How do we know Callahan is smart enough to call the plays? His previous experience with NFL play calling is like…like…like Zac’s was when he was hired by the Bengals. Next to none. He would be learning on the fly. If Zac gives up the play calling to Callahan, and Callahan fails, whose neck is on the line?
Doc, TML is your team. While you do part out occasional responsibilities to Beer Dave, Hey Michelle, and a Hemingway, would you give up choosing what you want to write and when you can write it? Of course not. You want to call the shots just like Zac does.
Zac’s the head coach. Like it or not, you were all fawning over him last year and I suspect you will all be fawning again if the offensive line miraculously improves. If you want something to complain about, complain about La’el Collins, the Bengal version of Mike Moustakas.
Hell, blame Frank Pollack. What’s he done? We know he brought Collins in. The story was reported that Collins walked around Smale Park soul searching while trying to decide if he wanted to play for the Bengals. No. He walked the park to get the huge grin off his face before he signed for more money than he knew his declining play was worth.
Casual fan that I am, I could enjoy both teams. Even I knew the coach was messing around too much with the Bengals. Meanwhile Lamar just does what he sees needs doing. Again and again.
Will be paying attention to Seattle Reds vs Dusty's Astros tomorrow. Nice thing about playoffs. Good baseball to watch.
Best post-mortem comment I heard re: the "razzle-fizzle" play came from former Bengal standout receiver Tim McGee re-hashing the game and the play-calling with Willie Cunningham this afternoon. Paraprhasing here; "Boomer Esiason would have changed the play in the huddle. Hell no, we are not running that play." McGee said Burrow should have done the same thing: 4 plays from the 2, you give it to the horse and if you fail, that's on you (the players, not the coach play-calling) No surprise, he also hinted at the notion of take the 3 points, if you fail to get the TD on the first 3 plays. Amen.
Why oh why does it still feel like Bob Bratkowski is calling the plays? Look at KC, Miami, SF...dynamic offenses, taking what they want (albeit with healthy QBs). Why can’t we ever use a TE effectively? Why always a blocking TE. HH has shown us he’s a beast for 5 games. Feed the beast. The Browns use 2 RBs very effectively. Why can’t we use 2 or 3?
Why draft guys, develop them and then refuse to use them? Evans.
Zac Taylor said after game 1, that the pace of the game didn’t allow him to look at the replay, find out what happened and still get a call in....that literally means YOUVE GOT TOO MUCH TO DO! Hand off your PC duties and manage the game. Or get a game manager and you become the OC. One or the other Zac. A good manager sees the ineffectiveness in the program and fixes it, even if it’s a self inflicted fix. Don’t be stubborn Zac. Hand it over bud. Be a leader.
I worry that this current window of the Bengals having exceptional talent at most positions and having the very real opportunity to win big might be wasted on the Zac Taylor experiment.
I'd hate to see last year be this team's high water mark. Boomer Esiason was one of my favorite Bengals growing up, but I'd hate for Burrow to be Esiason 2.0 when it's all said and done. There is just too much potential with this team. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think Zac Taylor fully knows what to do with it.
I don't even know if Taylor drew up that play in the dirt with his other coaches ... it's more likely he doodled it on his brown paper bag book cover on his Algebra book back in 7th grade, and the memory of it resurfaced last night at the most inopportune time.
Seriously, though ... who calls two plays like that, beginning with first and goal from the 2 yard line? As someone on Twitter said last night in the wake of the game, "I called better plays on Tecmo Bowl." That's how sad that display was. Most alarming is that 40 years of Bengal fandom has desensitized me to the point where, instead of expressing disappointment or anger at the sequence, I laughed out loud instead.
One thing I'm seeing with my eyes, however, is a concerning lack of passion it appears from the bulk of the offensive unit. From the line to the backfield, I'm not seeing the same type of fire from them as we did last year. They almost seem indifferent. It makes you wonder, truly, how much Taylor's playcalling -- or refusal to let Callahan call plays -- is affecting their moods when they take the field. It's almost like going to work for a boss who you know will not offer you the tools to be successful at your job, and runs you into the ground every shift. You end up just trudging to work on the daily, or you end up quitting.
I hope I'm wrong, but I'm seeing such a mentality start to seep in -- at least offensively -- and it's showing.
I don’t understand why not take the FG at the 2 yard line? The play calling was horrendous during that goal line sequence. Be grateful you still had the opportunity to get 3 points after that disaster. You have one of the best kickers in the league, put your ego aside and tie the game. Zac said in his post game presser, maybe if the ball was at the 3 yard line he may have gone for the FG. What? Two weeks in a row a FG has haunted the Bengals. They got away with it last week, but got burned this week.
Also, I know Tee Higgins was hurt, but there was no passing over the middle. Boyd usually occupies that space and I guess he was moved out wide to fill in for Tee. Why not keep Boyd in the slot and bring in WR4 to fill in wide? Hell, Tee had his helmet on the whole game, maybe bring him in as a decoy a few times at least.
Zac never takes blame for anything. He has an excuse for everything. reminds me of “little man syndrome”. Check yourself and take responsibility for dumb decisions. We are not as dumb and blind as he thinks we are.
One last thing and this will sound absolutely crazy, but what role does Mike Brown have in this? I don’t like that man one bit and wouldn’t be surprised this is his master plan to tank the season to give reason not to pay Joe. I honestly believe this team will never win a Super Bowl until he has left the physical world.
The shovel pass was such a bad call. It made the razzle-dazzle play look like a good play call by comparison. Be the CEO, Zack.
How many 2-3/3-2 teams are there in the NFL this year? I feel like everybody but the Eagles has that record. I'm not panicking about the Bengals...yet. Baltimore is a tough place to play. That team isn't as good as some previous Ravens teams, but they are still good enough in today's NFL when 9-8 might win your division.
You're right...the Bengals still have hope for the season overall. I think many people just think if this team had better offensive game planning and play calling they could easily be 4-1 right now. They've wasted opportunities to beat teams they should be able to beat. Windows to win don't last real long in the NFL. This team is loaded with talent NOW. It has a playoff caliber defense NOW. The offense, which is supposed to be their strength has been a huge liability so far. They need to figure it out and soon before the season gets away from them.
Regarding point #7: What I would really like to have seen the Bengals do is go into a Bears "46" style Defense and literally send the whole D into the backfield on every play. If Bal scores, they will score quickly and leave you a chance to win. If they are overwhelmed by the aggressive Defense, you win most emphatically.
I have said it ad nauseum, but the laziest take from national media guys is that Zac Taylor is an offensive genius and/or a good play caller. He was fired after one year in his two stints as OC. Just because he was the qb coach for Sean McVay does not give him a special play calling skill. Some tropes die hard.
I bet you missed your annual trek to Baltimore and hiking your old neighborhood, Bethesda Md. My Dad grew up on Fairfax Ave, so it was fun reading about your Saturday excursions ! IMO, the Bengals offensive line is still a weakness. I've always felt that an NFL head coach calling plays is crazy ! I always think it's a combination of ego, and not trusting their coordinators. Let the coaches do their jobs !
Not kicking a game tying FG on 4th down was the dumbest thing Taylor did all season. But he one-upped himself quickly with the call for a shuffle pass. He seems lost and frustrated on offense. He literally can't get ANYTHING to work even though he has loads of talent on offense.
Zone coverage isn't new, right? Coaches throughout the history of the NFL have figured out ways to succeed against that coverage. Is Taylor not aware of this? He probably doesn't even need to entirely blow up his playbook...but I'm sure if he watched some footage of offenses beating the zone maybe he'd learn how to get teams to stop playing it all the time.
This season so far feels like 5 weeks of wasted opportunity. I'm getting tired of hearing the offense is gonna start scoring soon. Something needs to change. Give Callahan the play calling duties and see how it goes. If they still can't score, find a new OC in the offseason. Oh...and fire Frank Pollack. The line still isn't great and Collins looks terrible. What an awful acquisition he's turned out to be and he was a guy Pollack really wanted.
Random thoughts: Zac cannot keep leaving points on the field. Not kicking a FG on the 4th and 2 was the difference of LaMar needing a TD and not a FG. D on that last B drive was also questionable, B just kept going up the middle and no one was there on D. You knew he wasn't going to throw. It's VERY worrisome that Joe says there isn't anything they can do if the D is in a zone. Last, Higgins had his helmet on the whole 2nd half, doesn't that mean that he feels he can play?
How do we know Callahan is smart enough to call the plays? His previous experience with NFL play calling is like…like…like Zac’s was when he was hired by the Bengals. Next to none. He would be learning on the fly. If Zac gives up the play calling to Callahan, and Callahan fails, whose neck is on the line?
Doc, TML is your team. While you do part out occasional responsibilities to Beer Dave, Hey Michelle, and a Hemingway, would you give up choosing what you want to write and when you can write it? Of course not. You want to call the shots just like Zac does.
Zac’s the head coach. Like it or not, you were all fawning over him last year and I suspect you will all be fawning again if the offensive line miraculously improves. If you want something to complain about, complain about La’el Collins, the Bengal version of Mike Moustakas.
Hell, blame Frank Pollack. What’s he done? We know he brought Collins in. The story was reported that Collins walked around Smale Park soul searching while trying to decide if he wanted to play for the Bengals. No. He walked the park to get the huge grin off his face before he signed for more money than he knew his declining play was worth.
Casual fan that I am, I could enjoy both teams. Even I knew the coach was messing around too much with the Bengals. Meanwhile Lamar just does what he sees needs doing. Again and again.
Will be paying attention to Seattle Reds vs Dusty's Astros tomorrow. Nice thing about playoffs. Good baseball to watch.
Best post-mortem comment I heard re: the "razzle-fizzle" play came from former Bengal standout receiver Tim McGee re-hashing the game and the play-calling with Willie Cunningham this afternoon. Paraprhasing here; "Boomer Esiason would have changed the play in the huddle. Hell no, we are not running that play." McGee said Burrow should have done the same thing: 4 plays from the 2, you give it to the horse and if you fail, that's on you (the players, not the coach play-calling) No surprise, he also hinted at the notion of take the 3 points, if you fail to get the TD on the first 3 plays. Amen.
Why oh why does it still feel like Bob Bratkowski is calling the plays? Look at KC, Miami, SF...dynamic offenses, taking what they want (albeit with healthy QBs). Why can’t we ever use a TE effectively? Why always a blocking TE. HH has shown us he’s a beast for 5 games. Feed the beast. The Browns use 2 RBs very effectively. Why can’t we use 2 or 3?
Why draft guys, develop them and then refuse to use them? Evans.
Zac Taylor said after game 1, that the pace of the game didn’t allow him to look at the replay, find out what happened and still get a call in....that literally means YOUVE GOT TOO MUCH TO DO! Hand off your PC duties and manage the game. Or get a game manager and you become the OC. One or the other Zac. A good manager sees the ineffectiveness in the program and fixes it, even if it’s a self inflicted fix. Don’t be stubborn Zac. Hand it over bud. Be a leader.
I worry that this current window of the Bengals having exceptional talent at most positions and having the very real opportunity to win big might be wasted on the Zac Taylor experiment.
I'd hate to see last year be this team's high water mark. Boomer Esiason was one of my favorite Bengals growing up, but I'd hate for Burrow to be Esiason 2.0 when it's all said and done. There is just too much potential with this team. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think Zac Taylor fully knows what to do with it.
I don't even know if Taylor drew up that play in the dirt with his other coaches ... it's more likely he doodled it on his brown paper bag book cover on his Algebra book back in 7th grade, and the memory of it resurfaced last night at the most inopportune time.
Seriously, though ... who calls two plays like that, beginning with first and goal from the 2 yard line? As someone on Twitter said last night in the wake of the game, "I called better plays on Tecmo Bowl." That's how sad that display was. Most alarming is that 40 years of Bengal fandom has desensitized me to the point where, instead of expressing disappointment or anger at the sequence, I laughed out loud instead.
One thing I'm seeing with my eyes, however, is a concerning lack of passion it appears from the bulk of the offensive unit. From the line to the backfield, I'm not seeing the same type of fire from them as we did last year. They almost seem indifferent. It makes you wonder, truly, how much Taylor's playcalling -- or refusal to let Callahan call plays -- is affecting their moods when they take the field. It's almost like going to work for a boss who you know will not offer you the tools to be successful at your job, and runs you into the ground every shift. You end up just trudging to work on the daily, or you end up quitting.
I hope I'm wrong, but I'm seeing such a mentality start to seep in -- at least offensively -- and it's showing.
Spot on Doc. The Athletic did a great article on HC who call their own plays a week or so ago. Worthy reading.
I don’t understand why not take the FG at the 2 yard line? The play calling was horrendous during that goal line sequence. Be grateful you still had the opportunity to get 3 points after that disaster. You have one of the best kickers in the league, put your ego aside and tie the game. Zac said in his post game presser, maybe if the ball was at the 3 yard line he may have gone for the FG. What? Two weeks in a row a FG has haunted the Bengals. They got away with it last week, but got burned this week.
Also, I know Tee Higgins was hurt, but there was no passing over the middle. Boyd usually occupies that space and I guess he was moved out wide to fill in for Tee. Why not keep Boyd in the slot and bring in WR4 to fill in wide? Hell, Tee had his helmet on the whole game, maybe bring him in as a decoy a few times at least.
Zac never takes blame for anything. He has an excuse for everything. reminds me of “little man syndrome”. Check yourself and take responsibility for dumb decisions. We are not as dumb and blind as he thinks we are.
One last thing and this will sound absolutely crazy, but what role does Mike Brown have in this? I don’t like that man one bit and wouldn’t be surprised this is his master plan to tank the season to give reason not to pay Joe. I honestly believe this team will never win a Super Bowl until he has left the physical world.
Rant over.
The shovel pass was such a bad call. It made the razzle-dazzle play look like a good play call by comparison. Be the CEO, Zack.
How many 2-3/3-2 teams are there in the NFL this year? I feel like everybody but the Eagles has that record. I'm not panicking about the Bengals...yet. Baltimore is a tough place to play. That team isn't as good as some previous Ravens teams, but they are still good enough in today's NFL when 9-8 might win your division.
You're right...the Bengals still have hope for the season overall. I think many people just think if this team had better offensive game planning and play calling they could easily be 4-1 right now. They've wasted opportunities to beat teams they should be able to beat. Windows to win don't last real long in the NFL. This team is loaded with talent NOW. It has a playoff caliber defense NOW. The offense, which is supposed to be their strength has been a huge liability so far. They need to figure it out and soon before the season gets away from them.
Agreed 100%
Regarding point #7: What I would really like to have seen the Bengals do is go into a Bears "46" style Defense and literally send the whole D into the backfield on every play. If Bal scores, they will score quickly and leave you a chance to win. If they are overwhelmed by the aggressive Defense, you win most emphatically.
Collins is the new Andre Smith?
“This week’s fingerpaint is next week’s Van Gogh.” (love this)...F🤘🏼
I have said it ad nauseum, but the laziest take from national media guys is that Zac Taylor is an offensive genius and/or a good play caller. He was fired after one year in his two stints as OC. Just because he was the qb coach for Sean McVay does not give him a special play calling skill. Some tropes die hard.
I bet you missed your annual trek to Baltimore and hiking your old neighborhood, Bethesda Md. My Dad grew up on Fairfax Ave, so it was fun reading about your Saturday excursions ! IMO, the Bengals offensive line is still a weakness. I've always felt that an NFL head coach calling plays is crazy ! I always think it's a combination of ego, and not trusting their coordinators. Let the coaches do their jobs !
I was grieving Saturday. LOL. Really missed my day back in the home town. Always one of the best things about covering The Men.
Not kicking a game tying FG on 4th down was the dumbest thing Taylor did all season. But he one-upped himself quickly with the call for a shuffle pass. He seems lost and frustrated on offense. He literally can't get ANYTHING to work even though he has loads of talent on offense.
Zone coverage isn't new, right? Coaches throughout the history of the NFL have figured out ways to succeed against that coverage. Is Taylor not aware of this? He probably doesn't even need to entirely blow up his playbook...but I'm sure if he watched some footage of offenses beating the zone maybe he'd learn how to get teams to stop playing it all the time.
This season so far feels like 5 weeks of wasted opportunity. I'm getting tired of hearing the offense is gonna start scoring soon. Something needs to change. Give Callahan the play calling duties and see how it goes. If they still can't score, find a new OC in the offseason. Oh...and fire Frank Pollack. The line still isn't great and Collins looks terrible. What an awful acquisition he's turned out to be and he was a guy Pollack really wanted.
Random thoughts: Zac cannot keep leaving points on the field. Not kicking a FG on the 4th and 2 was the difference of LaMar needing a TD and not a FG. D on that last B drive was also questionable, B just kept going up the middle and no one was there on D. You knew he wasn't going to throw. It's VERY worrisome that Joe says there isn't anything they can do if the D is in a zone. Last, Higgins had his helmet on the whole 2nd half, doesn't that mean that he feels he can play?