Just when you thought the Cincinnati Bengals had things going in the right direction, a game like Sunday’s happens. The Bengals hosted the hapless New York Jets and managed to blow a healthy fourth-quarter lead en route to a 39-38 loss.
To the New York Jets. The winless New York Jets.
After the game, Bengals’ head coach Zac Taylor called the loss “humbling” and his team’s effort “not acceptable.” He lamented the fact that they were never able to choke the Jets out and secure the win when they had the opportunity.
“We never got a chance to break that game open like we felt we were capable of,” Taylor said.
It’s never good when you blow a 14-point lead in the final period. With 10:21 left in the game, the Bengals held a 38-24 and were poised to get the W. After all, there was no way the Jets could come back, they haven’t won a single game all year.
But, the Bengals’ defense had other ideas, proving why they are the worst defense in the NFL.
“I think someone needs to step up and lead the group,” Taylor said of the defense after the game. “That’s what I’m waiting to see — someone to step up and lead the group and take some accountability over there and get this thing going the right way.”
That’s easy to take as a shot at defensive coordinator Al Golden, but I digress.
Zac Taylor gets the finger pointing started for the Bengals
This is where things can get dicey and the wheels can come off of the entire wagon very quickly.
Coming into the game, the Bengals were ranked 31st in the NFL in total defense behind only the dreadful Dallas Cowboys. We’ll have to wait for the revised statistics to come out this week because after that Cowboys shellacking to the Denver Broncos, they could each retain their slots in last and dead last.
Taylor was asked after the game who he would like to see step and lead the defense.
He simply replied that he’s “not going to sit here and name names.”
That’s not good. I’m sure they know who they are and it’s admirable that he’s not calling anyone out specifically, but it’s still clear he has some folks in mind and he’s not happy about it.
Offense could have some dysfunction for Zac Taylor too
The Bengals’ offense put up 38 points, which is more than enough to win 99% of NFL games. As far as anyone is concerned, the offense did their jobs even if some felt they could have really stepped on the Jets’ neck.
Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase – who caught 12 balls for 91 yards – thought the game should have been closed out before the Jets had the chance to make the late rally. He was asked if he felt that the team let another lead slip away.
“That’s a Zac question,” he said. “Got to ask Zac that.”
This isn’t good. Not that a 3-5 season without your starting quarterback and a terrible defense is ever good. But, the infighting and finger pointing could be just beginning. At the very least, the calls for Taylor’s job are going to grow louder this week.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post And the Fingerpointing Begins for the Cincinnati Bengals appeared first on Heavy Sports.