Cincy Jungle
Zac Taylor’s job is in jeopardy in large part due to a Cincinnati Bengals defense that has shown little discipline in recent weeks.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame, Taylor has the third-hottest seat in the entire NFL.
The writer pointed out that letting defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo go has backfired, as the defense has only gotten worse. Here’s what he wrote:
Taylor’s decision to fire longtime defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo looks more inexcusable by the day. Anarumo now oversees the Colts’ defense, which has helped Indianapolis to first place in the AFC South. Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s defense is dead last in points and yards allowed under Al Golden.
Verderame noted that the team has given up 86 points and over 1,000 yards combined in losses to the New York Jets and Chicago Bears, which is pretty inexcusable even with Joe Burrow still recovering from injury.
The Bengals head coach’s “hot seat meter” is a four, according to Verderame, in part because of how the Bengals operate, keeping Marvin Lewis around for 16 years.
Only Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns and Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins have seats that are hotter.
Elsewhere, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano did his own hot seat rankings and has Taylor ranked fourth.
If you don’t think it’s fair to hold Taylor responsible for the failings of a team that lost quarterback Joe Burrow, then maybe you didn’t see how he coached them when Burrow was healthy. This has been a maddeningly and chronically underachieving team in each of the past three seasons, completely undermined by slow starts and baffling in-game decisions. Even now, he can’t stabilize his defense enough to let the red-hot Joe Flacco keep his team afloat for a few weeks. That defense has given up 86 points and 1,078 yards in the past two games — and one of them was against the Jets! Sure, that falls more on defensive coordinator Al Golden, but who picked him? Hard to say if ownership would fire Taylor, who is signed through 2026. But surely, they should.
Up next, the Bengals (3-6) have a huge AFC North rematch with the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4).
We previewed that game below with UrinatingTree
