06-30-2021, 09:38 AM
(06-30-2021, 09:11 AM)TJ528 Wrote: Hmm lets see we as a fan base have lived through a coach who had 16 wins in 4 1/2 seasons named David Shula. I'm guessing we didn't wait long enough to fire him? How about the Bruce Coslet experiment where he quit on his own or i mean even Marvin Lewis, who spent 15 years as part of this organization as each parted ways. What coaches is the organization to short with the hook on? Taylor? Turner? Lou?
Lets call a spade a spade, when Taylor is fired it'll be because he's incompetent at his job. He's not going to get 4 years unless he gets 9-10 wins in 2021 and makes the playoffs. Mike Brown knows a turd when he sees one because he's hired a few.
I understand we all have different levels of patience or different ways we view things. I can only speak for myself when I say that I cannot logically connect dots between coaches hired 25+ and 18 years ago and the circumstances around their failures to Taylor's trajectory (or lack thereof). Just because Dave Shula sucked and was a horrific coach from the jump doesn't mean that Zac Taylor's struggles are the same or that he deserves a shorter leash. At least, not to me he doesn't.
BTW, I was done with Marvin after the 2007 season after watching him struggle to get better or progress with a team who was in their absolute prime. Marvin Lewis had peaked by the end of 2007 and we saw his issues with mental preparedness and fortitude by then (proceedural problems and dead ball penalties). Letting a dumpy Browns team compete with them, collapses late in the season when the games mattered to make the playoffs, massive in-game leads vanished, repeatedly having the same issues on the field (missed/poor tackling was an issue for many seasons), etc etc. These issues plagued Marvin throughout his tenure in Cincinnati over the next 10+ years. I have no problem calling a spade a spade. I just don't think Zac Taylor's been given the proper amount of time to grow into the position - which we all should have known was going to take time.
As far as Lou is concerned, I'm not sold nor soured on him. I think the Bengals roster was old and virtually horrible when Taylor and his staff took over. The window had been slammed shut on those guys. Marvin fired his DC and took over on D himself... and STILL had catastrophic results. Embarrassingly so. And you want to get on Lou's back? With THOSE players? Anyone thinking a coach was coming into Cincinnati and turning water into wine year 1 was delusional. And in year 2.... with COVID and no offseason? Again, what's a reasonable expectation there?
I am not trying to paint a rosy, perfect picture of the Bengals coaching staff. I definitely think Taylor's staff has massive room to improve. I am, however, trying to paint a reasonable one by asking the question: Is Taylor and this staff CAPABLE of improving and do the players want to play for him? I answer those two questions with a YES. I was as or more impressed with Zac Taylor's coaching stretch leading up to Burrow's injury than I was by anything Marvin Lewis did. No question Taylor has potential to grow.
As far as 2021 is concerned...
They have remade the roster to their liking. They DO need a few pieces to develop (which is their job to do), but there's enough of what these coaches have asked for on the roster for them to be successful NOW. So, to me, THIS year it's reasonable to ask for 8 wins as a minimum (the players are still quite young). It's reasonable THIS year to expect them to win close games. It's reasonable THIS year to expect road wins.... especially with the easier parts of their schedule being on the road.
I was fine burning 2 seasons while the roster was remade and Taylor got his feet wet. I expected it. But if they can't swim THIS season and start to sink again... that should be the end of it. I would be really interested in seeing what Darrin Simmons can do as a head coach. I think he deserves it on multiple levels if Taylor cannot get this right.
