Taylor makes case for Coach of the Year
Following the final game of 2020, a 38-3 loss to Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor took the podium full of confidence despite having just six wins his first two years.
“I believe in what we’re doing,” said Taylor.
A year later, Taylor’s Bengals are AFC North champions and headed to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
Taylor took over in 2019 in the midst of a roster shakeup. Only 13 players on the current team were playing for the Bengals before Taylor arrived.
A year later in 2020, the Bengals selected quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick, and 10 games into his rookie season, Burrow suffered a season-ending knee injury.
The Bengals won just two games after Burrow was hurt.
Through everything, Taylor’s approach never wavered. Just ask defensive end Sam Hubbard who’s one of the few players who’s been with Taylor from the start.
“Anytime something goes wrong or
there’s an issue, it seems like people are calling for Zac’s job or whatever,” said Hubbard. “He’s done nothing but be a great leader and consistent force in this whole turnaround, and I really love Zac as a coach, and I’m thankful that he’s here.”
When the Bengals hired Taylor, he was 35 years old, the second-youngest coach in the NFL.
“We’re looking for a young, bright offensive mind,” Bengals president Mike Brown said at the time. “That is where the game is going.”
Brown was spot on. The NFL has morphed into a pass-first league and the amount of points scored per game is at an all-time high.
Brown also knew, given where former starting quarterback Andy Dalton was in his career, that hiring a coach who could develop a young quarterback would be key.
Burrow and Taylor appear to be the perfect pairing. Together they have helped the Bengals become a top-5 scoring offense, averaging 27.8 points per game this season.
“When I had my first meeting with Zac at the combine, I knew exactly what kind of coach we had, and I knew exactly where I wanted to be,” Burrow said. “He’s a great offensive mind and a great leader of men. He does a great job. I couldn’t have asked for a better situation.”
With the turnaround he’s led, Taylor is now the betting favorite to win the NFL’S Coach of the Year award given out during the NFL Honors ceremony before the Super Bowl LVI in February. He’s favored over the Packers’ Matt Lafleur, Titans coach Mike Vrabel and Patriots coach Bill Belichick.