The Cincinnati Bengals scraped by with a 43-36 overtime win against the one-win Tennessee Titans on November 1, but don’t let the final score fool you: this team is in deep trouble, and coach Zac Taylor’s job is squarely on the hot seat. Even with a 5-2 record, their best start through seven games since that 2021 Super Bowl season, the excitement in Cincinnati is seriously tempered. Something feels off about this team, especially after taking extra frames to beat a Titans squad that just traded away their best defensive player.
“We Lost That Game the Last Three Years”
It took a couple of key defensive stops and a crucial sack by offseason acquisition, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, with just 32 seconds left in regulation, to even push the game to overtime. Quarterback Joe Burrow, ever careful with his words after the win at Paycor Stadium, dropped a bombshell that tells you everything you need to know about the team’s true state: “We lost that game the last three years.” This isn’t the championship football Burrow promised during training camp, and it’s not what fans bought into. Despite the front office dropping $125 million on three veteran defensive free agents and trading for Lawrence, this Bengals team has fallen way short of looking like a Super Bowl contender. A 5-2 record can’t hide the cracks when you’re needing overtime to beat a one-win team.
Stale Offense and Playoff Drought Fueling Hot Seat Talk
Zac Taylor, now in his eighth season at the helm, is supposed to be an offensive guru. Yet, the offense looks stale, predictable, and frankly, hasn’t changed much since that surprising 2021 run. All eyes are on him, and the question is begging to be asked: should Taylor be on the hot seat? Absolutely. Truth be told, he’s probably been there quietly since the season kicked off. The Bengals haven’t seen the playoffs since 2022, and with all the starters back on offense and massive investment on defense, the minimum expectation was a deep playoff run. Right now, this team looks like a one-and-done wild-card squad at best, with zero indication they’re suddenly going to transform into a championship-caliber club.
The problems with Taylor’s scheme are glaring and repetitive. They keep running the same game plan, week in and week out. The team consistently starts slow. They refuse to consistently run the ball, especially when they’re inside the 10-yard line. Instead, they mostly operate out of the shotgun, practically telegraphing that Burrow is throwing to Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins. Same scheme, different season, same frustrating results. For the second consecutive week, the Bengals dug themselves into a 13-0 hole early, and they committed four turnovers against the Titans. Burrow had to turn it on in the second half last week in Baltimore, and again in the final two drives of regulation and overtime this week. There’s been no consistency, no complete game all season. This is supposed to be a championship-caliber roster, and the struggle to win down-to-the-wire games, a problem for three seasons, still clearly plagues them.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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