earned high praise for the defense he coordinated during the Bengals’ 2021 Super Bowl season. His defense ranked seventh in EPA per play over the 2021-22 seasons. It ranks 29th since, a period that includes safety Jessie Bates’ departure.

Is the defense too complicated on the back end for the Bengals to plug and play young talent? Or do they simply need better talent? That’s a question execs in the league have asked, and one Anarumo seems to have addressed by simplifying things of late.

Bengals defensive starter average ages

Season	DL	LB	DB
2021	27.1	25.3	26.6
2022	27.2	26.4	26.5
2023	28.4	27.4	25.6
2024	28.5	28.0	26.3

• Proactive vs. reactive: The Bengals did not pay Bates despite a strong start to his career, eventually using the franchise tag before letting him walk as a free agent. They traded running back Joe Mixon for a seventh-round pick this spring to save $6.1 million against the cap. They are waiting to re-sign receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who has played the 2024 season on the tag. They are not the “same old Bengals” of the 1990s, but neither are they known for getting ahead of the market.

“It’s hard to build a team around your stars if you don’t identify ascending players and take some risks to get them signed earlier,” one exec said.

These are all things to consider for an 8-8 team with a top-five quarterback (Burrow), a top-five receiver (Chase) and a top-five pass rusher (Trey Hendrickson).

 

[claptonrocks]

7 hours ago, TigerJ@w said:

call me a conspiracy theorist all you want but, he over hooked a short kick to me and to me, did he do it on purpose.  i know everyone will say no way but, he knows he is a goner anyways and played for the Clowns.  it is probably just me because I was ticked when i saw the replay and how he overextended his foot.  lol

Enough of the weed or wine today Tiger.

Illusions are weird aren't they?

[claptonrocks]

7 hours ago, TigerJ@w said:

true but i don't think anyone will want him. 

Really?..

He gets around..

[claptonrocks]

4 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

 

You force the to take the time out if Chase doesnt get hurt, and run the clock down to kick from there.

 

Could have done that without Chase running, and just kneeling but whatever.

Kneeling yes

Hindsight.

[I_C_Deadpeople]

8 hours ago, LostInDaJungle said:

Yeah, some of you may not believe this, but I was locked in a threesome all night long last night with Scarlett Johansson and Amy Adams.

See, I told you you wouldn't believe it. I win!
 

I believe you were in that threesome - virtually lol. 

[T-Dub]

27 minutes ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

I believe you were in that threesome - virtually lol. 

 

 

Man clearly has a type, which is not information I requested. 

[claptonrocks]

On 12/30/2024 at 3:11 PM, Shebengal said:

Then he needs to give up one of the responsibilities, like maybe the play calling. 

And you know he wont do that..

 

 

 

[-GoBengals-]

well if we cant take football advice from a yakees blogger from bar stool who can we even take football advice from?

[claptonrocks]

10 minutes ago, GoBengals said:

well if we cant take football advice from a yakees blogger from bar stool who can we even take football advice from?

Sois....

[-GoBengals-]

1 hour ago, claptonrocks said:

Sois....

 

 

and that one guys wife, she can predict plays. could be pretty handy tbh

[|Montana Bengal|]

1 hour ago, GoBengals said:

 

 

and that one guys wife, she can predict plays. could be pretty handy tbh

 

My wife can tell that Tee wants to sign with the team formerly known as the Redskins.

[-GoBengals-]

4 minutes ago, Montana Bengal said:

 

My wife can tell that Tee wants to sign with the team formerly known as the Redskins.

 

 

fuck