05-22-2020, 12:53 PM
I disagree about him being under pressure.
I think the fanbase is looking for something to hang their hopes on so all he needs to do this year is not extinguish hope for the future. Have Burrow show enough for people to still believe he'll be a future star. He's re-set the bar so low that almost anything will be an improvement so the narrative will be the improving Bengals. A marquee victory (Steelers and/or on prime-time?) and some hard-luck losses would probably still suffice in a 5 or 6 win season if Burrow is looking the part by the end of the season.
It's then next year that Taylor is in the hot seat (assuming he doesn't somehow make the play-offs this year). By about week 10 of the 2021 season we should know if Zac is the man or is still out of his depth. That may sound generous but this was never a short-term appointment. By appointing a rookie Head Coach who hadn't even been a Coordinator this was always going to be a long term bet. That rebuild is still a year off being finished - unless you believe in this O-line - which takes us into year 3 of the Zac Taylor era. That also gives him another off-season to change-up his coaching staff - working with Joe Burrow should be enough of a lure to attract a high calibre OC candidate to call plays next year.
Then add in the major variable this year of coronavirus. We may not get a full schedule - in which case I'm assuming for this exercise we'll proportionally reduce expected win totals - but the bigger issue for Coach Taylor will be how much time will he actually get to spend with his draft picks and free agency signings? Will they have OTAs? Will training camp be concertinaed and pre-season cut? Has he actually met Joe Burrow in person yet? It's likely to be something all coaches have to adapt to but with but rebuilding teams are at a major disadvantage compared to established teams when practice time is curtailed.
I think the fanbase is looking for something to hang their hopes on so all he needs to do this year is not extinguish hope for the future. Have Burrow show enough for people to still believe he'll be a future star. He's re-set the bar so low that almost anything will be an improvement so the narrative will be the improving Bengals. A marquee victory (Steelers and/or on prime-time?) and some hard-luck losses would probably still suffice in a 5 or 6 win season if Burrow is looking the part by the end of the season.
It's then next year that Taylor is in the hot seat (assuming he doesn't somehow make the play-offs this year). By about week 10 of the 2021 season we should know if Zac is the man or is still out of his depth. That may sound generous but this was never a short-term appointment. By appointing a rookie Head Coach who hadn't even been a Coordinator this was always going to be a long term bet. That rebuild is still a year off being finished - unless you believe in this O-line - which takes us into year 3 of the Zac Taylor era. That also gives him another off-season to change-up his coaching staff - working with Joe Burrow should be enough of a lure to attract a high calibre OC candidate to call plays next year.
Then add in the major variable this year of coronavirus. We may not get a full schedule - in which case I'm assuming for this exercise we'll proportionally reduce expected win totals - but the bigger issue for Coach Taylor will be how much time will he actually get to spend with his draft picks and free agency signings? Will they have OTAs? Will training camp be concertinaed and pre-season cut? Has he actually met Joe Burrow in person yet? It's likely to be something all coaches have to adapt to but with but rebuilding teams are at a major disadvantage compared to established teams when practice time is curtailed.
