Bengals: Team is all on Zac Taylor's vision
Building a team, a contender that is, takes time in the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals began in 2019 when they brought Zac Taylor in to be the head coach. After consecutive losing seasons to begin his tenure, Taylor has turned the Bengals into a juggernaut and a regular in the mix of the AFC as […]
Building a team, a contender that is, takes time in the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals began in 2019 when they brought Zac Taylor in to be the head coach.
After consecutive losing seasons to begin his tenure, Taylor has turned the Bengals into a juggernaut and a regular in the mix of the AFC as far as which teams have the best chance to make the Super Bowl. For that to be the case, players have to believe in their coach and what he's trying to accomplish.
Taylor has done an amazing job building that trust with his players.
"They understand that when you come to play for the Cincinnati Bengals you're playing to win a division title and you're playing to go win a championship," Taylor said. "So, that's what everyone in this locker room understands and the new guys we make sure that they understand that quickly in our team meetings and guys have really bought into that and are unselfishly pursuing all those goals."
The Bengals went a pathetic 2-14 in Taylor's first season. They did draft quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Tee Higgins in 2020 but still went 4-11-1 as the former suffered a torn ACL. However, since drafting Ja'Marr Chase in 2021, the Bengals have been a force for the last two seasons.
The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year and have won two in the last four seasons. They haven't faired well against the Bengals, though, having lost three straight to them inside of a year including the 2021 AFC Championship Game.
Last season, the Bengals won their second straight AFC North title. After eliminating the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, the Bengals faced the Chiefs again in the conference title game but came up short.
The Bengals had an excellent draft haul and brought key free agents like left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and safety Nick Scott. So, another long playoff run is expected in 2023 which would come as no surprise with how they have performed lately.
Feature image via Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
