(07-18-2024, 03:24 AM)psychdoctor Wrote: I think if the Browns do not win a playoff game this year that Stefanski will be fired.  

You may be right on that. With all of the resources invested in Watson, it could definitely cost him his job if he doesn't.

With the toughest schedule in the last 24 + years of football. pic.twitter.com/BG00KNjQBY

— ZIM (@zimwhodey) July 18, 2024

last year the Bengals played the NFL's #1 toughest schedule:

played 11 games v playoff teams

most in NFL since at least 2000

(4-7 vs playoff teams but 5-1 vs non-playoff teams)

played 14 games v teams > .500

tied for most since at least 2000

this year?

#6 easiest schedule… pic.twitter.com/b3HJIG6c3p

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 15, 2024

It's going to be interesting to see how Zac rates next year with a Lombardi on the resume.

Been a Zac supporter since day one, and I am so happy he proved deserving of my faith in him

(07-17-2024, 02:17 PM)Wyche Wrote: Thanks, and I feel the same after seeing the team hang tough without Burrow. 


Agreed, Browning was such a an unknown, and they kept the team in the hunt and finished above .500. I've always supported Taylor more than most on here, no doubt. However, I was on board with the make or break year, and I had doubts myself about how well the team would do without Joe. While Joe puts the team over the top (shocker), they showed they could still be a tough out without him. Hell, with a QB that had never taken a snap in a regular season NFL game if memory serves.

YW brother. Browning was just better than the other guys, and just barely better. Never expected him to play as good as he did in Zac's
system against starters and NFL caliber playoff teams to boot. Shown me a lot that Zac could up Browning's game to such a level as we 
know a bad HC/OC can hurt a great QB, let alone a QB that has never started in the NFL.

(07-17-2024, 03:49 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Yep, the ledge jumpers were in full panic attack when Browning forced into action.

I was off the ledge lol

I thought we might win 1 game after we lost Burrow. Zac and Browning really impressed me.

(07-17-2024, 04:45 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: LaFleur gets beyond too much love (no pun intended) around the league, for inheriting a top 5 QB all-time and solid pieces in place on the rest of the team, then, doing nothing with that for the past 2 years, with Love coming up big in a handful of games last year.

The guy hasn't built anything: on the contrary, he couldn't keep a good thing going.

McDermott is a better Marvin, IMO, I feel they'll never win anything so long as he is the coach.

Ryans is completely unproven: if he does last year for 2 more years, then he's legit, otherwise it was a one year fluke (I may be the only person in the world who thinks Stroud played miles over his head last year, but he played miles over his head last year lol).

But the most egregious? WTF is Sean Payton doing there? This isn't 2010.

Zac and Dan Campbell should be on here, as both have built a team from the ground up, solidifying their status and having results to prove it, with Campbell being 2 years behind where we are.

Damn rights on Dan Campbell. That guy is a great HC in my opinion. I would put him top 5 and Zac is right there with him.

(07-17-2024, 02:12 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: I think Taylor cemented the quality of coach he is with keeping the team competitive for an extended period without Burrow and a no name backup.. easily deserves top ten

I mean they went 4-4 without Burrow (including the Ravens game). This includes the last game of the year where they blew out the Browns who were playing no one and getting absolutely throttled by the Steeler's. 

I'm not sure you can use that sample size to prove a point that he's a "top 10 head coach without Burrow". 

Again, I think ZT is a great head coach when it comes to the locker room, culture, and something being "built", but I absolutely think he benefits from having the best processing QB in the league behind center to cover up some of his deficiencies as an offensive mind/decision maker.

He has 100% grown each year, though. He is knocking on top 10 or is there.

I don't think we need to put too much stock in ranking from Nick Wright.

(07-18-2024, 02:03 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I mean they went 4-4 without Burrow (including the Ravens game). This includes the last game of the year where they blew out the Browns who were playing no one and getting absolutely throttled by the Steeler's. 

I'm not sure you can use that sample size to prove a point that he's a "top 10 head coach without Burrow". 

Again, I think ZT is a great head coach when it comes to the locker room, culture, and something being "built", but I absolutely think he benefits from having the best processing QB in the league behind center to cover up some of his deficiencies as an offensive mind/decision maker.

He has 100% grown each year, though. He is knocking on top 10 or is there.

Very fair post Weezy. As I have said for years, the good part about Zac Taylor is he is young and can still learn, I agree that he has grown each year.

(07-18-2024, 01:20 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: YW brother. Browning was just better than the other guys, and just barely better. Never expected him to play as good as he did in Zac's
system against starters and NFL caliber playoff teams to boot. Shown me a lot that Zac could up Browning's game to such a level as we 
know a bad HC/OC can hurt a great QB, let alone a QB that has never started in the NFL.


I was off the ledge lol

I thought we might win 1 game after we lost Burrow. Zac and Browning really impressed me.


Damn rights on Dan Campbell. That guy is a great HC in my opinion. I would put him top 5 and Zac is right there with him.

Funny Jerry Philbin gets canned as Dolphins coach early season and Dan Campbell replaces him as interim. He names Zac OC. They do decent to finish the season but get let go.

Teams with the most Top 10 players according to NFL Execs, coaches and scouts: #49ers: 9#Lions 7#Chiefs 7#Ravens 7#Eagles 6#Texans 6#Browns 6#Packers 5https://t.co/tFivCRb8K1

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 18, 2024

(07-18-2024, 02:03 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I mean they went 4-4 without Burrow (including the Ravens game). This includes the last game of the year where they blew out the Browns who were playing no one and getting absolutely throttled by the Steeler's. 

I'm not sure you can use that sample size to prove a point that he's a "top 10 head coach without Burrow". 

Again, I think ZT is a great head coach when it comes to the locker room, culture, and something being "built", but I absolutely think he benefits from having the best processing QB in the league behind center to cover up some of his deficiencies as an offensive mind/decision maker.

He has 100% grown each year, though. He is knocking on top 10 or is there.

Why would you include the Raven's game when asserting how Zac did without Joe? It wouldn't be to show Zac didn't have a winning record without Joe last year, would it? 

Joe started the Ravens game and we were losing when he went out.

(07-18-2024, 02:03 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I mean they went 4-4 without Burrow (including the Ravens game). This includes the last game of the year where they blew out the Browns who were playing no one and getting absolutely throttled by the Steeler's. 

I'm not sure you can use that sample size to prove a point that he's a "top 10 head coach without Burrow". 

Again, I think ZT is a great head coach when it comes to the locker room, culture, and something being "built", but I absolutely think he benefits from having the best processing QB in the league behind center to cover up some of his deficiencies as an offensive mind/decision maker.

He has 100% grown each year, though. He is knocking on top 10 or is there.

Kinda missing the point....they did that with a practice squad quarterback that had never taken a snap. Minnesota gave up on him. It's not like Joe Flacco or a late career Boomer Esiason were coming off the bench. That with a 30th ranked defense to boot.

(07-19-2024, 12:31 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Why would you include the Raven's game when asserting how Zac did without Joe? It wouldn't be to show Zac didn't have a winning record without Joe last year, would it? 

Joe started the Ravens game and we were losing when he went out.

Take out the Ravens game, but also take out the Browns game since they didn’t play any starters. It’s still 3-3. And 0-3 vs playoff teams.

To be clear, I think Zac is a good coach, and at the very least should be in the conversation for top 10. But not because he beat 3 non-playoff teams without Burrow last season.

(07-17-2024, 10:05 PM)dxdtdemon Wrote: Taylor has three last place finishes in five seasons of coaching. Why would he belong in the top ten coaches?

This can’t be a real post

(07-19-2024, 12:31 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Why would you include the Raven's game when asserting how Zac did without Joe? It wouldn't be to show Zac didn't have a winning record without Joe last year, would it? 

Joe started the Ravens game and we were losing when he went out.

I thought on the TD pass to Mixon where Burrow got hurt we took the lead on the Ravens?

(07-19-2024, 02:14 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Take out the Ravens game, but also take out the Browns game since they didn’t play any starters. It’s still 3-3. And 0-3 vs playoff teams.

To be clear, I think Zac is a good coach, and at the very least should be in the conversation for top 10. But not because he beat 3 non-playoff teams without Burrow last season.

The Jags were 8-3 when Browning beat them, sure, they collapsed after the loss to us but they were a very good team when we beat them.

(07-18-2024, 04:03 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Funny Jerry Philbin gets canned as Dolphins coach early season and Dan Campbell replaces him as interim. He names Zac OC. They do decent to finish the season but get let go.

That is interesting alright.

(07-19-2024, 04:31 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I thought on the TD pass to Mixon where Burrow got hurt we took the lead on the Ravens?

It did but Balt drove down and took back the lead on the next series. When Browning came in we were losing. 

(07-19-2024, 02:14 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Take out the Ravens game, but also take out the Browns game since they didn’t play any starters. It’s still 3-3. And 0-3 vs playoff teams.

To be clear, I think Zac is a good coach, and at the very least should be in the conversation for top 10. But not because he beat 3 non-playoff teams without Burrow last season.

Yeah, but you cannot take out a game Browning didn't start and came in cold when we were behind and also take out a game in which he started and assert you're going apples to apples. 

I don't need anyone to tell me Zac Taylor is a good coach and I also don't need anyone to tell Browning's record last year was anything other than 4-3. 

(07-19-2024, 07:28 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Yeah, but you cannot take out a game Browning didn't start and came in cold when we were behind and also take out a game in which he started and assert you're going apples to apples. 

I don't need anyone to tell me Zac Taylor is a good coach and I also don't need anyone to tell Browning's record last year was anything other than 4-3. 

Hang your hat on that record if you want. Me, I like context. And the fact is Zac beat the likes of Nick Mullens, Gardner Minshew, and Jeff Driskel for 3 of those 4 wins.