Zac Taylor Needs to go

[Voice of Reason]

I think we should have this discussion in a thread of its own. To answer @theguru  question from the game thread about why Taylor should go here are my thoughts:

This team is not getting better. I see zero signs of improvement anywhere on the team and the only reason they have had the success they did is because of Joe Burrow.  If we take a look around the NFL we can see that coaches can make a quick impact. The Dolphins, Giants, Bills, Washington and the Browns all show us this.  The Browns might actually be the best example. They have gone through multiple coaches and when they finally get the right guy you can see the impact. There has been no positive impact or improvement under Zac Taylor. At times it even looks like he is in over his head.

Watching the Bengals on a game by game basis I see minimal impactful strategy in the weekly game plans and in game adjustments are non existent.  There is nothing in this regime that gets me feeling positive about future improvement. We don't need to see any more.

[DanvilleFan]

Yeah, Taylor has been a disaster.  I'd gladly give Jim Caldwell a call or something.

[futurecoach]

3 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

I think we should have this discussion in a thread of its own. To answer @theguru  question from the game thread about why Taylor should go here are my thoughts:

This team is not getting better. I see zero signs of improvement anywhere on the team and the only reason they have had the success they did is because of Joe Burrow.  If we take a look around the NFL we can see that coaches can make a quick impact. The Dolphins, Giants, Bills, Washington and the Browns all show us this.  The Browns might actually be the best example. They have gone through multiple coaches and when they finally get the right guy you can see the impact. There has been no positive impact or improvement under Zac Taylor. At times it even looks like he is in over his head.

Watching the Bengals on a game by game basis I see minimal impactful strategy in the weekly game plans and in game adjustments are non existent.  There is nothing in this regime that gets me feeling positive about future improvement. We don't need to see any more.

Four weeks ago, I was on the whole give him one more year but with changes to his staff. Two weeks ago, I started to move to ok they need to move on from him, but they need to wait until after the season. The last thing I wanted was for them to promote Simmons, and somehow luck their way into a win and making them decide to let Simmons stay as the head coach. If that were to happen, then it would be just like the 90, when they were horrible. Then they would fire a guy, and someone on staff would like decent to finish year, and they would decide to keep them. That’s how we ended up with Coslet, and then Lebeau. We do not need to go that route again. 
 

However, after yesterday. I do think they should have made the change today. While announcing that they will have a full wide open search after the season is over. This is just bad right now. 
 

As you mentioned we have seen other new coaches have more success. We have seen other offensive coaches, at least be able to still have some kind of offense with a backup QB. In two years we have yet to see that from Taylor. 
 

The one plus side is, I think this just shows how freaking good Joe Burrow is. It shows when the offense was doing well this year, it was because of Burrow and not Taylor. So just imagine how good Burrow could be with someone different. 

[futurecoach]

I don’t think he would come here, but a guy I have always liked is Josh McDaniels. I like that he has been a head coach before, and even though he failed. He got a chance to do it, and see what did and didn’t work. Then he went back to New England and honestly think has done his most impressive work since then. They truly haven’t had much talent to work with on offense the last 5 years. Yet he has got the offense to win Super Bowls. Then this year basically completely changing the offense to fit Cam Newton’s skill set, and now they are close to making the playoffs. 
 

He is someone that has shown now, he can fit his offense to fit the the type of players he has. He has been in the league a long time, and at least has experienced being a Head Coach. There is a possibility of a lot of good defensive coordinators being available this off season too, that would be available. 
 

He probably wouldn’t come here,  because I think I heard he is wanting more say in how things are done up top. However, for me he would be my first target.

[Voice of Reason]

@futurecoach

I think Simmons should be considered. John Harbaugh, Marv Levy, Mike Ditka were all special teams coaches. 

[futurecoach]

44 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

@futurecoach

I think Simmons should be considered. John Harbaugh, Marv Levy, Mike Ditka were all special teams coaches. 

True,  but none of them were promoted from within as special teams coach to head coach on the same team. Especially not after being a part of the organization for 17 years, and has played a role in some of the struggles that has doomed the Bengals through these years. 
 

He is a solid special teams coordinator overall, and well respected around the league for his long tenure. However, if the Bengals want to change anything from their current direction, I don’t think he is the answer. 
 

If they do that, they seriously are following the same pattern of the 90s. Hire a young coach that is a failure. Promote the coach that is suppose to be the best assistant at that time in Coslet. Then same thing after Coslet quits, and promote best assistant coach at the time in Lebeau. 
 

We have seen this how this has played out before, and at least for me. I am not interested in seeing history repeat itself. 

[futurecoach]

Simmons through the years,  2006 miss the playoffs from his special teams unit messing up easy field goals at the end of the last two games of the year. 
 

2009 field goal unit misses multiple field goals, really killing any shot to win that game. 
 

Sticking with average at best kickers overall throughout his 16 years. Kickers who don’t really have a strong leg and not reliable at the end of games. 
 

Sticking with very average return men through the years such as Brandon Tate and Erickson. Shoot he even had Brandon Wilson as a third team returner, and would have never gotten a chance to show he is one of the best in the NFL if it wasn’t for injuries to Erickson, and his backup Darius Phillips one week. 
 

Cant also forget the countless amount of big punt returns his units have given up through the years to Pittsburgh. 
 

He may be a solid special teams coach, and there were also some good moments, but I feel like most of those moments happened between 2003 and 2005.  Since then his special teams has also played a big role in a lot of the failures the team has had with getting over the hump. 
 

 

[SnottieDrippen]

Jeaux saved Taylor when he got rolled up in the end zone a couple weeks ago. No way will Mike & Co. get rid of a coach when the new QB1 tears his knee to shreds. He's got about six weeks into next season, if the leash is even that long. 

Whoever allowed this season to begin without a shored up O-Line is who needs to be gone today. 

[Voice of Reason]

Washington beating Pittsburgh last night is like rubbing salt in the wound on Zac Taylor as Bengals coach. Ron Rivera is making an impact in his 1st year at Washington. The right coach does make a difference and 2 years is plenty of time to find out whether you have the right coach. The Bengals do not have the right coach.

[theguru]

[futurecoach]

23 minutes ago, theguru said:

So many coaches in the NFL have gotten second chances with less success than him. He deserves another shot as a head coach for a new team. 

[Voice of Reason]

^ He's no doubt better than what the Bengals have now.

[futurecoach]

26 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

^ He's no doubt better than what the Bengals have now.

Agreed. The only thing I think Taylor does better is time management. However, that doesn’t matter when everything else is done poorly. 

[Voice of Reason]

I am adding Duke Tobin to the needs to go list. Bengals need to clean house.

[futurecoach]

3 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

I am adding Duke Tobin to the needs to go list. Bengals need to clean house.

Agreed!