Bengals Coach Zac Taylor Says Not To Expect Roster, Coaching Changes During Bye Despite Disappointing 4-7 Record

Jay Morrison | Nov 18, 2024

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor shouts to an official after a play in the first quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The Chargers led 24-6 at halftime. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Bengals head into their bye week nursing the sting of another close, late loss.

Two weeks ago they blew a big lead and lost to the Baltimore Ravens after a failed two-point conversion in the final seconds.

Sunday night they fell behind by 21, tied the game, then missed two field goals in the final eight minutes and gave up an 84-yard touchdown drive in 27 seconds to fall to the Los Angeles Chargers 34-27 at SoFi Stadium.

The bye week is a time when struggling, underperforming teams often make significant changes.

But Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said not to expect any from the Bengals before they return to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 1.

“We all watch the game. We can see it just coming down to one play in every single game,” Taylor said. “So why would you make a big wholesale change?

“That to me is just panic,” he added. “That's not what we're about. We believe in what we're doing. We're not gonna be those people that just panic because the record is 4-7.”

One significant change that occurred Sunday night was the benching of cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt after he allowed his eighth touchdown of the season on a 26-yard pass from Justin Herbert to Quentin Johnston that put Cincinnati behind 14-6 in the second quarter.

Unlike the game in Carolina when defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo pulled Taylor-Britt from the game and periodically worked him back in, this was a straight benching, with rookie Josh Newton taking over.

Unfortunately for the Bengals, cornerback DJ Turner suffered a clavicle injury during the final minute of the third quarter and did not return.

That forced Anarumo to go back to Taylor-Britt, who missed a tackle on J.K. Dobbins’ game-winning 29-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds remaining.

Asked about the reason for the benching, Taylor cited “consistency.”

Consistency has been an issue for kicker Evan McPherson, who missed two field goals in the fourth quarter that would have given the Bengals the lead.

McPherson, who signed a three-year, $16.5 million extension in August, has missed five of his last 11 attempts, but don’t expect the Bengals to cut him.

And don’t expect there to be any personnel changes on the coaching staff, even with the defense giving another dreadful performance, allowing 33+ points for the fifth time this season.

“That's not what the answer is,” Taylor said. “We've played good football. We're a good football team. We believe in our guys. We've got good systems in place, and we're gonna hang in there and support each other and find a way to get this thing done.

“And if we can get it done, this is gonna be a dang good season,” he continued. “It's not so far what we would've written for ourselves, but I'm telling you I stand here today with the utmost belief that we can still get this done on the back half of our schedule.”

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