Zac Taylor Discusses Decision to Run the Ball on 3rd-and-8 Against Broncos

Cincinnati is 8-6 and tied for first place in the AFC North.

Author:
James Rapien
Publish date:
Dec 20, 2021 11:17 AM EST

CINCINNATI — Bengals head coach Zac Taylor opted to run the ball on 3rd-and-8 with two minutes remaining in Sunday's 15-10 win over the Broncos.

Samaje Perine picked up three yards, Cincinnati punted and the defense stopped Drew Lock and the Denver offense to secure the victory.

There's been plenty of debate about Taylor's decision to run it, but the third year head coach admitted he didn't think long about throwing the ball on 3rd-and-8 with the way the Bengals' defense was playing.

"No, not really," Taylor told Dave Lapham after the game. "It's their [the defense] job to step like they had done all game and I felt like they had done a great job controlling the game. And we had full faith that they were going to be able to tee off, get pressure on the quarterback and make the plays we needed to."

Denver's final drive started at their own 25-yard line, but Cincinnati knocked them back to the 6-yard line after Trey Hendrickson drew a holding penalty and Larry Ogunjobi sacked Drew Lock.

The Bengals' defense secured the win. For more on the decision to run it, read my column here.

Make sure you bookmark All Bengals for the latest NFL news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

You May Also Like:

Zac Taylor Made Right Call in Final Minutes Against Broncos

Eli Apple and Jerry Jeudy Take Shots at Each Other After Bengals' Win

Watch: Bengals Celebrate Win Over Broncos in Denver

Winners and Losers From the Bengals' Win Over the Broncos

Ravens Fall to Packers, Bengals Tied for AFC North Lead

Postgame Observations: Bengals Beat Broncos in Denver

It's Taylor Time for the Bengals in Denver

Keys to Victory: Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos

Key Matchups: Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos