Latest Bengals buzz should have fans bracing for more of the same insanity

It feels so hacky to write in tired clichés, but that tends to happen when you cover an antiquated football operation such as the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hey reader, tell me if you've heard this one before: The definition of insanity is...?

You know the rest. What about this: "Patience is a..."

Let's change it up. A little more contemporary. Give the following phrase a Google: "I believe in the guys in this locker room Zac Taylor."

The Bengals head coach's press conferences are so repetitive that they're approaching self-parody.

Also repetitive, to the point of trends for this organization that are exhausting to dissect ad nauseam: Underwhelming results on the field. Joe Burrow getting injured. The defense failing a historically great quarterback. Players who either aren't up to snuff, or take so long to develop that by the time they've arrived, meaningful football has come and gone for that season.

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Mike Brown, the owner, is at the root of it all. And who can blame him for being a little, you know, old-fashioned. The man is old. Ninety years old to be precise. Yes-people surround him. His QB often masks many fundamental flaws that hold the team back from annual Super Bowl contention.

You'd think this was a breaking point. You'd think Burrow and Co. getting shut out 24-0 at home this past Sunday against the rival Ravens would be a catalyst for ever-begged-for, meaningful change. Never mind a third straight year of zero playoff football.

One of several famous lines from The Shawshank Redemption, shot in the great state of Ohio of all locations on the planet, is as follows: "Hope is a dangerous thing."

Thanks to Joe Burrow, Brown always has hope for his Bengals, regardless of all the self-sabotage he deploys at every turn to alienate and/or let down the most important player in the franchise's history.

As of today, according to the latest reporting from The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr., Bengals fans shouldn't expect any wholesale offseason changes. And what a shame that is.

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Insider report heavily implies Bengals are keen to run it back with Zac Taylor, Al Golden, Duke Tobin & the whole gang

Going to just rip the Band-Aid off here. Here's what Dehner's takeaways are on the Duke Tobin of it all, and whether his job status is in doubt (spoiler alert: Much to my chagrin):

"There are cracks in the foundation, absolutely. There’s no way around the results and outrage currently directed at Tobin by the fan base. He’s never seen his role challenged or exposed to this level externally. Internally, however, it’s just not happening. Tobin is viewed as family in nearly the same regard as the actual Browns and Blackburns. There is zero thought that his job is in jeopardy. He will have to lead the Bengals out of this drought, and ownership trusts him to do so."

Cool. Tobin will be in his post as the de facto GM in perpetuity. All the Bengals can do is expand their scouting/personnel departments and hope for the best.

As for Taylor, well, it turns out Brown is in deeper with his coach than previously realized:

"Firing Taylor still sounds very unlikely right now. There are a few key points surrounding Taylor’s status. For one, his contract will be a factor. Contrary to prior reports, Taylor actually has two years remaining on his contract after this season, not one. He signed a five-year extension following the Super Bowl season. Then, after reaching the AFC Championship Game in the 2022 season, he signed another five-year extension through the 2027 campaign."

I started questioning my reality when I read that bit. For sure Taylor only has one year remaining on his contract, right? So a break-up this offseason, with just 2026 remaining on the deal, would make it easier to move on?

Nope. Taylor is inked through 2027. Mike Brown ain't gonna pay for two head coaches at once if he has any say in the matter.

Meanwhile, at least in public, Burrow is giving the current regime his endorsement.

To Burrow, Cincinnati's woes present less as a "the people in power" problem than a "lack of organizational resources" issue.

Because of the Bengals' tendency to lean toward loyalty and continuity, despite the defense's historically atrocious performance this season, coordinator Al Golden is likely to get a second year, per Dehner's report. After all, this was Golden's first season in his post after Cincinnati parted with Lou Anarumo.

Is any of this a surprise? Not in the slightest.

I could waste more space complaining about it. At a certain point, it's healthier to surrender, save one's dignity, and live to fight another day.

Because guess what, Who Dey Nation? The psychological warfare the Bengals are waging on the fan base will not cease anytime soon.

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