Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor presto-changoed a Super Bowl-contending football team into a non-playoff also-ran in just 17 weeks.
Some think Zac Taylor wouldn't go that route because he could be on the hot seat next year. "Why would Taylor hire a guy that could eventually be his replacement?"That's a line that multiple people have used over the past few days.
Joe Burrow has made it clear he wants the big three to stay together. Now the Bengals need to see if they can make it work.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor sends a message to the rest of the NFL if his team makes the playoffs after their Week 18 win
In a strange coaching decision from Zac Taylor, Brown was instructed to go down without scoring a touchdown in order to burn clock late in regulation. Brown did so and got hurt, causing him to get replaced by Khalil Herbert for the rest of the game.
Sheldon Rankins' season is done after just seven games played and 18 tackles (one sack). Cincinnati can save $10.5 million against the salary cap by releasing him this offseason. Taylor was mostly mum on the injuries as they get one more day to recover compared to last week.
The Cincinnati Bengals made several coaching shakeups following their second straight season with no playoffs, including the firing of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
Historic seasons from Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Trey Hendrickson aren’t enough to get Cincinnati into the playoffs.
Alas, the decision has prompted fan theories that the Chiefs intentionally threw their game against the Broncos in order to avoid facing the Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor fanned the flames of those theories Saturday night after Cincinnati beat Pittsburgh to remain playoff eligible.
Denver sealed Cincinnati's fate, and HBO’s "Hard Knocks," which followed the AFC North teams this season, captured some of the Bengals’ players and head coach Zac Taylor's immediate reactions as they watched it all unfold.
As Appealing as They Could Possibly Be' - Zac Taylor Expects Cincinnati Bengals' Vacancies to Command Top Coaches