The Zac Taylor era in Cincinnati may be reaching the end as his team was utterly embarrassed in being shut out by the Baltimore Ravens 24-0. Quarterback Joe Burrow played one of the worst games of his career, going 25/39 with 225 yards passing and two costly interceptions. He was never in a rhythm the entire game, and the offense looked disjointed from the jump. Ja’Marr Chase was his usual steady self, with 132 yards receiving and 10 more receptions for an average of 13.2 yards per. He joined Hall of Famer Randy Moss as the only players in NFL history with 6,500+ receiving yards and 50 touchdowns in their first five career seasons. Speaking of being their usual selves, the bad defense returned for the second week in a row as Lamar Jackson had plenty of time to work with just enough usage of Derrick Henry to hurt you. In Taylor’s tenure with the Bengals, this seemed to be the first time his players quit on him, and that’s usually a sign of the beginning of the end.
Zac Taylor’s Team Quit on Him Against the Baltimore Ravens
No Answers
Taylor and Burrow had no answers for the Ravens defense, led by Zach Orr, who called a fantastic game. It’s not easy to fool the Bengals’ signal caller and even harder to shut him out, which is a first in his career. This has been a common occurrence for Taylor as he’s often outcoached even when he has the full arsenal of offensive weapons.
Burrow always toes the company line in the media, but he gave an honest response when asked why the team hasn’t played complementary football this season. “Because we haven’t been a good football team. Bad football teams do losing things. If you’re wanting to compete for championships and be in the playoffs, then number one, your quarterback needs to play better than I did today.”
Glory Days
Taylor was hired in 2019, and he started rough at 2-14, which led to the selection of Burrow. The team would fare slightly better in year two, going 4-11-1 before huge success in 2021 and 2022, with the Bengals reaching the Super Bowl for the first time in over 30 years and backing it up the next season with an appearance in the AFC Championship Game. Since then, it’s been tough sledding, and 2025 will mark the third consecutive season in which the team has missed the playoffs.
What’s Next?
Taylor is signed through 2026, and it’s hard to guess what the Brown and Blackburn families are thinking. Yesterday was the type of game that dwidnles a season ticket base. It’s also damaging to the psyche of the locker room and, most importantly, Burrow, as the losing is affecting his mental well-being. Ownership has some huge decisions to make this offseason if they want to get back to the top of the division and the entire AFC. Let’s hope for all of Bengaldom that they choose wisely.
Main Photo: Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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