With eight games in the books and the Cincinnati Bengals on their bye week, now is a good time to take stock of things and see what the world has learned about the team to this point.
The Bengals are winless. Still, saying this or any other team stinks and nothing more is oversimplification at its finest. Here are three big takeaways about this year’s Bengals so far.
Zac Taylor wasn’t ready to be an NFL head coach
More than anything, this is what defines the season for the Bengals this year. It is easy to understand the hire. With the way Sean McVay’s Rams took the league by storm, why not hire one of his top offensive assistants? Also, Taylor wasn’t an internal hire, which many fans were afraid of.
But the 36 year old is clearly in over his head. He got the job because of his offensive expertise. Yet, the Bengals have scored 20+ points just twice this year. Yes, the roster is full of holes and the ownership situation is not ideal. Still, it isn’t impossible to have at least relative success in Cincinnati. Marvin Lewis won six games last year with mostly the same players Taylor has now. Lewis also got the franchise to the playoffs seven times.
Every NFL head coach has circumstances that make their job more difficult. Excuses need to stop being made for Taylor. The only good news for him is that Cincinnati’s history suggests that Taylor will be given time to grow into the role, but you never know.
Andy Dalton’s days in stripes are numbered
At 0-8, the Bengals will almost certainly be in prime position to draft a top college quarterback prospect in 2020. The one thing that may change that is if rookie Ryan Finley does better than expected in his eight game audition as the starter.
Neither scenario includes recently benched veteran signal caller Andy Dalton. Dalton is a fine quarterback, but he isn’t talented enough to makeup for the holes on the rest of the roster the way guys like Patrick Mahomes and Russell Wilson do.
The Bengals need that type of player, as hard as they are to find. Regardless, that process starts with Finley and/or a top incoming rookie. Either way, moving on is what is best for Dalton and the Bengals.
Auden Tate has put it all together
It was hard to find a bright spot for the Bengals, but Auden Tate will do. You don’t have to watch Tate for very long to figure out he is a unique blend of size and speed. That blend has translated into production in his second year. Tate is second on the team in catches with 27, and yards per catch with 14.5.
With something seemingly always holding John Ross back and A.J. Green injured and soon to be a free agent, it may be Tate who is the future of the wide receiver position in Cincinnati.