01-10-2023, 05:52 PM
(01-10-2023, 04:14 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Zac deserves credit for going 2-14 and enabling us to get Burrow. I'm not sure the guy is a bad coach, but I am sure that losing enough games to get Burrow is the greatest contribution he's made to this franchise.
So yes, I'll hand it to ZT for getting us that franchise-changing 1st overall pick that Marvin never did. Maybe the guy is a good coach...he sure doesn't win when Burrow doesn't play, though.
I'd rather have Marvin Lewis and Joe Burrow right now than Zac Taylor and Andy Dalton.
One of Zac's first moves after being named coach was to oust Burfict. He then helped to get rid of guys like Atkins and Dunlap. Say what you want about his first season with a depleted roster and Marvin's guys still there but he took the time to setup the lockerroom with the character guys he wanted.
Yeah, it helps that Burrow is who he is, but there are plenty of number 1 overall picks who get paired with new coaches that do no pan out mostly because the rest of the team doesn't gel. Look at recent pairings like Hue Jackson/Baker Mayfield, Kliff Kingsbury/Kyler Murray, and Trevor Lawrence/Urban Meyer. It takes more than getting the number 1 overall pick on your team to see success. You have to fill out the rest of the lockerroom with the right culture and the right character guys. Zac seems to know how to continue to do that with the turnover year to year with rookies and free agents so far.
I will be the first to say, I've been critical of Zac, especially when it comes to play-calling and some offensive schemes and game plans, but I will always defend that he is a good coach given the culture he has helped to build in the Bengals team and organization. The MNF/Damar Hamlin incident definitely shows what he has helped to build here.
