Zac Taylor

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(01-12-2024, 06:17 PM)Bengalbug Wrote: How could you say they got “worse” with the injuries?  

Pete Carrol and Russel Wilson is the best comp.  Allen has never been to a SB.  Jalen hurts has regressed this year, so unless you think they are somehow better, while being “worse”…  Andrew luck and pagono never got to a Super Bowl.

Most of those examples you listed would be a better comp to Josh Allen/bills.  In addition to this, the bengals (prior to ZT) had refused to do some of the stuff (dome, ring of honor, etc) that are beyond the football field.  Call it cheap or something else, but the reality is Zac has taken a team that hadn’t won a playoff game in 30 years to a super relevant franchise year in and year out.  And yes, much of that is due to burrow.  Sirianni inherited a, not to long ago, Super Bowl roster.  You can’t say the same for Zac.

Because if you miss the playoffs and finish last in the division, that's worse than making the playoffs and winning the division. Overall they were one of the healthiest teams in the NFL yet even if you ignore the offense, their defense became an absolute shitshow and somehow their punting went from bad to atrocious.

- - - - - - - -

Allen has never been to a SB, but he's been to an AFC Championship, he's 63-30, has 5 straight double digit win seasons, 5 straight playoff seasons, and 4 straight division titles. He's also thrown 17 TD to 4 INT in the postseason so it's not like he's been a schmuck there.

Jalen Hurts has literally been dealing with injury all season and yet your first line is how can you say they got worse with the injuries. Lol.. 34-17 record, went to and lost a Super Bowl same as us, finished higher in MVP vote than Burrow, higher in OPOY vote, and was 2nd Team All-Pro over Burrow (though I personally think Burrow should have gotten it). Siriani won Coach of the Year. As a side note to the SB roster bit, that SB was in 2017 and the Eagles went back in 2022. That's a long time in the NFL and a lot of roster churn. Only 3 of the 22 guys started both of those games for the Eagles. Think about who was still on the Bengals roster from like Week 1 2016 to our SB appearance in 2021 (just 1 starter, CJ Uzomah).

Andrew Luck started his career with 3 straight 11 win seasons, winning their division twice and went to an AFC Championship. No SB, but no losing season to start his career either. It's not exact, but comparable.  Luck's first 4 years: 35-20, 3 winning seasons.  Pagano also won Coach of the Year.

You didn't even mention Pederson and Wentz or McVay and Goff, or Shanahan and Jimmy G... all three also went to SBs, with Pederson winning one.

- - - - - - -

Zac has done good things, I think a couple of the franchise things you mentioned are indeed him bringing some much needed changes, but also I think a couple are just coinciding with Mike Brown handing over more control of the team. All the talk about Zac making them a "relevant franchise" is literally word-for-word what people said about Marvin Lewis. Heck, someone just like a day or two ago on here defended Marvin for "turning the franchise around". Not saying that Zac is Marvin, so don't get it twisted. I am just saying that those exact words have been said before and it carried us through a whole window where the team was talented enough to win a SB but didn't and then that window closed, so you can't let them blind you.

My whole point was just because playoff wins were new to most of our fans (and they sure are a lot of fun!), doesn't mean what has happened is as unprecedented as you were trying to make it sound. Since 2010 there's been at least 7 other instances even with the fairly strict criteria of inexperienced HCs and inexperienced QBs teaming up and having quite a bit of success.

I've been on record for a couple years now that I think Zac is a good HC. I just don't think he's a great one and I wish he would give up playcalling duties to focus on trying to be a great HC. I only have the Bill Belichick picture in my signature because Bill is the greatest HC of all time and I never thought that the greatest HC of all time would be just out there and available to hire. People say he only won 6 SBs as a HC because of Brady? That's fine with me, we have a Burrow, so lets win 6 because of Burrow. Lol.