18 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

I mean with how this season has gone with both McPherson and York. Would you trust your kicking game? Which if you also having to pick up a kicker off the street this late into the year, I’m not sure how much you trust them either. It’s just been one whacky year for the Bengals both defensively and in the kicking game this year. 

Exactly my point why they should be trying a new kicker. People talk about the Bengals front office not making moves. If the Bengals lose to the Steelers because of a missed field goal or not making a 4th down because they couldn't trust their kicker to make a 40 yard field goal, that is on the front office. 

The NFL success rate inside 45 yards is over 80%. Inside 35 yards it is over 90%. These are no brainer decisions. A NFL coach should never doubt his kicker can make a 40 yard field goal.

Also, on the game winning TD pass to Higgins, I 100% of the time try to score the TD on 1st and 2nd down versus kicking the field goal. Try the field goal on 3rd down to allow for a second attempt in case of a bad snap or hold.

When Taylor trots out the FG kicker on 4th and short, people go nuts. When they go for it on 4th and short and miss, people go nuts.  It's just how coaching goes. Regarding the Brown run, it was a simple dive play that he bounced outside.  Yes, they could have taken a knee but you can't make calls because you are afraid someone will get hurt.  Every second matters and running the ball gave them a better opportunity to get the clock down to seconds left.  Also, earlier in that drive Brown went out of bounds.  That's on him not Taylor.  These guys are pros and need to understand situational football.  The coach can't pull them aside every play and explain it.  

11 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

Exactly my point why they should be trying a new kicker. People talk about the Bengals front office not making moves. If the Bengals lose to the Steelers because of a missed field goal or not making a 4th down because they couldn't trust their kicker to make a 40 yard field goal, that is on the front office. 

The NFL success rate inside 45 yards is over 80%. Inside 35 yards it is over 90%. These are no brainer decisions. A NFL coach should never doubt his kicker can make a 40 yard field goal.

Also, on the game winning TD pass to Higgins, I 100% of the time try to score the TD on 1st and 2nd down versus kicking the field goal. Try the field goal on 3rd down to allow for a second attempt in case of a bad snap or hold.

I very much doubt many coaches at all pass the ball like the Bengals did once down at the 3 yard line in OT, when a field goal wins it. From sacks, tipped passes, interceptions. So much could go wrong, when you are at the 3 and only need a field goal to win. Which sadly shows where the Bengals are in regards to trust in their whole field goal unit. Where they felt it was worth the chance passing the ball. 
 

 Which you are right it sucks they can’t trust the field goal unit, not even with a 33 yard chip shot field goal like the one York missed in OT. That’s why even for me I get going for it on 4th down early in the game, and trusting your offense to be able to pick up a yard more than kicking a field goal. If you are going to lose, at least leave it in the hands of Burrow and the offense this year. 

1 hour ago, REALSPORT said:

When Taylor trots out the FG kicker on 4th and short, people go nuts. When they go for it on 4th and short and miss, people go nuts.  It's just how coaching goes. Regarding the Brown run, it was a simple dive play that he bounced outside.  Yes, they could have taken a knee but you can't make calls because you are afraid someone will get hurt.  Every second matters and running the ball gave them a better opportunity to get the clock down to seconds left.  Also, earlier in that drive Brown went out of bounds.  That's on him not Taylor.  These guys are pros and need to understand situational football.  The coach can't pull them aside every play and explain it.  

This! If it works no one says anything. Much like Taylor would have been killed for going for it again on the 4th down they did pick up on the 4th quarter that led to a touchdown. It is always easy to say it is the wrong decision after the fact if it doesn’t work. Same concept with trick plays. If a trick play works, the person is a genius for calling it. When it doesn’t work, people say they are an idiot. Take the Lions OC for example, all his trick plays this year have seemed to work and people love his creativity. If it gets a head job next year and those trick plays stop working, people will say he is an idiot and trying to be to cute. 
 

I am not a big fan of Taylor, and do think they could get someone better. However, I will give credit where credit it due. Which to me I had no real issues with his decision making in the game the other day. 

The fourth quarter of this Broncos game put the Bengals shortcomings on full display. Kicker woes, defense unable to keep a team from scoring a TD in one minute, Burrow sacked repeatedly, offense struggling to run the ball in short yardage then what could go wrong goes wrong. Burrow literally won that game 3 times. His team failed the first two times. Thank goodness the TD in OT ended it and the Broncos didn't get another chance after that.

On the clock management, not Zac Taylor's fault IMO. Good point made above about Chase Brown going out of bounds after the pass reception. That was a terrible play by Chase Brown that cost the Bengals 40 seconds or forcing a Broncos time out. Then Chase Brown gets injured and can't make his way off the field, giving the Broncos a free timeout and costing the Bengals another 40 seconds. After that injury time out, the Bengals could not win on the last play. The Broncos were getting the ball back with perhaps 30-40 seconds left. Do you want the Broncos to need a field goal or a TD in that 30-40 seconds?

This pretty much sums it up while I don’t however think it will happen. lol

On 12/30/2024 at 12:45 AM, Voice of Reason said:

The Bengals should have kicker tryouts this week. If you cannot trust the kicker to hit a field goal, he shouldn't be on the team.

This isn't just a Bengal issue.  It seems to be an NFL issue this year. 

Even Justin Tucker, the best in the league, is having an off year.  And based on last night, I'd say the 49ers will have new kicker next year at the latest.