Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals may have Joe Burrow performing at the peak of his powers, but that wasn't enough to avoid a heartbreaking 41-38 loss to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens at home. The season is looking grim, as Cincy is now 1-4 on the campaign and 0-3 at home in 2024.
Burrow may have gone 30-39 for five touchdowns, but some horrendous decisions from this Bengals team sunk their ship. Burrow was intercepted, Evan McPherson missed a field goal in overtime after the Ravens gave them possession of the ball, and Derrick Henry's clinching run to the six-yard line was a damning indictment of this defense.
As head coach of this team, Taylor was expected to fall on the sword. While he isn't the only person around this team who deserves to be raked over the coals, he will bear the brunt of it. His reaction, however, is sure to get people in Cincinnati angry when they hear it.
Taylor said he is "sick to his stomach" for a Bengals team that, by all rights, should have won that game if they closed it out properly. Instead, a Cincinnati team who came into 2024 with eyes on a Super Bowl will now have to reckon with the fact their season is almost over thanks, in part, to Taylor's management.
Zac: Sick to my stomach for the guys in there
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) October 6, 2024
Zac Taylor feels "sick" after Bengals choke at home vs. Ravens
While the Bengals' offense sputtered early in the season, Burrow has been on an insane heater in the last few games. Taylor's poor game management, including playing for a 50+ yard field goal from McPherson, helped give Baltimore a second chance they did not waste any time taking.
The defensive fall-off has been shocking. Just a year ago, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was in line for head coaching interviews. If he continues to perform like he did against teams like Washington and Baltimore, fans need to wonder if he will be back for another season.
Bengals fans can hold onto Burrow. As long as he is in place, the Bengals will have a solid foundation that will be attractive to other players and coaches. However, with taylor's miracle Super Bowl getting farther away every year, the quality and consistency most coaches have in their sixth season isn't there.
Taylor may feel sick to his stomach, but Bengals fans are on the fringes of some nasty discharges after watching a win against a division rival slip away thanks to mismanagement.