Zac Taylor’s costly decision extends the Bengals’ losing streak, and the risk didn’t even outweigh the reward
The same old song and dance for Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Somehow, Zac Taylor believed there was something left to lose this season.
The Cincinnati Bengals have three wins to their name entering the week of Thanksgiving, one fewer compared to this time last year. They found themselves in a competitive football game Sunday afternoon against the New England Patriots, who would be the No. 2 seed in the AFC if the postseason started this weekend. Down just seven points with 13:10 remaining in the fourth quarter, Taylor faced a fourth-and-1 at Cincinnati’s own 45-yard line.
Going for it would be a risk, as failing would give New England the ball back on the wrong side of midfield. The Pats could make it a two-possession game with the ball back in their hands and make the Bengals’ lives a lot harder with their season on life support.
That is, of course, what happened. New England won, 26-20, after kicking a chip-shot field goal to make it a two-score lead in the fourth quarter. Cincinnati scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive, but it was followed by another Patriots field goal to increase the lead to six. The Bengals needed a touchdown, not a field goal, on the final drive to keep the game alive, but they fell short.
An unfortunate outcome of a courageous decision, right? Wrong.
Taylor didn’t go for it. He took a delay of game penalty after trying to get New England to jump offsides and punted away. The downside played out like a risk was taken, only it wasn’t.
And that’s why this loss feels so much more condemnable than it looks on paper.
Zac Taylor plays it safe and loses anyway
On the other side of every risk is, of course, reward. The Bengals were right next to midfield in a one-possession game in the final period. Keeping the ball and the drive alive increased the chance of the deficit shrinking or disappearing altogether.
On that very drive, Cincinnati converted a third-and-1 with quarterback Joe Flacco on a QB sneak. They had the chance to do it again, and the numbers were begging Taylor to make the call.
Criticism for Taylor’s decision can start right there, but focusing solely on what the “analytics” proclaim is never what coaches do in practice. They hang their hats on the feel of the game, momentum, all of those unquantifiable variables.
All of that works against Taylor as well.
Cincinnati’s defense has been the subject of much vitriol this year for good reason. There’s a clear argument that the unit is the worst we’ve seen in the sport in a long time, but Sunday saw a better version of those 11+ players.
Earlier in the third quarter, the Bengals came up with seven goal-line stops in one possession, and New England came away with nothing to show for its drive. They forced a field goal the next time they were on the field.
For once, Taylor should’ve had confidence in the side of the ball that doesn’t receive play calls from him. If the worst-case scenario was giving the ball back right next to the 50-yard line with the defense feeling itself a bit, that’s far from a terrible result.
A short field gives the opposition an easier time finding the end zone, yes. However, after Taylor punted and made the Patriots start at their own 20, they still made it all the way to Cincinnati’s goal line again. Again, the Bengals kept them out of pay dirt, forcing a short field goal.
The numbers said go for it. The feel of the game said the same. Surely there was nothing else to pound the table.
Wrong.
Cincinnati was on the verge of playing spoiler. A 10-0 lead to open the game opened eyes, and gave the Bengals a chance to pull off an upset days before a potential return for Joe Burrow. Trey Hendrickson was still sidelined with an injury, and Ja’Marr Chase joined him as a suspended player.
Realistically, Taylor’s team had no business beating a nine-win team with all of this against them. Weeks of letting should-be victories slip through their fingers got them four games under .500, but now they had a chance to steal a win instead of having one taken from them. If they lose again, so what? How does 4-7 feel compared to 3-8 on Thursday, going on the road against the Baltimore Ravens?
Nothing to lose, everything to gain. Taylor punted that away.
There were still several minutes of game action remaining. Flacco connected with Mitchell Tinsley for a touchdown on their next drive to bring the game back to a one-score difference. Hell, Flacco was another 26 yards with an injured shoulder and finger from pulling off the win anyway.
The Bengals accepted less, and they got what they deserved thanks to their head coach.
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