Bengals' Jake Browning credits Zac Taylor’s calm as Jags' Liam Coen goes nuclear

The Cincinnati Bengals pulled off a miraculous comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-27. What fueled the victory was a delusional Jake Browning.

While everyone is praising Browning for his exploits, the former Washington Husky praised Zac Taylor for his demeanor and coaching style. And while he definitely did not mean to, Browning put Jacksonville’s new coach, Liam Coen, on blast. 

Two different coaching styles walked into the Jungle on Sunday, but Taylor’s demeanor won the day and won over the now-starting Bengals QB, Browning.

Liam Coen's 'passion' caught in 4K vs. Bengals

Late in the fourth quarter, cameras caught Coen yelling and gesturing at Trevor Lawrence after an incompletion. Lawrence responded in kind.

When this moment happened, the Jaguars were winning 27-24 with an opportunity to increase the lead. The Bengals' defense held up, forcing a decision to either kick the field goal or put the game away with a touchdown. Jacksonville decided to go for it, but 'it' did not go for Jacksonville. 

In the postgame press conference Coen replied to a question about their disagreement.

“That was just one throw, I was pissed. You know, it is what it is. That’s emotion. It’s not personal, ever. You know, it’s just kind of me getting worked up.”

Coen went on to talk about Trevor Lawrence's sideline demeanor.

“I was very pleased with his competitive nature, the way he stayed calm on the sideline. He doesn’t get…he’s pretty even keel, which is good for me. I need that.”

Lawrence also answered a question about his in-game relationship with Coen.

"Coach is really passionate, which is something I’ve noticed since he’s been here. We’ll get fired up… There are times I’m not always that way. I’m a little bit more like this [gestures flat, even], but he’s brought a little bit more of that out of me, which I think has been good for our offense."

Not being in Lawrence’s head makes it impossible to know if Coen’s outburst had any effect on his or the offense’s mindset. But after listening to Browning, it is hard to imagine that it did not play a role. 

It is doubtful that Coen’s outburst led to a Brian Thomas dropped touchdown pass. His actions probably did not put any more pressure on the defense, leading to a 92-yard game-winning touchdown drive orchestrated by Browning. 

People will make what they will of the Coen-Lawrence dynamic. But it is likely there is much to do about nothing. 

Coen earned a Villain of the Week nod from FanSided's own Adam Patrick for his display on Sunday. Still a bit of a head coaching learning curve for the Jags' offensive mastermind.

Zac Taylor’s calm coaching fits Bengals QB Jake Browning perfectly

On the other end of the screaming coaches spectrum is Zac Taylor. 

It is clear that Browning responds better to Coach Taylor’s style and appreciates not having a head coach who yells at him during high-leverage situations. Browning says Zac Taylor’s calm allows him to play calmly even after throwing three interceptions. 

During his press conference, Browning told reporters: 

“I think Zac is the most steady… I mean, I came off the field after having thrown my third pick, and it was just like ‘alright, here we go.’ And I think it’s kind of nice… Beating the Jaguars is hard enough. With a coach yelling at you after you threw your third pick would make it even harder. A lot of credit to him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him lose his cool, ever. And so it makes it really easy to get thrown into a hard situation when you know that he’s got my back and he’s going to stay steady.”

That is effusive praise from Browning towards Taylor. And kudos to Coach Taylor for knowing what Browning needed and did not need in the moment. 

Following Browning’s logic, he might not have been able to drive the team 92 yards for a game-winning touchdown if Coen were his coach. So while the Bengals are lucky to have Browning as their backup quarterback, he is fortunate to have Taylor in his headset at the end of the game. 

An underappreciated aspect of coaching is knowing that you can’t coach or treat every player the same. Some players want to see their coach with an in-your-face style of coaching. Others prefer a calm and steady approach. Browning is the latter. 

Now with Browning as the starter for what could turn out to be the rest of the season, hopefully, Taylor can find the right sweet nothings to whisper into Browning’s ear that will prevent his new starting QB from throwing any more interceptions the rest of the season. 

But even if Browning does make mistakes, he knows his head coach has his back. 

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