Tag: Cincinnati Bengals

Zac Taylor’s debut season is now the worst start in franchise history

The Bengals head coach has surpassed even Dave Shula.

It wasn’t supposed to be this bad.

The Cincinnati Bengals were never going to contend in 2019. There were too many holes on the roster, summer injuries and pending coaching growing pains.

But nobody thought it would be the worst start in Bengals history.

That’s what Zac Taylor secured with Sunday’s 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those Steelers had a bevy of notables inactive and switched to a third-string passer in the middle of the game.

Yet, Taylor’s Andy Dalton replacement, Ryan Finley, completed just 12 passes and fumbled late. The defense coughed up 190 yards on the ground.

After the game, Taylor brushed aside the history his team made.

“It’s just defeating to lose. Period. I don’t really care about the stats or the records. When you’re competitive, and you’ve put everything you’ve got into it, to lose is the worst feeling there is.”

He also shared a brief message for fans:

“Trust me, I understand the frustration. We have to win games and have a good product on the field. I continue to believe in the guys we’ve got and that we’re going to get things turned around and get things headed in a positive direction.”

That’s 10 losses in a row to Pittsburgh, two this season. The Steelers were exploitable but the Bengals remain seemingly rudderless. The defense still has big lapses and the offense can hardly move the ball.

After setting this bit of history and even surpassing Dave Shula’s 0-10 mark, Taylor has an even bigger problem to worry about — 0-16. It’s a legitimate concern and one that isn’t going to just go away.

Over the final five games, the Bengals have to deal with two games against Cleveland, one against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, and a notable against New England.

The magnitude of an 0-16 season is such that this 0-11, worst-ever Bengals start feels tiny by comparison.

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NFL Draft 2020: Here are the top 12 candidates for the No. 1 pick as Week 12 concludes

The Bengals solidified their hold on the first spot in the 2020 NFL Draft with another loss.

Teams are going to have a hard time dislodging the Cincinnati Bengals from the top spot in the 2020 NFL Draft. They are woeful and winless heading into the final five games of the season. Could another Ohio team finish 0-16 in NFL history? Seems so.

12. Jacksonville Jaguars

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Jaguars are a crisp 4-7 and Doug Marrone might want to start looking for a realtor.  Rutgers, by the way, is looking for a head coach who has worked in the Northeast. This is one of the stranger stats and only the Jags could accomplish it. Derrick Henry has rushed for 101 yards in his last two games at Jax. In his last two games against the Jaguars in Tennessee, the former Heisman winner has run for 397 yards and six touchdowns.

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Winners and losers after Bengals lose again to Steelers en route to 0-11

Here are the winners and losers coming out of Week 12’s Steelers vs. Bengals game.

The Cincinnati Bengals don’t have many positives to take out of Sunday’s 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

A new era has gone up in flames as Sunday’s loss cements the worst start in franchise history. Of the many problems displayed in the latest loss, there were a few bright spots. Let’s highlight those and the biggest negatives.

 

Winner: Tyler Boyd

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) gets set to the field before kickoff of a Week 10 NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

Baltimore Ravens At Cincinnati Bengals Nov 10 Nfl Week 10

Boyd had some complaints last week after his one-catch performance and they were certainly understandable — there’s no excuse to not spam him with targets. Ryan Finley seemed to learn this, as Sunday Boyd saw nine targets, which he turned into five catches for 101 yards and a score. He had a fumble in the fourth quarter, but this is what happens when stars on bad teams try to do too much.

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Zac Taylor isn’t ready to talk going back to Andy Dalton over Ryan Finley

The Bengals head coach won’t talk about benching Ryan Finley for Andy Dalton yet.

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor isn’t ready to declare Ryan Finley benched for Andy Dalton coming out of Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Taylor’s Bengals are 0-11 for the first time in team history and the rookie Finley just put up another putrid performance, completing 12 of his 26 passes for 192 yards while fumbling twice, losing one late at a key moment in the game.

Finley has started three games now after the surprise benching of Dalton. His second start in the loss to Oakland last week saw him complete 13 of 31 attempts for 115 yards with a pick.

In his postgame presser after Sunday’s loss, Taylor made it clear he won’t talk about a change yet, per Laurel Pfahler of WCPO:

This falls in line with what Taylor had said earlier in the week coming out of the Raiders loss. But Finley’s fumbling issues, inaccuracy and the lack of strength behind passes look like problems another five games might not resolve.

If the Bengals don’t want to revert back to Dalton for a handful of obvious reasons, they could also throw rookie Jake Dolegala out there for an evaluation period too.

But for now, Taylor isn’t announcing any sort of change.

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Instant analysis after Bengals lose to Steelers and hit 0-11

Some quick notes and game balls from Steelers vs. Bengals in Week 12.

The Cincinnati Bengals are 0-11 for the first time in team history.

Sunday’s 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t offer much in the way of fireworks. Those Steelers went down to a third-string quarterback and still won in Paul Brown Stadium while the Cincinnati offense bumbled through another miserable showing.

Some notes and thoughts from the loss below.

 

It was over when …

…the Bengals came out late in the fourth quarter down three points and had a drive last 12 seconds after three pass attempts from a five-wide set. That summed up the game nicely.

 

Quick Hits

— MVP of the early game was Kevin Huber for helping the Bengals win the battle of field position. He ended the day with an average of 46.4 yards over nine punts, sitting four of them inside the 20.

— Two early offensive drives featured little in the way of gains and another Ryan Finley fumble. After two drives, he was four of five for 39 yards but nothing to show for it. That was a sign of things to come. The final tally? Just 12 completions on 26 attempts for 192 yards and the game-clinching fumble.

— The Steelers didn’t have James Conner on the field but a relative unknown by the name of Kerrith Whyte didn’t have problems with this Bengals defense early. After two drives, he had diced up the unit for 42 yards on four carries. It was a sign of things to come, as the Steelers went on to finish with 160 rushing yards on a 4.2 average.

— Turnovers and key returns were going to decide if the Bengals could compete Sunday. Shawn Williams threw his name into the fray in the first quarter with an interception. But that ended up being the only forced turnover.

— Tyler Boyd with a 47-yard grab, then a touchdown on tough catches a week removed from noting he wasn’t being targeted enough by Finley. That was always going to change Sunday. Boyd wasn’t done there — he ended up with 101 yards on five catches.

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— Steelers benched Mason Rudolph for poor play and the Bengals immediately gave up a touchdown to his replacement, Devlin Hodges. That shakeup proved problematic for the Bengals as he went on to tally 118 yards.

— Near the start of the fourth quarter the Bengals were 0-for-9 on third downs consecutively. It was a game-long problem and the final frame didn’t change things as the mark ended at two of 12.

 

Key Stat

2 of 12: Surprised to see third downs spotlighted again? The Bengals just can’t do it. The first two or so drives of the game looked promising before the wheels fell off.

 

Game Ball: Tyler Boyd

Boyd hammered the Steelers all day when targets actually went his way. That wasn’t often, yet he still managed to lead the team in receiving by catching nine of his targets for 101 yards and a score.

 

Up next: The Bengals stay home and get a visit from the New York Jets, a team that is suddenly riding high on a three-game tear.

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Watch: Tyler Boyd’s two big plays give Bengals lead over Steelers

Tyler Boyd put up two highlight grabs to help the Bengals take the lead.

A week removed from catching jsut one pass in a loss, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd decided to put on a show against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Boyd, who wasn’t happy with his lack of targets during last week’s loss to the Oakland Raiders, had a bunch of early looks from rookie quarterback Ryan Finley on Sunday during the first half against the Steelers.

The first of two major gains for Boyd in the second quarter was of the 47-yard variety, where the No. 1 wideout didn’t give up on a route despite great coverage.

From the team’s official twitter account:

Boyd was hardly done there. Right after, he beat coverage for a score, then lept into the stands:

It’s a gigantic bounce back for Tate, who wants to help the Bengals avoid an 0-11 start.

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Ravens’ Week 12 rooting guide

The Baltimore Ravens can win out and are guaranteed a playoff spot but a little help in Week 12 never hurt. Here’s four teams to root for

The Baltimore Ravens have their own game to worry about, taking on the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12. However, though the Ravens can just worry about their own schedule and still lock up at least a No. 2 seed if they win out, a little help from the rest of the league never hurt anyone.

In Week 12, Baltimore has a chance to improve their standings even further, including getting that much closer to formally locking up their AFC North crown. So let’s take a look at this week’s rooting guide so you know which teams to be cheering for and which games don’t matter as much.

Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots

Rooting for: Cowboys

Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images

The Patriots are right ahead of the Ravens in the AFC playoff race, thanks to just one more win. But with a head-to-head tiebreaker, a New England loss and Baltimore win would put the Ravens in the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture.

A No. 1 seed means home-field advantage throughout the entire postseason as well as a first-round bye. For a team that plays well off their bye and will likely need an extra week to recuperate from a long season, that should be the best path to Baltimore playing in Super Bowl LIV.

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Can Zac Taylor avoid worst Bengals start with upset of Steelers?

Can Zac Taylor and the Bengals avoid 0-11 vs. Steelers?

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It’s only fitting given the history between the two teams that the Pittsburgh Steelers stand between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Zac Taylor era starting off with the worst stretch in franchise history.

With last week’s loss to the Oakland Raiders, Taylor has matched Dave Shula for the worst start in team history. A loss to the Steelers would put him alone in first place with the dubious honor.

The good news? The Bengals have shown some signs of life in recent weeks. During the loss to Oakland, the ground game got going as Joe Mixon rattled off 86 yards on 15 carries (5.7 average) with his first rushing score of the season. That could only improve with left tackle Cordy Glenn unexpectedly returning to the field. Don’t forget the defensive line suddenly waking up and registering three sacks, too.

Perhaps the biggest question mark of all is rookie passer Ryan Finley. After coughing up 14 points off turnovers in his debut, he completed just 13 of 31 attempts in the seven-point loss to Oakland. If he can’t take the proverbial next step at home against the Steelers, the Bengals are all but assured a loss.

Fittingly, the 5-5 Steelers are something of a mess too. Maurkice Pouncey will remain suspended after appeals in the aftermath of his fight with Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns. That story has been the biggest one in the NFL for the entire week and all Steelers players have really heard about.

The Steelers will also miss playmakers like JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner due to injury, which isn’t a good sign for Mason Rudolph. He’s struggled, completing just 62.3 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns against eight interceptions.

The wealth of injuries for the Steelers means the ball will go to predictable places like the backs out of the backfield. But the Bengals haven’t been able to slow predictable attacks for most of the season.

It’s simply too hard to ignore the history here. Never mind the longstanding history — these Bengals coughed up a 24 of 28 line and two touchdowns to Rudolph earlier this season in a 27-3 Steelers win.

Unless the Finley-led offense can carry this game against a Steelers defense only allowing 20.2 points per game, it’s hard to see the Bengals escaping some rough history. If the Steelers pull ahead, Finley hasn’t shown enough to inspire confidence he can lead a comeback while running a one-dimensional attack.

Prediction: Steelers 24, Bengals 13

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Cordy Glenn’s return and top pregame Steelers vs. Bengals storylines

Here are some top storylines in Steelers vs. Bengals.

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The Cincinnati Bengals look to play the spoiler Sunday with the Pittsburgh Steelers in town.

Those Steelers still have a small chance at the playoffs but enter with a hobbled roster. And the Bengals are desperate to avoid 0-11 — so this AFC North clash has the feel of one capable of swinging in either direction.

Here are some of the top pregame storylines to know.

 

Cordy Glenn’s Return: Just like that, Glenn is back as the starting left tackle. The veteran looked like he was gone from the team after all the drama, including a fine and suspension. Instead, he’ll get back in the lineup and replace the struggling Andre Smith and John Jerry. Glenn was always the best option at left tackle after a summer injury to Jonah Williams spoiled plans to have him start at guard. If he’s halfway effective in his role, a budding ground game could continue to improve and it could help…

Ryan Finley’s Development: There’s isn’t a nice way to put this — Ryan Finley was a disaster in Game 2. After handing Baltimore 14 points off turnovers in his debut, Finley lost a fumble, threw a pick on the game’s last drive and should’ve had a pick-six in the 17-10 loss to Oakland last week. He went just 13 of 31 with 115 yards. The Bengals remain committed to Finley, but like Andy Dalton before him, the surroundings just aren’t helping. The audition for the rookie failing walks hand-in-hand with remaining the favorite for the 2020 draft’s top pick. Now the question is whether a steadily improving running game and continued development via first-team reps will help Finley better make his case.

Depleted Steelers: The Steelers are a mess. Leading receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster can’t go. Neither can starting running back James Conner. Maurkice Pouncey is suspended. A total of 12 players were listed on the injury report. The fallout from the fight with the Cleveland Browns and Myles Garrett has commanded the headlines and provided distractions all week. To top it off, those Steelers lost to the Browns, by the way. It’s almost as if the Steelers are trying to assist the Bengals in grabbing win No. 1 on the season. We know the history of this series — but is this time different? Which team shows up? The struggling home team or the distracted, seemingly lost visitors?

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Steelers vs. Bengals: How to watch, listen and stream Week 12

Here’s how to catch Steelers vs. Bengals Week 12.

The Cincinnati Bengals stare the worst start in franchise history in the face Sunday with the Pittsburgh Steelers in town.

Those Steelers have some problems of their own coming out of the fight with Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns, not to mention a wealth of injuries.

But it still hardly compares given the struggles of these 0-10 Bengals. The home team still won’t have A.J. Green back and rookie quarterback Ryan Finley will get another start.

Here’s everything to know about viewing info for the matchup.

 

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, November 24 (1 p.m. ET)

TV info: CBS

Stream: fuboTV (try it free)

Radio: Cincinnati – WCKY-AM (1530), Cincinnati – WEBN-FM (102.7), Cincinnati – WLW-AM (700)

Location: Paul Brown Stadium

Forecast: Cloudy, 44 degrees

Referee: Adrian Hill

Odds: Pittsburgh -6.5

[Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.]

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