Zac Taylor wants to continue sending a message before Bengals games in the most practical way he can
It took three full months for the Cincinnati Bengals to conjure up a winning streak, and head coach Zac Taylor doesn't want to mess with what's working. For the last two games, Taylor has selected Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins as captains to do the pregame coin toss. Choosing his three best players on […]
It took three full months for the Cincinnati Bengals to conjure up a winning streak, and head coach Zac Taylor doesn't want to mess with what's working.
For the last two games, Taylor has selected Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins as captains to do the pregame coin toss. Choosing his three best players on offense to represent the team is no coincidence as Taylor believes it sends a message to the opposition before kickoff.
"Well, they're as good as any trio in all of football," Taylor told FOX19's Regan Holgate this week. "You don't take for granted when you got guys like this that can make the plays and stress the other team like they do. Sometimes you try to stress the other team at the coin toss, you know, you roll those three guys out there and it sends a message right out the gate. And we did against Dallas, we won the game. I did against Tennessee. They won the game. Guess who will be out there against the Cleveland Browns? Those three will be out there against Cleveland Browns."
The trio had never been coin toss captains together before, and their collective debuts two Mondays ago ended up sparking an entire news cycle. Burrow being asked about having Chase and Higgins by his side for the coin toss prior to Cincinnati's "Monday Night Football" victory over the Dallas Cowboys sparked his bold statement about Higgins' potential return to the team in 2025. That hubbub eventually led to reports of Higgins moving on from his agent to join Chase's representation, inciting more speculation that this trio wants to stay together at all costs.
Even if it wasn't his intention, Taylor indirectly renewed this conversation that has troubled the Bengals for two years. Being able to keep Burrow and his two star wideouts has proven to be challenging, and Taylor isn't the one depositing cash into escrow. All he can do is, in his words, send a message.
When asked if that message is directed inwards, Taylor said differently.
"I'm not trying to ruin a good thing," Taylor said. "We've sent them out there for two coin tosses in a row. We're 2-0. Now, we're gonna send them out there for a third."
Keeping it superstitious. Smart.
There will be ample discussions about keeping this trio together in the offseason, and Taylor will have to deal with whatever the outcome is when the 2025 team is formed.
He's indeed sending a message with this new trend, and the recipients are more than just his opposition.
Ja’Marr Chase lands on an appropriate punishment for young Bengals player’s mistake vs Titans
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