The Cincinnati Bengals looked terrible in Week 7 to the point where Zac Taylor would've been justified to lose his job at halftime. However, Joe Burrow and the offense had their coach's back and came out firing with a 35-0 second half to pummel the Baltimore Ravens on the road.
It seems like every time we're all about to be out on Zac, he pulls us right back in. And to be honest, I've seldom blamed Taylor for any struggles the Bengals have had in recent years. he's held up his end of the bargain to keep the offense rolling. Thankfully, he now has a defense to match at least well enough to keep Cincinnati in contention for the AFC North crown.
So what is Taylor's hot seat alert like entering Week 8 against the Tennessee Titans? Well, it's cooled off considerably.
Zac Taylor Hot Seat Meter after Week 7: JOE BRRR CHILI — 3/10
Couldn't resist a Skyline reference. Burrow doesn't particularly like Cincinnati's famous chili, sorry to those who that offends. Don't hurt the messenger. I would further elaborate on the chili pun/allusion but let's just keep the main thing the main thing.
Zac Taylor may not know how to generate a run game. That remains a concern. It's also alarming that the Bengals were shut out for two quarters in Week 7.
I can't say that Taylor is totally off the hook, ya know? But at least for now, his outlook is quite promising. The 1-6 Titans visit Paycor Stadium this coming Sunday, and if the offense looks anything like it did in Baltimore, Taylor will have zero questions to answer about his job security.
That said, this is the exact type of classic letdown/trap game spot that could derail all the momentum the Bengals have built around the bye.
Since I've been doing these weekly hot seat meters, this marks Taylor's lowest alert score since Week 2's dominant display in Houston, when he was just a 1 out of 10 to lose his job. I'm not ready to say he's a lock to finish out his contract through 2027, but Taylor sure is trending that way.
You can't help but be impressed with Taylor's poise. The man doesn't flinch. He didn't when Burrow got seriously hurt in two of the last three seasons. He didn't when the defense totally let him down. And he didn't in Week 7 when, if you saw X/Twitter, Who Dey Nation was ready to fire Taylor, Al Golden's third-and-long defense, and the rest of the organization into the sun.
How quickly things can change in the NFL, eh? In a matter of 30 minutes of game time on the field!
Add us as a preferred source on Google