What Back-to-Back Wins Means for Zac Taylor and the Rest of the Bengals' Coaching Staff
CINCINNATI — Bengals head coach Zac Taylor entered the final three weeks of the season with a lot to prove.
His team was reeling without rookie quarterback Joe Burrow. The Bengals' offense averaged just 8.6 points-per-game over a five week stretch from Weeks 10-14 (all losses).
Taylor's team righted the ship on Monday Night Football against the Steelers in Week 15. They followed that up with a win over the Texans in Houston on Sunday.
Some will call them meaningless wins, while others believe this is proof that the second-year head coach can turn things around in Cincinnati.
Only time will tell if either of those statements is accurate, but Taylor and his staff deserve credit for what they've done in recent weeks.
It's the first time Taylor's won back-to-back games. He also picked up his first road win.
"We knew that moments like these were coming, and we've just got to continue to build off of it," Taylor said after the game. "Winning two games in a row is really insignificant in this NFL, but it is significant for us right now, just everybody seeing what we've been through. It means a lot to these guys and something to build off of.”
Burrow's injury gave a young coaching staff an opportunity to show they can win without their best player. It was a chance for Taylor to prove his offensive system can work without the No. 1 pick on the field.
Instead, his unit went into a tail spin for five weeks.
Something changed in Week 15 against the Steelers and that success continued on Sunday against the Texans.
Taylor, offensive coordinator Brian Callahan and the rest of this group have shown they can win, despite not having their most-talented players.
They beat Pittsburgh without Burrow, Jonah Williams or Joe Mixon. None of those guys were back for their matchup with Houston and star wide receiver Tyler Boyd was also out.
The best teams and coaches find a way to win, even without their best players. That's the key to having sustained success in the NFL.
It's only two games and the Texans' defense is awful, but Taylor showed he could win without having his top offensive talent.
They had no business winning the Pittsburgh game on Monday night, but they outplayed and outcoached the Steelers.
Cincinnati followed that up by scoring 37 points on the road with Brandon Allen under center.
The 28-year-old played like a starting quarterback, not a quarantined backup that was coming off of an injury.
Taylor deserves credit. His seat might've been hot, but it's cooled off like Cincinnati in December. The coaching staff has proven they could overcome.
They're 2-3 without Burrow and have a chance to get to .500 without the star rookie on Sunday against Baltimore.
Two-straight wins could be a sign that things are changing in Cincinnati or it could be fools gold.
Either way, the second-year head coach showed he could win without his top players, and that's a step in the right direction for him and the Bengals.
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