Shout out for Zac Taylor

[Soonerpeace]

(01-05-2025, 07:01 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: Watch the games. Not trying to be a jerk but Taylor potentionally loses 3-5 games or puts them at risk of being lost a year by bone headed decisions he makes. It's just something we have to accept about him as he doesn't appear to be getting any better. But I do think he comes up with good route concepts and Burrow is good at reading and delivering the ball. 

I watch every second. I’ve watched football games and film for 55 years. I thought you might have some examples

[jj22]

(01-06-2025, 12:52 PM)Tomkat Wrote: The Steelers caught lightning in a bottle with Roethelisberger.  There was literally ZERO indication he was going to be any good.

There's also the legit argument to be made that Tomlin was carried by Cowhers foundation and players to those early SB appearances.

[NUGDUKWE]

(01-06-2025, 02:01 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I watch every second. I’ve watched football games and film for 55 years. I thought you might have some examples

Well I don't keep notes. If I said Marvin Lewis struggled on challenges I feel most would agree but then I asked for examples it becomes a little ridiculous. After replying and seeing other replies it's occurred to me that while he has consistently struggled with situational football perhaps the real problem is Zac struggle with self evaluating. He hasn't shown improvements in situational football as I said and perhaps the slow starts are even a symptom of lack of self evaluation. It was easy enough to point to Burrows injuries for the slow starts and probably not completely wrong. But lack of preseason work and lack of making the run game a priority to start the season have just been completely overlooked as possible reasons as well. 

Games in the NFL come down to one score more often than not. Many people have pointed out our many loses of one score this season and pointed out player errors. Which again is not wrong and part of the problem but if we are overlooking the situational moments in games that could very well be the reason for there prolonged negative impacts.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(01-05-2025, 02:47 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Many will trash him.  I understand the concerns. For the record, Zac owns the record for most playoff wins with 5. He holds the record for best playoff win %, He is third for wins behind Marvin Lewis and Sam Wyche. ML has 131 wins and Wyche has 62 wins. It is likely ZT passes Sam in 2025 for most wins, and he will do so having coached less games.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cin/coaches.htm

This ZT could have quit after their 8th loss and very bad AFC record making playoffs a very slim possibility. They did not. It is hard to win 5 games in a row in the NFL, He did it again. I am disappointed we likely will miss the playoffs, but optimistic the FO sees the weaknesses (LG may be the biggest followed by safety) and will address them in FA and the draft.

I will predict ZT will soon have a winning record as a head coach after a disastrous beginning to his career due to poor talent in year 1 and Burrow's rookie year getting injured. Many may not agree, but I don't see ZT going anywhere and him getting us back to the Super Bowl sooner than later.

Congrats to ZT and the team, going from 4-8 to 9-8.

If the season is over later today, on to 2025.

His players fight for him late in the season more than any HC we have ever had and we are usually one of the least penalized teams.

These are the two reasons I like Zac and am okay with him being back. I will leave it at that and stay positive.

[*rfaulk34*]

(01-06-2025, 04:21 AM)Wyche Wrote: Tomlin also hasn't won a playoff game since 2016.....

And i 

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(01-06-2025, 02:57 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: And i 

Same here lol 

Think the Ratbirds are going to keep this going as well. Loved the look on Mike Tomlin's face when we beat them.

[*rfaulk34*]

(01-06-2025, 11:01 AM)jj22 Wrote: The thing is you all have made it loud and clear we are not allowed us to acknowledge his injury history (until it benefits your argument). But we can talk injury prone label again if you want to bring it up as a legit issue in his career projection.

To be fair, his injury history and the only 2 injuries that have caused him to miss games were, 1. being twisted like a pretzel where every single human being on the entire planet would have had the exact same thing happen to them in that sitch and, 2. a freak wrist injury that's never happened to another QB. Ever. 

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(01-06-2025, 10:59 AM)jj22 Wrote: That's because when Tomlin has a Franchise QB in his prime he wins SB's. If he had this team.....

SBs? I'm counting one ....with the prior coach's squad. Tomlin has a legit front office behind him...they usually field a good defense, can pound the rock, get pretty good receivers, his teams were allowed to headhunt, and had Fat Boy for almost twenty years. Since then, and the league cracked down on their dirty style of football, what has that bum done? 

If Tomlin had coached in Cincinnati his entire career, he'd be another Bruce Coslet. 

[Soonerpeace]

(01-06-2025, 02:53 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: Well I don't keep notes. If I said Marvin Lewis struggled on challenges I feel most would agree but then I asked for examples it becomes a little ridiculous. After replying and seeing other replies it's occurred to me that while he has consistently struggled with situational football perhaps the real problem is Zac struggle with self evaluating. He hasn't shown improvements in situational football as I said and perhaps the slow starts are even a symptom of lack of self evaluation. It was easy enough to point to Burrows injuries for the slow starts and probably not completely wrong. But lack of preseason work and lack of making the run game a priority to start the season have just been completely overlooked as possible reasons as well. 

Games in the NFL come down to one score more often than not. Many people have pointed out our many loses of one score this season and pointed out player errors. Which again is not wrong and part of the problem but if we are overlooking the situational moments in games that could very well be the reason for there prolonged negative impacts.

I’m not trying to be argumentative I promise. You are a solid poster on here. But usually a strong statement means you have some instance. Now the slow starts? I’m all in on those. No excuses. The results are glaring. He should have pulled the trigger on Pollack long before now. I’m convinced Mike Brown and Zac were in agreement about the defense and OL. I’m not so sure Joe Burrow’s thoughts weren’t known. Frustrated. Good grief the whole world calls the Bengals OL pitiful. Have for years. 

But MGT/FO shares most of the blame for the roster. But Duke is untouchable. I’d bet Duke is solid with Zac. Sure looks like they work well together. 

[Hammerstripes]

(01-06-2025, 12:52 PM)Tomkat Wrote: The Steelers caught lightning in a bottle with Roethelisberger.  There was literally ZERO indication he was going to be any good.

He was the 11th overall pick in the draft.  So, there was SOME indication that he was going to be good.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(01-06-2025, 05:44 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: He was the 11th overall pick in the draft.  So, there was SOME indication that he was going to be good.

Went 13-1 with the 2nd highest scoring offense in the country and beat Louisville 49-28 in a Bowl Game while throwing for 4,487 yards (69.1% completion, 9.1 YPA), 37 TD/10 INT, and was 9th in Heisman voting in his Junior year before he declared. 

Literally zero indication.

[Tomkat]

Ryan Leaf was awesome in college, too.
Come on, now. He went to Miami of Ohio which is not exactly known as a premier school that faces the best competition.

[NUGDUKWE]

(01-06-2025, 05:25 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I’m not trying to be argumentative I promise. You are a solid poster on here. But usually a strong statement means you have some instance. Now the slow starts? I’m all in on those. No excuses. The results are glaring. He should have pulled the trigger on Pollack long before now. I’m convinced Mike Brown and Zac were in agreement about the defense and OL. I’m not so sure Joe Burrow’s thoughts weren’t known. Frustrated. Good grief the whole world calls the Bengals OL pitiful. Have for years. 

But MGT/FO shares most of the blame for the roster. But Duke is untouchable. I’d bet Duke is solid with Zac. Sure looks like they work well together. 

There are plenty of instances but it turns into a 3 page article if I start trying to type it all out. Zac is here and I'm not even saying I want him gone just things to get fixed. We will just wait and see if things change. 

But as far as Duke goes I'm sure he deserves a good amount of blame. But in FA we need to change how we structure contracts to match the rest of the league. We are making his job harder than it needs to be as solid players will take more guaranteed money on a similar contract than come here. One reason I want to keep Tee with Jamarr it will force the Bengals hand on guaranteed money and maybe break the flood gates a bit.

The draft he obviously deserves blame but our draft strategy has changed since Taylor has got here which either suggests that this coaching staff made the changes or Marvin used more say in his drafts. Or perhaps Zac and Marvin are equally involved and Marvin was just a better talent evaluator. But they did finally take an OL with a good RAS score or atleast tested so maybe that is sign of things to come. I suppose we don't know the answer but things have changed since Taylor arrival on that front in the sense that we always double or triple dip at positions of need late in the draft.

[TecmoBengals]

(01-06-2025, 06:12 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote:

Went 13-1 with the 2nd highest scoring offense in the country and beat Louisville 49-28 in a Bowl Game while throwing for 4,487 yards (69.1% completion, 9.1 YPA), 37 TD/10 INT, and was 9th in Heisman voting in his Junior year before he declared. 

Literally zero indication.

As a Miami alum, I was ready to make a similar post but you beat me to it. I followed his college days and the dude was good and clearly NFL bound.

[*Nately120*]

(01-06-2025, 05:44 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: He was the 11th overall pick in the draft.  So, there was SOME indication that he was going to be good.

I always figured when the Browns decided the Ohio-based QB wasn't worthy of their pick, the Steelers knew he was going to be a HOFer.

[Soonerpeace]

(01-06-2025, 07:31 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: There are plenty of instances but it turns into a 3 page article if I start trying to type it all out. Zac is here and I'm not even saying I want him gone just things to get fixed. We will just wait and see if things change. 

But as far as Duke goes I'm sure he deserves a good amount of blame. But in FA we need to change how we structure contracts to match the rest of the league. We are making his job harder than it needs to be as solid players will take more guaranteed money on a similar contract than come here. One reason I want to keep Tee with Jamarr it will force the Bengals hand on guaranteed money and maybe break the flood gates a bit.

The draft he obviously deserves blame but our draft strategy has changed since Taylor has got here which either suggests that this coaching staff made the changes or Marvin used more say in his drafts. Or perhaps Zac and Marvin are equally involved and Marvin was just a better talent evaluator. But they did finally take an OL with a good RAS score or atleast tested so maybe that is sign of things to come. I suppose we don't know the answer but things have changed since Taylor arrival on that front in the sense that we always double or triple dip at positions of need late in the draft.

I don’t need 2 examples or definitely not 3 pages just 1 example lol. Duke runs the draft. Likely 3 person vote on the first pick. Offensive players Zac has a big say and the position coaches. Lou has less say on defense than Zac on offense but still a lot. True in free agency as well. But they’ve missed on Myles and Dax in that it’s year 3 and haven’t had a typical #1 impact.

[NUGDUKWE]

(01-06-2025, 10:50 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I don’t need 2 examples or definitely not 3 pages just 1 example lol. Duke runs the draft. Likely 3 person vote on the first pick. Offensive players Zac has a big say and the position coaches. Lou has less say on defense than Zac on offense but still a lot. True in free agency as well. But they’ve missed on Myles and Dax in that it’s year 3 and haven’t had a typical #1 impact.

We did a shuffle pass to Stanley Morgan a couple yrs ago to try and tie a game and failed and lost. After the game Morgan said he had never ran the play before as it was supposed to be Boyd but he had left with injury. The GreenBay game in 2020 we did the whole settle for a 50+ field goal in overtime but add in the fact both kickers had missed kicks and was breezy. Again these examples seem silly but they both result in game losses.
Another thing the Bengals need to change is paying the picks they hit on and early as it will save them money. I say that because a guy like Dax we know we aren't keeping Bates and turn a position that isn't a need into a pick made on need instead of talent because we knew we had to replace Bates.

[Sled21]

(01-06-2025, 05:44 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: He was the 11th overall pick in the draft.  So, there was SOME indication that he was going to be good.

Anyone who knows the Oxford bathroom rape story knows he always had linemen that can block for him. 

[Sled21]

(01-06-2025, 12:52 PM)Tomkat Wrote: The Steelers caught lightning in a bottle with Roethelisberger.  There was literally ZERO indication he was going to be any good.

I was going to say there is time to delete this before anyone sees it, but too late.....

[Sled21]

(01-06-2025, 08:20 PM)TecmoBengals Wrote: As a Miami alum, I was ready to make a similar post but you beat me to it. I followed his college days and the dude was good and clearly NFL bound.

Yes he was, otherwise he would have been playing for Ohio State (Penitentiary)