Will Zac Taylor be a Quarterback Whisperer for Andy Dalton?

The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to hire Rams quarterback coach, Zac Taylor, as head coach after Super Bowl LIII. With much hype surrounding the hiring, fans and critics are wondering if he can have the same effect on current Bengals quarterback, Andy Dalton, as he’s made with two franchises already. Let’s take a dive into the numbers.

During his tenure with the Miami Dolphins, Zac Taylor served as quarterback coach and offensive coordinator. Under Taylor’s tutelage, Ryan Tannehill posted very solid numbers consecutively between 2012 – 2015. For those four seasons, Tannehill averaged 3,865 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Upon leaving the Miami Dolphins, Tannehill experienced a significant dropoff in production in the next two seasons. He threw for 2,995 yards in 2016 and 1,979 yards in 2018. Of course, both years Tannehill battled with serious injuries and missed the entire 2017 season. But, you can tell the Tannehill and the Dolphins’ offense wasn’t the same after his departure.

In 2017, Taylor was brought on to the Los Angeles Rams as an assistant wide receivers coach. In 2018, he was promoted to quarterbacks coach to continue maximizing Jared Goff’s development. Within the two-year span, Jared Goff saw an increase in passing yards (+884), touchdowns (+4), and yards per game (+40). Zac has done a tremendous job with Jared Goff who is now considered one of if not a Top 5 quarterback. Take into consideration the progression of the Rams wide receiver corps where he’s had an imprint there with Cooper Kupp, Josh Reynolds and Robert Woods. Taylor can truly aid in the Bengals wide receivers’ development as well.

As shown, Zac Taylor is truly an offensive genius that will bring life to the new era of Cincinnati football. The team is expected to make an enormous leap for the 2019 season.

Can Zac Taylor rub his magic off on Andy Dalton? The answer could be whether or not they draft or sign a quarterback, which may signal distrust in the veteran signal caller. Time will tell if Zac Taylor is able to squeeze the same career-best play out of Dalton that he did out of Tannehill.

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