The Cincinnati Bengals struck first with a touchdown against Philadelphia Eagles, and the game was tied at halftime, but things quickly unraveled after that and ended 37-17. Head coach Zack Taylor had to deliver a message to both the coaching staff and players, including Joe Burrow, about the team’s current situation.
Taylor acknowledged that, despite strong support from the Bengals fan base, the team hasn’t done enough to reward them, saying they’ve let fans down this season and haven’t done enough to reward the players either.
“We got great fans, great support. We haven’t done enough to reward them, haven’t done enough to reward our players. I mean, the work that goes on in this building, we should feel more wins, we need to feel more wins.”
This season has been anything but ideal for the Bengals, with Joe Burrow not performing as sharply as in past years. However, Taylor emphasized that there’s no place for finger-pointing but that accountability is necessary from both players and coaches.
“There’s no finger pointing anywhere else, we got to take accountability for that, players and coaches, and you know we’re better than what our record indicates but our record is what it is, we’ve earned that.”
Zac Taylor Holds on to Hope for Recovery
In his postgame press conference after the loss to the Eagles, Taylor admitted that despite the team’s difficult spot, there’s still time to turn things around. “We put ourselves in a bad spot, but it’s not a spot we can’t get ourselves out of.”
Bengals’ Tough Loss to Eagles in Week 8: first since 2000
The game was close in the first half, tied 10-10 at halftime. However, Taylor and the Bengals struggled in the second half, allowing 27 points and managing only one touchdown. Burrow threw an interception during the game.