The Cincinnati Bengals have put last Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets behind them and are focused on Week 9’s AFC North matchup against the Cleveland Browns. If Cincinnati wins, Zac Taylor and the Bengals will be 3-0 in the division.
Cleveland has lost three of its last four games and is coming off a division loss to Pittsburgh, while the Bengals are hoping to have a rebound game of their own. The beauty of the situation is that Cincinnati can put last Sunday’s outing to bed with a win over the Browns.
There are only four days left until the two teams clash at Paul Brown Stadium. Taylor spoke with the media on Wednesday and seemed to be in a good mood.
Here are the main takeaways from Taylor’s press conference.
Hear from Zac Taylor as the Bengals prepare to host the Cleveland Browns. https://t.co/xXqQjrYPJY
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 3, 2021
Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor speaks to the media
Taylor’s focus has shifted to the Bengals taking down the lone division rival that they’ve yet to line up across from this year. Cincinnati is currently in second place in the AFC North rankings behind Baltimore, so a win on Sunday would be huge.
But, Taylor knows that it’s not going to come easy:
"“This is going to be a tough one on Sunday. These guys are good. They got us a couple of times last year, they went to the playoffs last year. We’re going to be ready for their best shot, so we’re going to have to play well.”"
Taylor acknowledged Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, who he believes has put Cleveland in a “good position.” Taylor knows that the Browns have a good defense and believes that overall Cleveland has played solid games. Myles Garrett is the face of the Browns’ defense, and Taylor hasn’t forgotten about the two sack fumbles that he recorded last season against the Bengals.
Is Taylor thinking about how Cincinnati has a chance to be undefeated in the division with a win? Not exactly.
"“This one’s a really important one. To be 3-0 in the division, to have taken a game from each team that we’ve played when we had the opportunity puts us in a really good spot. Winning on Sunday is our focus and being 3-0 in the division is a byproduct of that.”"
Aside from the rivalry, Taylor had some promising news. He said that offensive lineman Jackson Carman is on track to play in Sunday’s game after he suffered an injury scare last weekend. If the Bengals hope to contain Garrett, they’ll need all of their weapons to be healthy.
After unraveling late in last Sunday’s game, Cincinnati is still confident in its approach. The Bengals aren’t in the midst of an identity crisis and practice this week has been relatively normal. Taylor said that the coaches are “going to keep stressing the details.”
The details are important, after all, and are what will propel Cincinnati to a 6-3 record.