Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor heads into year seven leading the orange and black. He’s been through many trials and tribulations in bringing his team to places they’ve haven’t been in over thirty years. The arrival of Joe Burrow has been a boon for Taylor, and the two have a great relationship that has certainly caught the eye of ownership. Burrow has consistently gone to bat for his coach, even with the backdrop of all the frustrations from the defense last season. Taylor has also noted his appreciation for the Brown and Blackburn families for being patient with him early in his career. This paid dividends as the franchise went to Super Bowl LVI and followed it up the next season, making it to the AFC Championship Game. The seat for Taylor is likely lukewarm after his predecessor, Marvin Lewis, lasted 16 years with no playoff victories. With this being said, it’s time for Taylor to get the Bengals back to prominence. Let’s examine closer.
Cincinnati Bengals Beat: Zac Taylor’s Time Is Now
Rocky Road
Taylor started his tenure with Cincinnati in 2019 after serving as quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Rams under the tutelage of Sean McVay. He also spent several seasons with the Miami Dolphins in multiple offensive positions, followed by a brief stint at the University of Cincinnati as the offensive coordinator.
The first season for Taylor at the helm of the Bengals was rough, to say the least, and the cupboard was mostly bare from a talent perspective on the roster he inherited. He did have Andy Dalton, AJ Green, and Tyler Boyd, but the defense was a mess. It was evident that Taylor and the team needed some time to acclimate to a new head coach and philosophy as they finished with the worst record in the league at 2-14, which led to the selection of Burrow.
Heaven Sent
The arrival of Burrow was a game-changer for the Bengals and Taylor both professionally and culturally. Burrow, much like Taylor, struggled at times in his rookie season, but the glimpses of greatness were evident until his season was lost with an ACL tear in his left knee in Week 11 against the Washington Commanders. Burrow and his coach would bounce back in 2021 and 2022, and just when you thought the Bengals were going to win the AFC North again in 2023, another injury derailed Burrow’s season. Taylor did a very respectable job in getting the team to finish 9-8 in 2023, and 2024 saw Burrow’s best throwing for an NFL-leading 4,918 passing yards with 49 touchdowns and nine interceptions. This was all for naught, as the Bengals missed the playoffs again, and it’s go time in 2025 for Taylor and his men in stripes.
Stand and Deliver
The pressure in the NFL is some of the highest in all of professional sports. It’s why coaches work as hard as they do, with extremely long hours away from their families. Although the ownership group in Cincinnati might be the most tolerant in the league, that doesn’t mean they will be thrilled if they miss the playoffs three years in a row with a QB the caliber of Burrow. Taylor must start fast from Week 1 and keep the pedal to the metal, hopefully with a divisional title and more in hand. The time to win big again is now, and the clock is ticking.
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