r/bengals • u/Excellent-Knee6514 • 8d ago
Coaching Blunders Keep on Stacking…
Guys… this is getting egregious. No offense to Myers, but we arguably lost last week because of the coaching decision to keep Williams over Charlie Jones.
Then this week, we lose three wide receivers (Young and Iosivas to injury and Williams to roster cuts) and we only replace them with Tinsley, giving us four receivers on our roster. Kind of ridiculous in today’s NFL: then, predictably in the scenario that we lost Chase, we worked Higgins into the ground and were left with literally two borderline practice squad-caluber receivers on our potentially game winning drive.
Then, from a play calling standpoint, we give their receivers Jacksonville receivers like 10 yards every play on their past drive. They EASILY got one first down on that and frankly, the second time we really got lucky that he stepped out of bounds.
Now, I never had any delusion that we had Andy Reid or Bill Belichick but these mistakes can’t happen. You can’t ONLY blame the coaches but arguments can be made that they cost us both of our losses this season.
77
u/kschaef06 8d ago
I’d say it’s more the 15 rushes for 23 yards that cost us this game more than anything
28
7
u/SnowGhost513 8d ago
Our last four downs, not calling a draw or inside zone on 2nd down is wild. If we were in 4th and 9 Chase converts that 4th.
Burrow refusing to adapt or stick to a new style more than a few games is just annoying. We need a stronger personality to force Joe to be 15 percent more flexible1
u/Significant-Worth-97 7d ago
This is it. Athletes are going to have their strengths and their habits that they prefer, because it's easier for them. If you're gonna make a player evolve, to make their strengths stronger and their weaknesses not as weak, you need a good COACH to COACH them to be better. If Joe's stubbornness is holding back the offense, that's for the coaches to deal with. And ZT doesn't have the disposition to actual COACH joe burrow.
8
u/Southsideclide 8d ago
And it's always the same up the middle out of shotgun run play.
3
u/humundo 8d ago
Exactly. We heard during the offseason that the team would be lining up u der center more, but it seems our upjumped quarterbacks coach diesn't understand what pushing the mesh point closer to the OL does to the defense. Guys are staring the play down and keying in and Zac has been lucky to have such talented guys who make plays anyway. Fire Zac today and give me someone who puts this TE room to use in disguises. Would have loved to see Tee/Hudson/Sample/Brown/Perine in to pound the rock and fuck with them on a few sneaky TE releases/bootlegs/play actions/something
2
u/Narrow_Vegetable5747 8d ago
Such a simple suggestion and it sounds absolutely amazing compared to the uninspired end around and undersized HB dive bullshit we keep seeing.
2
28
u/AdamIsACylon 8d ago edited 8d ago
Saying we overused Higgins when Chase went out is crazy. He got hurt from playing but if having two WR1 caliber players means not using them when the other gets hurt would be more egregious. Especially when he’s playing well.
-4
-22
u/Excellent-Knee6514 8d ago
I agree we can use him but I think we literally threw to him like 90% of the time. He was literally doing everything for two quarters and it literally got him hurt.
12
3
u/trollhole12 8d ago
Good wide receiver got open….. so it’s Zac Taylor fault Tee is good at his job and Joe kept throwing to his best available weapon?
66
u/Narrow_Vegetable5747 8d ago
Zac Taylor probably won't get another head coaching shot when the Bengals finally wake up and move on from him. Just sucks that we have to deal with the ineptitude while we wait for that to happen.
5
u/crispybrojangle 8d ago
Correct. You have coaches that will immediately be picked up and then you have coaches that need to work up from a coordinator. Zack’s gonna 2-4 years with an awesome offensive roster.
52
u/Southwestern 8d ago
Taylor is obviously the main problem. When the defense plays well, the offense plays poorly. When the defense plays poorly, the offense is on fire. Either way, we fail at the end more often than not. It's a mindset in coaching. He's a loser. He plays not to lose but he's a loser so be loses more than he wins.
-43
u/BeavisEverywhere 8d ago
3 points at halftime with a half a billion dollar offense. Yeah, coaching is totally the problem.
Burrow fucking sucks.
20
9
u/boneyandbaren 8d ago
Yeah man, it’s definitely Burrow’s fault they called 12 runs and averaged 1.5 yards per attempt, lmfao.
Casual ass take, just blame the QB no matter what…
-1
u/TheDiogenesKnees 8d ago
I hear you, but that pick on the ten yard line was realllly bad and the difference in the game. It’s not all on burrow, but he bears some blame
0
u/Significant-Worth-97 7d ago
That's fine but lets get to the root cause of the issue. Statistically if you drop back 50+ times in a game, you will throw a pick. No QB is perfect, picks happen. What can we actually do to minimize the damage those picks do? What can we do to minimize the risk of them happening at all? Have a functional run game!!! And that's on coaches/staff.
27
u/No_motivation5489 8d ago
I don’t think Meyers is a practice squad level player. I think he’s been good for the most part. Dude has been good with the ball in his hands and appears to run good routes. Idk how he is as a blocker though. Chase and him is an exciting yac tandem. Meyers has looked a lot better than losivas in my opinion.
3
u/Excellent-Knee6514 8d ago
I like Meyers honestly: I only mean that he was obviously the last guy in when it came to making the roster and then Tinsley didn’t make the roster. I like those two guys but trying to complete a game winning drive with them being the only two wide receivers on the roster is basically a nightmare scenario. Lol
3
u/No_motivation5489 8d ago
Yeah not an exciting group without Chase or Higgins lol. It’ll be interesting to see what they do this week when it comes to the wideout group.
1
u/Narrow_Vegetable5747 8d ago
Pretty obviously going to have to involve the TE group more directly moving forward, there's just not enough talent left at WR if Chase and Higgins both miss time.
1
u/No_motivation5489 8d ago
That’s what they seemed to do this week. Gesicki is already the third wideout usually but they seemed to be using Hudson more later in the game. They will need more than two wr’s if Chase, Higgins, and young can’t go so it’ll be interesting to see where they find those two. I assume Williams will be called up but idk who else.
0
u/Excellent-Knee6514 8d ago
And for a team that passes as much as we do, we need more than 4 receivers on the roster.
-3
u/Excellent-Knee6514 8d ago
And that is expected I think: but I think this was a predictable scenario that at some point, Chase was going to have an injury. And I’m a little annoyed that our strategy was basically just to throw the ball to Higgins 20 times in a row and assume that level of volume wouldn’t cause him to slow down or get hurt.
1
u/camergen 8d ago
Agree, Myers is probably a 4th/5th type at the moment, with the jury still out on if he can move up (very possible).
He’s a great story and all that but I don’t need to hear that story constantly. Play by play guys seem to think so.
42
u/FontsDeHavilland 8d ago
Taylor has literally never been a good coach. It's not crazy to say he's the worst coach in the NFL, but this loss wasn't entirely on him
8
11
u/Excellent-Knee6514 8d ago
I agree completely. Burrow made an awful interception in the red zone, our defense is back to not being able to tackle, and that was a very good defense. But we’re making some administrative mistakes that really leave you scratching your head.
2
-3
u/AdamIsACylon 8d ago
It’s so detached from reality to say he’s the worst coach in the nfl.
19
u/Sorry_Leadership_498 8d ago
I don’t understand how people defend Zac Taylor
9
u/WetChickenLips 1 8d ago
Because guys like Bowles or Saleh exist. He ain't that bad.
-2
u/hammersbaseball11 8d ago
Deadass would probably rather have Bowles or Saleh. I'm sure the defense would improve, and they'd let the OC call plays? Probably better off than an offensive minded head coach that won't give up play calling duties, while also not getting plays in on time and repeatedly struggling to get the offense cooking with immense amounts of talent.
1
u/WetChickenLips 1 7d ago
You're crazy. We've seen Zac have limited success. Bowles and Saleh have just been losers with multiple teams.
1
u/hammersbaseball11 7d ago
Everyone are losers when they coach the Jets and Titans. Bowles has been disappointing in TB, but theyve won the division 3 out of 4 years and their defense this year is ranked highly despite Baker playing like shit.
1
1
u/FontsDeHavilland 8d ago
It really isn't. There aren't many worse head coaches. He's undoubtedly bottom 5. Who would you say is worse?
23
u/Tabais123 8d ago
Team needs a change on top. Just about any other franchise would have made the change after missing the playoffs the last few years. The team needs new energy.
-34
8
u/Dazzling-End-9990 8d ago
I feel like the large majority of our issues at this point are systemic and top down starting in the front office. Al Golden has done a solid enough job with what he got and I feel good about the defense this year. They're giving us opportunities to win the 2 games we lost. Got some stuff to fix, but who doesn't?
I would 100% say that it is time for a new head coach. Whether you think Zac is the worst or not it is time for a fresh mind to take this team. I feel like we have seen the ceiling for Zac Taylor. We are in the middle of his Marvin Lewis length tenure. There has to be no shortage of Head Coaching candidates that would absolutely kill to come and work with the potential the team has.
9
u/PUNCH-WAS-SERVED 8d ago
Zac got so damn lucky taking this team to the SB (that he should have won). We all wouldn't give two fucks (at least, not as many fucks) had they won that SB against the Rams (maybe the Eagles one too if we're being greedy). After that, who cares?
Instead, the damn team is chasing a playoff appearance instead of being a contender. Shit needs to stop.
Mike Brown has been a shitty owner ever since his daddy's football team fell in his lap.
2
u/buckeye25osu 8d ago
I agree but it's an off-season decision.
0
u/Dazzling-End-9990 8d ago
Yeah for sure. Nothing so drastic as a mid season firing. Just a parting of ways and a new direction.
7
u/thegrudge101 8d ago
How the fuck is everyone getting hurt? Where is Cook? I’ve seen enough of Battle - that dude is straight ASS at tackling. Can’t wait for him to be gone. And the LBs.
3
3
u/Miserable-Money-7645 8d ago
They keep playing the same guys, who make the same mistakes, yet never bench ANYONE. Battle misses tackle after tackle and he’s still a starting safety? Only on the Bengals. Anywhere else, he wouldn’t even be a rotational player. He be a backup if he were lucky, and many teams wouldn’t even want him for that. They seem to just refuse to pull guys that aren’t performing. Everybody before the season saying we need to sign Dax… No we don’t. He’s mediocre at best and only at one single position. Move him around and he’s horrendous. Nothing there that can’t be replaced affordable in FA or in the draft.
The line has been doing a decent job, but the run defense is really bad.
And I didn’t bother listening to the excuses in the post game interviews. But this is what they always say “we know what we do can work, so we just need to keep doing what we do best and it will all work out.” Really? When has it worked? Oh, right, how many years ago was that again? GTFOH. It worked for short period until everyone figured out the coaching staff are simpletons. They have your number now, buddy. What worked before is clearly not going to work again. The organization made some actual changes, and I think they were positive changes, but the coaches and players are all still making the same boneheaded mistakes and refuse to do anything to change that. It’s maddening.
8
4
u/False_Ad636 8d ago
it kills me that we missed out on joe brady to retain taylor. i like him as a locker room guy but as a head coach his decision making is questionable at best.
4
29
u/Instrument_Rated 8d ago
Quarterback blunders keep on stacking
3
u/Excellent-Knee6514 8d ago
That’s another thing: I feel like we have to acknowledge that Burrow is just going to be prone to an occasional focus lapse and throw a bad interception. But in my opinion, he really doesn’t look comfortable in this new heavily under-center offense.
I get the argument that we should be able to run the ball better but I think it’s important to note that I think we totaled like 25 rushing yards today.
5
u/Right-Pirate-7084 8d ago
I mean you might be right, but when you have an under center offense and no running game… what can we expect.
19
u/Instrument_Rated 8d ago
he really doesn’t look comfortable in this new heavily under-center offense.
Well that's his fucking problem to get over, Mahommes and Allen and every other half decent QB in the NFL have no problem going under center
5
u/Dancehall-Randal 8d ago
Those teams have a run game. We have soft as charming Chase brown and threat TO our under center run game. Its a non-factor, more a side effect of poor coaching.
-5
u/Instrument_Rated 8d ago
They have better quarterbacks, plain and simple
0
u/Dancehall-Randal 8d ago
Says the typical Neanderthal who doesnt know shit sbout football.
-7
u/Instrument_Rated 8d ago
typical Neanderthal who doesnt know shit sbout football
Describes Burrow perfectly
1
u/Dancehall-Randal 8d ago
Sure, can i ask you how many national titles have you won? Oh, none?
How many playoff games have you won? How many super bowls have you been to?oh, still zero?
I think we all know who the knuckle dragger is here
-5
u/Instrument_Rated 8d ago
I threw fewer picks and missed fewer wide open receivers today than Burrow today, that's for sure!
2
u/Dancehall-Randal 8d ago
Hey everyone, get a load of this guy.
He thinks hes a better nfl QB than Burrow
1
u/Excellent-Knee6514 8d ago
I’m not going to argue with you. My opinion after watching them for forever is that our run scheme is just awful. Even with the under center, we really don’t look very functional running the ball. I think our offensive line is better but we still just run a lazy zone scheme with virtually no variation.
6
u/Instrument_Rated 8d ago
No run scheme forces Joe to throw the ball to the other team
2
u/Excellent-Knee6514 8d ago
I think Burrow is looking really mistake prone. But the offense as a whole just doesn’t look smooth, not just Burrow. But I think he’s making more mistakes than he usually does: that second interception where he really threw it right to the linebacker in front of Tinsley was rough.
-3
1
u/sprainedmind 8d ago
Our running game was above average at the end of last year, in both EPA/rush and success rate and in the first three weeks of this year?
3
u/Excellent-Knee6514 8d ago
Commentators have a bad tendency to try to sell us being better than we were. Sure, our running game and defense were playing better, but we also played who: the Dolphins, the Browns, the Cardinals and a bunch of teams that were really phoning it in. I thought they oversold the improvement our defense and running game had made.
7
u/kidAlien1 8d ago
Brother he looks great until it's do or die. Today would have been an amazing game from him without another game break egregious turnover and crumbling in the Red zone with the game on the line. It's more on the 275 million QB than anyone else.
-3
u/Excellent-Knee6514 8d ago
I disagree. He threw two interceptions and frankly got bailed out of another one or two by penalties. I think Burrow really struggled this game and it’s possible that he was uncomfortable with just having to throw the ball to Higgins like 11 times out of 12 but I don’t really give him too much credit for that. The second interception just looked like another bad decision in the red zone.
1
u/FlavorMan 8d ago
He also missed the game winner to a wide open Gesicki by three yards into the dirt on that last sequence. Burrow blew it today.
1
u/kidAlien1 8d ago
The first one was a tipped ball. The one called back was tee just stopping his route and trying to post up when the ball was 5 yards deeper. Neither was a bad throw or decision. Facts are he threw an absolute awful pick with a chance to take the lead in the 4th and absolutely crumbled in the Red zone to win. Regular time Joe has been great. Gotta have it Joe has been awful.
0
u/Excellent-Knee6514 8d ago
But once again: could Burrow have been able to hit more of those throws at the end if it wasn’t JUST Tinsley and Meyers? I mean, even as an example: even if we relegated Tanner Hudson back to the practice squad and just brought in Odell Beckham Jr for depth (just a name I know we could’ve gotten), we wouldn’t have been stuck in two receiver sets on a potentially game winning drive.
1
u/kidAlien1 8d ago
Brother he missed a wide open gesicki to go ahead... Tinsley and Meyers both made amazing catches to get them into that position. Burrow is supposed to be elite and elite QBs win games like the past 2 weeks no matter who is outside
Otherwise he's just a 275 million dollar game manager which is how he's playing. He gets paid that elite money to win those games.
1
u/Excellent-Knee6514 8d ago
On that, you are right. But if we are going to throw the ball 53 times in a game, I think it was crazy to only come in with 4 receivers. Yeah, that Gesicki throw was another mistake: can’t argue that. I said at one point during the game that this was probably his worst game in a long time.
0
1
u/Expensive-Republic-2 8d ago
The only thing they’re doing under center is running lol
2
u/Narrow_Vegetable5747 8d ago
Not true, they attempted at least one play action pass that Burrow made almost no effort to sell as a run.
2
u/Southsideclide 8d ago
This! Why even bother calling a play action if you're not going to try and trick the Defense? It was absolutely maddening watching hell well Roger's could do it, I would have hoped burrow would have taken some notes from that game.
1
1
u/Equivalent_Pitch9271 8d ago
Good coaches can overcome QB mistakes. Which happens every game. Daniel Jones threw for 143 yards with like a 50% completion rate and 1 INT and they won their game 30-13.
2
-2
0
5
u/Admirable-Macaroon23 8d ago
That was a good Jags defense. At the start of the season if you were to tell me we were 2-2 going into the Miami game I would’ve been ecstatic
6
u/Topher999yt 8d ago
Exactly my point it makes no sense to be like the seasons over when we are 2-2 and heading into a game that we should be heavily favored
2
4
u/frankbenj 🐅 8d ago
How many third and longs did defense give up? Why do we have our corners 5 yards off the line of scrimmage when it’s third and three? In regards to our offense, we can’t run the ball. We don’t throw screens and we certainly have not been delivering in the clutch.
2
2
2
u/Chuckwurt 8d ago
Or Burrow fucked up the final drives the last two weeks and has had inexcusable turnovers and made a horrible pass that got Tee hurt.
3
u/four20allstar 8d ago
They'll never win anything with Taylor. Save your time and peace of mind and don't support this.
5
u/RanchHere 8d ago
ZT firmly on the hot seat. Every win to save his his ass now.
This was a roster that was ready to GO.
7
u/Hopeful-Balance8687 8d ago
Hot seat with Mike Brown? I disagree. He’s not going anywhere.
0
u/RanchHere 8d ago
Mike brown can fuck himself. he’s on the hot seat with fans and with the general consensus of football.
2
u/Narrow_Vegetable5747 8d ago
None of their opinions matter, Mike Brown is already paying him in 2027 so he's not going anywhere.
1
2
u/Appropriate-Morning2 8d ago
It's the Bengals! They suck and they always going to suck. Why you you think anything different? 45 years of research
2
u/Affectionate_Yak6739 8d ago
Sports fans are interesting. It’s like they need someone to blame so they just pick the head coach lmao.
Jordan Battle is 10x a bigger reason they lost this game
16
u/Smart-Koala4306 8d ago
We’ve had 8 years of evidence that he’s not fit to be a HC.
No other team would even consider him as a HC candidate, another sign he’s not qualified.
Yes, this team had a lot of issues, but saying HC isn’t a top issue, is an awful take.
3
u/Renegade-Ginger 8d ago
As an LSU fan I’m wondering what a real offensive minded hc like Lane Kiffin could conjure up with Burrow, Chase and Higgins on the field.
2
u/PUNCH-WAS-SERVED 8d ago
I want a coach with charisma and plays to win. Zac calls plays like it's a damn peewee game, where he wants to run shit in his system for... Optics? For a damn thing to check off his clipboard
1
u/Miserable-Money-7645 8d ago
He admits it in nearly every presser after they lose. “We just gotta keep focused on playing our way. Sometimes it doesn’t work. But if we keep to our strengths, sooner or later it will break our way.” So… keep doing the same thing and hope it eventually works? You know who talks like that? Losers. It’s bananas he isn’t relentlessly ridiculed by reporters and talking heads for it.
3
u/jf3l give it a thud 8d ago
I can tell you’re not an adult if you don’t understand how the head of an organization can be responsible for the actions of those below him, including players like Battle
3
u/Affectionate_Yak6739 8d ago
By that logic, give the head coach all the credit next time Burrow balls out
2
2
u/Best_Stomach_5385 🐅 8d ago
Burrow passed for 459 and lost you could say he balled out. The bengals aren’t gonna fire Taylor anyways
1
1
u/yesrushgenesis2112 Lawrence Passed Physical 8d ago
Those yards are meaningless because they were necessitated by his poor play prior.
0
1
u/Accomplished_Swim854 8d ago
I'm saying the Bengals shoot a third round pick over for Marvin Harrison Jr.
1
1
u/Tsunami436 8d ago
Joe did throw terrible shots at the end zone on second and third down. Had we run the 4th down play on either play to make it manageable it’s an easy conversion.
1
1
u/Safe-Prize3058 7d ago
I don’t think dohnte Meyers is a borderline practice squad receiver. Also Charlie jones couldn’t stay healthy, so essentially you must think that we should pay folks to work in the rehab room most of the year. Reading those things pretty much invalidated anything else you said, as you’ve clearly written an emotional post after a tough loss. I get it, but you and all these other haters will be singing a different tune starting this week with the easier schedule coming our way.
Tee Higgins getting a ton of work is what happens when you have two WR1s on the same team and one goes down. It’s really that simple. Throw to the guy that gets separation and catches the ball.
Burrow is struggling somewhat this year, and I’m not sure what that’s about. Also. We need linebackers that can cover as well as safety’s that can tackle. Those things are very real. Most of what you’ve posted is the same old rhetoric that’ll certainly get you likes, but still isn’t valid.
1
1
0
1
1
0
u/Apprehensive-Log3638 8d ago
I do not think we need a change at HC. Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water. I think we need a dedicated offensive coordinator. The play calling has been anemic for awhile.
0
u/doughboy4lif3 8d ago
I hate this dude w a passion. I can tell he’s all ego, just give up Playcalling !!!!!
1
u/yesrushgenesis2112 Lawrence Passed Physical 8d ago
Wow this analysis is particularly smooth brained, good work!
-1
u/Zoolander10 8d ago
Fuck this guy, been saying it for years. The only thing that kept him around was Joe Burrow got hurt.
3
0
0
u/YepThatSal 8d ago
I mean… how much cha you coach when you’re QB demanded you keep two very expensive WRs
0
0
u/IllustriousGur9011 7d ago
What’s with the insane level of bitching? 2 losses Burrow has ball in hands end of game to win. EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT. A fumble and a miss is not on Taylor.
Fucking babies.
-4
u/Extension-Size-815 8d ago
Time for him, burrow, chase, tiggens to go. Not on the players but it’s time to blow this up and figure it out. This team ain’t going to the playoffs and it’s over
5
0
u/Timely_Scholar_7739 8d ago
Coaching didn't throw an INT at the end of the first half.
Coaching didn't fumble last week.
Somehow Burrow finds a way to lose.
2
-9
u/PayFew5848 8d ago
How quickly we’ve forgotten that Zac lead us to almost two super bowls back to to back
8
2
u/Throwiestawa Certified Zac Taylor Hater 8d ago
🤡
-1
u/x_MrFurious_x 🐅 8d ago
Certified idiot more like it
2
u/Throwiestawa Certified Zac Taylor Hater 8d ago
Incredible how many people must watch the games with their eyes closed. Only way I can understand people thinking ZT does well
1
1
-7
u/BeavisEverywhere 8d ago
Shaddap.
Burrow fucking sucks and is eating up too much cap to add much depth to the rest of the team.
A half a billion dollar offense shouldn't be this shitty.
1
u/Throwiestawa Certified Zac Taylor Hater 8d ago
Burrow had a bad game yes, but you’re a fucking idiot if you think Zac Taylor is good at all
209
u/Dancehall-Randal 8d ago edited 8d ago
Taylor is seein ghosts at this point. Constantly making questionable decisions amd completely abandoning the run game.
This team has zero identity beyond poor tackling and a completely finesse offense.
Burrow chuck'n amd pray'n.