It always cracked me up when outsiders or other NFL-affiliated ignoramuses blamed Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor for the team's recent woes. As if their failure to make the playoffs the last three years fell on him.
Do I believe the Bengals could hunt down a bigger-name coach for Joe Burrow? Yes. Is that their typical M.O.? Absolutely not. But don't get it twisted: I've defended Taylor at every single turn. And the 20-6 Week 2 win over the Houston Texans was sweet vindication for him.
Like, how do you keep the offense rolling as well as it did in 2023 with Jake Browning under center? How do you get Joe Flacco ready enough to, like Browning, replace an injured Burrow and have him clearing 30, 40 points after one frenzied start to acclimate from an in-season trade?
Answer to those questions: If you're a damn good head football coach.
Zac Taylor Hot Seat Meter after Week 2: ICE-COLD — 1/10
Yeah. Zac Taylor's seat isn't hot. The Bengals are notorious for loyalty to their head coaches. The entire rest of the AFC North cleaned house this offseason coaching staff-wise. Not Cincinnati. Taylor even stuck by maligned defensive coordinator Al Golden, knowing he didn't have the personnel to really cook.
Now look at how things are going. This feels way different than last year's ugly 2-0 start. The Bengals are a complete football team. Anyone with eyeballs and an ounce of ball knowledge can attest. Taylor has the troops ready to roll. They've come out firing. It's awesome.
Cincinnati's defense reinforces the notion that Taylor has never been the problem
Does Zac Taylor's unimaginative scheme in the running game irk me at times? For sure. And I just feel like he's not the most creative dude. He's solid, not spectacular, at clock and game management. Hard to be really critical of him when he still had the team very competitive the past few seasons despite how horrid the defense was.
All this to say, Taylor is not the weak link in Cincinnati. In fact, Burrow and the star players have had his back whenever they get the chance. They understand the organization's limitations.
Now that the front office and ownership finally didn't put a cap on their ambitions to improve the defense this offseason, look what the early returns are. Massive. And Taylor is reaping the benefits.
Look at how smiley this friggin' guy was before that performance they gave on Sunday. Does this look like a man worried about his job security? I don't think Zac Taylor consumes edibles before kickoff, but if he did, this is probably what he'd look and sound like. He knew Houston was in for a world of hurt on Sunday, and couldn't wait to inflict the Bengals' wrath upon his opponent.
"He feels good, he is ready to go."
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 20, 2026
Zac Taylor told our @Melanie_Collins there will be no limitations on Joe Burrow today.#NFLTplus pic.twitter.com/AVLenfbsaI
The Texans' defensive front, spearheaded by Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, gave the Bengals all they could handle. Burrow got sacked thrice in the first half, all due to left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.'s ineptitude.
Didn't really matter. Burrow found his groove, connected with Ja'Marr Chase on two spectacular touchdowns, and all was right in Bengalsdom. The Dexter Lawrence-led defense took care of the rest.
...And yes, Zac Taylor was vindicated.
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