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Bengals: Are you wondering what I'm wondering? What is going on?
posted by Lance McAlister - Feb 14, 2019
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Bengals: Are you wondering what I'm wondering? What is going on?
You can slice, dice and try to serve this up any way you choose. But even as the optimist in the city…….I can’t present this any other way.
This situation surrounding Zac Taylor's search for a defensive coordinator is a mess. It’s Feb 13. Zac Taylor was hired 10 days ago.
Taylor has known he was going to be the next Bengals coach for over a month.
We've all know who the offensive coordinator was going to be (Thanks Jon Gruden) for going on four weeks.
And yet, Taylor's search for his defensive coordinator continues? How? Why?
Remember the initial thought? Get a veteran DC, a been there done that guy, with preview NFL head coaching experience a nice bonus. A guy Taylor could hand the D to to worry about….and at the same time lean on for advice?
The candidates have come and gone, I mean withdrawn: Jack Del Rio didn't work out. Dom Capers, with a 3-4 defense in his DNA never really felt like a fit. Dennis Allen opted to stay put in New Orleans. Todd Grantham…thanks, but no thanks.
But this isn’t about who the next candidate is…it’s more about the process to get here…..which is going nowhere.
Why is Zac down to at least his fifth choice?
Did he not have a guy always lined up in his mind before he was even hired for his first NFL head coaching job?
I thought Sean McVay preached to his guys….be ready?
What did Taylor tell the Bengals about his plans for DC during his interview? What did he tell the Broncos? What did he tell the Cardinals? What happened to the Sean McVay model of a Wade Phillips type guy?
Is Taylor too inexperienced to even have a guy? Are candidates passing because of Taylor? Is it because of organization? Is it money? Is it because of the talent on the D side? Why?
Sure, we can all play the game of throwing hats into the ring. Fans and media have thrown out Rex Ryan, John Fox, Kerry Coombs, just to name a few.
Don't forget, the Bengals also need a defensive line coach and a linebackers coach.
What matter is Taylor is down to at least his fifth choice for DC, as a first time NFL head coach with what is likely the least experienced coaching staff in the NFL.
The candidate pool isn't dry, but it's not deep or experienced. ESPN reports the Bengals will talk with Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn. They Bengals reportedly interviewed Rams defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant last week. Glenn is 46 and never been a defensive coordinator on any level. The same goes for Pleasant, who is 31.
My fear now turns to Taylor getting desperate and
A. Hires another inexperience coach to join the staff. Another assistant that will have to 'coach up' as a first time NFL coordinator, if not first time NFL assistant.
B. Finds the Tommy Tuberville version for his hire. A guy late in his career, willing to say 'heck yea' for a chance to cash checks, play some golf, and put his feet up to be carried into retirement.
After an impressive first impression by Taylor at his new conference, then a slick TV commercial and a letter showing nice touch to season ticket holders………consider what Taylor has done since. He’s hired a first time NFL offensive coordinator, hired the controversial Jim Turner………fired from his NFL job and then suspended before his first game at his CFB job three years later, and missed on four DC coordinators.
Let me be clear: I’m not handing back my Zac Taylor WunderKid fan card……but I am wondering what everyone should be wondering:
What is going on?
Let's discuss tonight on Sports Talk.
https://700wlw.iheart.com/featured/lance-mcalister/content/2019-02-14-bengals-are-you-wondering-what-im-wondering-what-is-going-on/
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(02-14-2019, 11:46 PM)TSwigZ Wrote: It’s odd he’s not wrong
Yes he is. Let ZT do his thing. We can judge later if it doesn’t come to fruition. I’m not happy at all about all this. He’s been praised for his football knowledge. I figured there would be a plan in place like L.M. Said. But, something either made him change his mind or the BS spewed by the media to a very hungry Bengals fanbase, has been nothing but speculations and, well, like I said, “BS.”
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It's totally not normal to be down to Top candidate 6. There was no plan in place. And once one guy said No...it spiralled out of control.
Now, we may luck into a decent candidate...but it's not from some plan.
They're scrambling now.
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The "fire Marvin Lewis" think these threads are too much.
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(02-15-2019, 12:24 AM)bfine32 Wrote: The "fire Marvin Lewis" think these threads are too much.
To put it mildly.
What I see is a pathological need to bum people out, to spread the gloom.
And Lance, Mr. Positive? Say what?
Maybe a bigger font is necessary.
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You have to be kidding. Taylor has been here less than 2 weeks and he's the guy getting blamed ??????? Mike Brown has been running things since Paul Brown died. Do you know when the play-off win drought started ? When Paul Brown died. Mike Brown has bee running things since 1991 season, but no, blame the coach who has been here less than 2 weeks.
Who should be getting Ripped On ? MIKE BROWN, MIKE BROWN, MIKE BROWN, MIKE BROWN, MIKE BROWN.
Dave Shula on getting fired said it's easy to blame him, but he pretty much said that Mike Brown really runs everything from Front Office down to water boy. He also said that as long as Mike Brown runs everything from Front Office down to water boy, this team is going to have problems.
So now Bengals are the joke of NFL right now. Kim Jong Un turns down Bengals Defensive Coordinator job. Congress and President finally agree on something, none of them want Bengals Defensive Coordinator job either. Many homeless walk streets with signs saying, " Will Work For Food, Will Not Work For Mike Brown ". So as I read the jokes on internet, is it really the fault of a guy that less than 2 weeks ago was coaching Rams in Super Bowl, not even with Bengals 2 weeks ago. Maybe Dave Shula was right, that as long as Mike Brown is god over all things Bengals, this team will have problems.
So Wyche, Shula, Coslett, Lebeau, Lewis all were whipping boys by the fans 28 years and now add Taylor on job less than 2 weeks as another whipping boy for the fans. Are the fans that stupid they don't see the Great and Powerful OZ the whole time has been Mike Brown behind the curtain ?
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Wonder what Paul Brown would think if he were still alive? He would be shaken in his grave.
Happy Halloween
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If experience was the most important thing, we'd have kept Marvin and a slew of other coaches who had been here for years. We have been screaming for changes on the coaching staff, and now that we are getting them, it's not the time to complain or get worried. Some coaches have made the rounds on the coaching merry-go-round for years on different teams and are hired because of their "experience." Instead, we're going to have a young staff, and they will need some time, but I'd rather start from scratch with someone who is a good fit for the team. If Taylor is getting to make that call, that is HUGE. Let him do his job. McCallister's hissy fit is ridiculous
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It's not like Zac had nothing going on between the day he was chosen and the day he was hired.
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(02-15-2019, 08:20 AM)Jason_NC Wrote: It's not like Zac had nothing going on between the day he was chosen and the day he was hired.
Conveniently left out, right? I also think if you look at it individually, you'll see he does have a process but it's not coming together like we'd like. And yes, they probably are scrambling now. But that's what happens when you hire a coach from a team in the SB. They're automatically behind the 8 ball. I can't think of any young coach being hired that has to form almost his entire staff AND coach in a SB. It's fine to be worried, but we gotta remember what we asked for here.
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I heard Lance’s rant and my first thoughts were Lance had similar rants about Marvin. At the end of the day Lance is looking for ratings. I am neutral on Taylor because a roster hasn’t been made and not one single down has been played. I laugh many of you were complaining like Lance complaining about Marvin and now complaining about Taylor. Those of you who are doing this are habitual bitchers! Let the guy do his thing and if this team fails this coming season than start the complaining!
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Spicy take from Lombardi, tho he was wrong about Peterson.
Quote:Cincinnati Bengals: Zac Taylor
I saved the Bengals for last in hopes that, by allowing more time, I might understand how Zac Taylor became an NFL head coach when less than 10 years ago, he was a graduate assistant at Texas A&M. Usually, coaches with meteoric rises (like Sean McVay) have past performances that justify that ascent. However in Taylor’s case, there were no surges, just lousy offensive football at every stop until he reached Los Angeles. And the more authority he achieved, the less productive the team became.
In those 10 years, Taylor has been a coordinator twice. In 2015, Taylor was the offensive coordinator of the 6-10 Miami Dolphins. That year, the Dolphins scored 20 or fewer points 12 times and were just 63-for-205 on third down (30.7 percent). You might believe that Dolphins team was not talented, but with the likes of running backs Lamar Miller and Jay Ajayi, as well as receivers Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills, the Fins scored just 310 points all year, averaged 19.4 for the season and could barely convert third downs.
At the University of Cincinnati in 2016, Taylor inherited a team that scored 440 points the year before. However, the next season, under the direction of Taylor, the Bearcats scored 232 points for the season, had four games in which they scored fewer than 10 points, and were 69-for-182 on third down, converting just 37.9 percent.
So with these less-than-impressive numbers, how did Taylor become a head coach? The only logical answer: “the Sean McVay factor,” since Taylor was the quarterback coach in Los Angeles during the last two seasons.
Look, I am not some old NFL veteran who does not believe youth deserves its opportunity, but did anyone watch the Super Bowl this year? And let’s say Taylor is the second coming of Sean; wouldn’t that brilliance show up in Miami during the ‘15 campaign, or on the campus of the University of Cincinnati? If McVay was coaching at either place, I bet the numbers would be way different.
How can this work in Cincinnati now? The Bengals needed a tough coach. They needed a drill instructor to get their team to become more disciplined and focused. The Bengals have talent but lack attention to detail on both sides of the ball. They might believe Taylor will bring out the best in Andy Dalton. But even if Dalton’s play improves, who will keep the team in line and handle the different personalities? Can Taylor do this? Call me skeptical.
The other area in which Taylor lacks experience and expertise in is player personnel. And in Cincinnati, the head coach and staff must be good coaches but also good evaluators because the front office relies on their opinions. With the right head coach and staff, this could prove to be an effective way of team building. But with the wrong crew, this could become toxic fast.
I wish I were more optimistic about the Bengals’ future, but this move reminds me of when Bengals owner Mike Brown hired David Shula in 1992 at the tender age of 32, passing on Bill Cowher. Brown felt that he and Shula shared the same background, being sons of famous coaches. Shula lasted four-plus seasons and had a career record of 19-52. I keep looking for reasons why this time might be different. Unfortunately, I cannot find any.
Eight new coaches in one year. Why do I have a feeling one of these eight might just become one and done and the remaining might only have two seasons to prove they belong?
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(02-15-2019, 01:39 AM)Passepartout Wrote: Wonder what Paul Brown would think if he were still alive? He would be shaken in his grave.
So if he were alive today he'd be shaking in his grave? I guess that's true.
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I agree that it is embarrassing but overall I don't think it is a big deal as long as he reels in the right guy.
Trust me, we are better off being patient and finding the correct fit than hiring a bum 4 weeks ago.
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(02-15-2019, 12:12 AM)HarleyDog Wrote: Yes he is. Let ZT do his thing. We can judge later if it doesn’t come to fruition. I’m not happy at all about all this. He’s been praised for his football knowledge. I figured there would be a plan in place like L.M. Said. But, something either made him change his mind or the BS spewed by the media to a very hungry Bengals fanbase, has been nothing but speculations and, well, like I said, “BS.”
Right. He had a plan, it just hasn't come to fruition because his first two choices decided to stay put.
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