Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor often presents a cool exterior, but in the wake of Sunday's 34-17 rout of the Atlanta Falcons, both he and the players seem to have a different energy. This group is carrying themselves with a little more collective swagger than usual.
That may sound arbitrary or sort of pseudo-analytical, but there's something to it. Taylor has a little more of that Joe Burrow-esque confidence.
Which is why in Taylor's latest press conference, when asked about what the trade deadline would look like, I found it so compelling that this is what he had to say:
"Nothing. That's a bunch for everyone to talk about, but we're good."
Taylor quickly defuses Bengals trade deadline hype...almost too quickly
Taylor so quickly brushed off any notion that a blockbuster deal could go down and I swear it almost sounded like he was giddy/about to burst into laughter. Like dude cut off the reporter's question before it could be spit out.
To invoke Tony Romo, "AAAA-EEEEE-IIIII DON'T KNOW, JIM!!"
ZAC. Come on man. You gotta give us more than that. I swear Duke Tobin is at least trying to cook something. Why else would noted Bengals insider Jordan Schultz report that the Bengals were among the suitors for Indianapolis Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor?
It's a fine balance to strike. The team is rolling on a four-game winning streak. Burrow is playing out of his freaking skull.
What's also true is that the Jacksonville Jaguars, who beat the Bengals in Week 4 in Cincy and are among the AFC's elite, just traded for ex-Bengal Jessie Bates and mammoth nose tackle Jordan Davis. It's all-in for the Jags in Duval.
It will be colossally disappointing if Taylor's words ring true
Remember when the Rams went all-in during the 2021 season and beat the Bengals in the Super Bowl? If Zac's terse statement proves out, and Cincinnati sits on the sidelines at the trade deadline, there's a very real possibility it'll cost us a Super Bowl.
Look up "Duke Tobin" on X/Twitter and you'll see many Bengals fans dismayed that Bates and Davis are headed to Jacksonville. And that Tobin hasn't done anything as of yet.
I get that the Bengals have gone against type in recent years to shell out big money to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. And this offseason they really went for it in free agency before trading for Dexter Lawrence to transform the defense.
But Sexy Dexy can only do so much. This team needs more help. Whether it's Taylor or another true difference-maker on defense, it'd just be nice to see the Bengals take a big swing.
Not that you want to be influenced by other teams' actions. I get why, if Taylor's being 100% truthful and not bluffing with these remarks, why he's so cocksure. He has Joe Freaking Burrow and can win any given day with him at the controls of the offense. I just question how sustainable the current winning formula is all the way through the playoffs.
Again, be it a legit RB1 or a new defensive starter, anything to prove Cincinnati is still all-in would go a long way with fans.
Here are my favorite targets by needy positions, ICYMI from the piece I linked to with Taylor earlier on.
- Running back: Jonathan Taylor (Colts), Tony Pollard (Titans), Keaton Mitchell (Chargers)
- Tight end: Juwan Johnson (Saints), Dallas Goedert (Eagles)
- Linebacker: Zack Baun (Eagles), Daiyan Henley (Chargers)
- Safety: Amani Hooker (Titans), Justin Reid (Saints)
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