Bengals head coach Zac Taylor made it clear on Monday that there will be no changes to his defensive coaching staff during the team”s bye week. This announcement comes as the Bengals find themselves in a tough spot, having dropped two consecutive home games, the latest being a dramatic loss to the Bears.
In their recent matchup, Cincinnati allowed a last-minute 58-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Williams to Colston Loveland, which sealed the game for the Bears. The defensive statistics from this game paint a grim picture, and the film review reveals even more concerning issues. Nonetheless, during the press conference, Taylor expressed his unwavering confidence in defensive coordinator Al Golden and his staff.
“No, I believe in these guys. Absolutely,” Taylor stated when asked about potential staff changes. “We”ll continue to work through it and find solutions.” His response was not merely a formality; Taylor reiterated his support for Golden and the defensive unit multiple times, showing a surprising level of defiance against the mounting criticism.
What stands out in Taylor”s rationale is his personal experience, referencing his own early challenges as a coach. “I”m thankful that in 2020 they didn”t kick me out of here. So we were able to go to the Super Bowl the next year,” he remarked, linking his past struggles to the current situation on defense. Taylor”s belief in the staff reflects his broader philosophy on building a successful program, emphasizing that impulsive decisions often undermine long-term success.
Despite acknowledging the frustration surrounding the team”s performance, Taylor remains adamant about maintaining the current structure. “When you believe in people, you don”t just make a gut reaction from what people want to see that aren”t necessarily a part of it,” he explained. “I understand the frustration. I get it. I”d be frustrated, too, if I was outside the building. We”re gonna get it fixed.”
However, the critical question looms: is Taylor”s loyalty a commendable trait or a refusal to acknowledge necessary changes? The Bengals” defense has struggled significantly this season, facing persistent issues such as poor tackling and a lack of gap discipline. Taylor did recognize these deficiencies but maintained that improvement can be achieved with the current players. “We just have to be great tacklers and just execute our fundamentals at a high level,” he noted.
Characterizing Golden as “working like crazy” behind the scenes, Taylor asserted, “He”s a great football coach. He”s doing everything he can to uncover every single stone to make us play better. I mean, we”re all sick for the way that these games have gone. Him probably as much as anybody else on this planet.”
The next few weeks will be critical in determining whether Taylor”s steadfastness will yield a turnaround for the defense or reinforce the narrative that his reluctance to make changes has hindered the team”s progress.
