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Enough Waiting: Bengals Need a Playoff Win in Next 3 Years

By Tyler Quedens

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 04: Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals watches the final seconds tick off the clock in the bengals loss to the Indianapolis Colts during their AFC Wild Card game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 4, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 04: Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals watches the final seconds tick off the clock in the bengals loss to the Indianapolis Colts during their AFC Wild Card game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 4, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OH – JANUARY 09: Cincinnati Bengals fans react after the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Cincinnati Bengals with a score of 18 to 16 during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium on January 9, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – JANUARY 09: Cincinnati Bengals fans react after the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Cincinnati Bengals with a score of 18 to 16 during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium on January 9, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Cincinnati is undergoing the longest playoff-win drought in the NFL. Zac Taylor is going to have to end that streak, and soon.

It’s been 28 long years since the Cincinnati Bengals last playoff win, and with each year that passes, the city continues to become more and more pessimistic. Attendance numbers were the lowest they’ve been in years this past season with the Bengals ranking 31 out of 32 teams in the NFL, and it seems as if the fanbase is continuing to decline in size each season. However, with the firing of Marvin Lewis and the addition of promising young coach Zac Taylor, there are exciting times ahead for the Bengals and their fans. The question remains though, what does Taylor need to do to fully restore the faith of the fanbase? And a follow up to that would be, how much time should he be given to do so?

There’s no doubt that everyone involved with this organization is hungry for a playoff win, but it’s important that the fanbase is patient with the new coaching staff. It’s going to take some time for the players to adjust, and the front office needs to make some important personnel moves this offseason. With that being said, I don’t think anyone should expect the Bengals to win a playoff game next season. However, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to get one in the 2020 or 2021 seasons if they play their cards right. This roster is already extremely talented and fairly young,  and I believe they’re only a few additions away from being a dangerous team in the AFC.

Marvin Lewis was given 16 years to try to win a playoff game, but I don’t expect that to be the case with Zac Taylor. As a young guy with no previous head coaching experience, his leash will be much shorter and fans will be much quicker to demand change if things aren’t working out. With that being said, I’m giving Taylor and the coaching staff a three-year time frame to win a playoff game. This city is desperate for postseason success, and with FC Cincinnati and the Reds on the rise, the Bengals will quickly become an after-thought if they don’t win soon. It’s a very tall task for an inexperienced coach, but this fanbase won’t want to settle for anything less.

Want to read more on Cincinnati’s offseason? Be sure to check out all of our Bengals coverage on Stripe Hype!

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