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Bengals: Taylor’s comments on wide receivers latest in a season of missteps

By Steve Rivera

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 8: Head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals argues a call with an official during the third quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 8, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland defeated Cincinnati 27-19. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 8: Head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals argues a call with an official during the third quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 8, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland defeated Cincinnati 27-19. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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Zac Taylor continues to struggle as a head coach, and the Bengals are paying the price. His most recent comments after a 34-13 loss to New England is the latest in a season of missteps.

Defend Zac Taylor if you want, but he continues to show he wasn’t and is still not ready to be a head coach in the NFL. His latest Ill-timed comments about his receivers in Sunday’s 34-13 loss to the New England Patriots is yet another example of a coach in over his head. In his post-game presser, his shots at Bengals receivers won’t help him with a team he’s guided to a 1-13 record.

"“Yeah, Andy had four picks. Three of them were against man-to-man coverage, one-on-ones. We got bullied… we did.”"

From there, his comments were in an effort to protect and defend his veteran quarterback. Andy Dalton, who was particularly miserable in Week 15, had four interceptions, including a pick-6. Dalton had a forgettable game in a forgettable season, finishing 17 of 31, for 151 yards, four turnovers, and one interception.

This is, by and large, what fans in Cincinnati have come to expect, or probably should, from a head coach who still isn’t ready for prime-time. From suspect to simply bad play-calling, Taylor continues to exhibit a pattern that should give fans pause. I mean, he still peddled the idea A.J. Green was going to play in 2019 as recently as a week ago.

Don’t get me wrong-I fully expect Taylor to be the head coach in 2020. The Bengals don’t have a positive record with personnel and are not willing to pay for the kind of head coach who actually makes a difference. In a lot of ways, Taylor is convenient for a team mired in mediocrity. The idea he sets a standard, even for the most casual of fans, that he’s the guy to turn it around, is fanciful at best.

Next. Bengals: Wide receiver a sneaky need in 2020 NFL Draft. dark

If the Bengals draft Joe Burrow, hope that the organization insists on anyone other than Taylor to shepherd the rookie in his first season. If not, expect the same kind of failings the first-year head coach has saddled his veteran quarterback with.

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