Bengals Rushing Performance in Loss to Jaguars Was So Historically Bad It Belongs in a Museum

The Cincinnati Bengals turned in a historically inept rushing performance Sunday afternoon against the Jacksonville Jaguars, amassing just 23 yards on 15 carries in a 22-17 loss.

It not only was the lowest yardage production in the Zac Taylor era, it was the third lowest in franchise history.

The only two totals that were lower were 4 yards on 16 attempts in a 37-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in 2000 (leading to head coach Bruce Coslet quitting the next day), and 14 yards on 16 carries in a 13-10 win at Pittsburgh in Week 16 to clinch a playoff berth.

The 15 rushing attempts Sunday were tied for the sixth fewest in the Taylor era.

And the 1.53-yard average was the second lowest of the Taylor era and fifth lowest in franchise history.

Bengals Coach Zac Taylor Explains Lack of Run Calls vs. Jaguars

If you take away Joe Burrow’s scrambles and sneak for a touchdown, Bengals running backs Chase Brown and Samaje Perine combined for 17 yards on 12 carries.

"The run game definitely wasn’t there today," Brown said. "We’ve been taking a lot of pride in making that better and being better in that area. We’ll be able to watch the tape and learn from it and be better next week. But unfortunately, we just weren’t efficient in the areas that we could choose.”

Taylor echoed Brown's disappointment and explained why he gave up on calling runs against the Jaguars.

“We don’t want to rush for 23 yards. We don’t want to go 15 carries,” Taylor said after Sunday’s loss. “That’s not what we want to be about. I thought we did a good job adjusting to how we had to play the game as the game unfolded. You can call 30 runs, but when you feel like sometimes you’re only going to get 2 yards a carry — now you’re second-and-eight, third-and-seven — and that’s not a fun way to play the game.

“You’re not admitting defeat — that’s the way the game went for us in the second half, and we had to play that style of game,” he continued. “It doesn’t mean that next game we can’t run the ball 40 times, but I’m not going to look at it and say, ‘Man, we should have called 15 more runs.’ If it wasn’t effective and you feel it, and you feel like you’ve got a really good rhythm in the pass game — let’s just keep attacking in the pass game, and that’s where it went.”

Through four games, the Bengals have 83 rushing attempts. That ranks 30th in the league and will drop to 31st when the New Orleans Saints have their fourth attempt tonight against the Atlanta Falcons.

Of the 12 teams with the fewest rushing attempts in 2025, only one – the Steelers – made the playoffs.

In 2024, only one of the bottom 14 made it (Houston Texans).

In 2023, only one of the bottom nine (Kansas City Chiefs).

Balance is critical to success.

Since 2000, there have been 106 coaches who lasted at least 48 games (roughly three seasons).

Taylor ranks 100th in rushing attempts per game with 23.8.

His career win-loss record is 54-65-1.

The only coaches who ran the ball less were (career win-loss record):

Joe Philbin, 23.8 (26-30)

Jim Caldwell, 23.3 (62-50)

Gus Bradley, 23.0 (14-48)

Robert Saleh, 22.9 (20-40)

Ken Whisenhunt, 22.6 (48-71)

Rod Marinelli, 20.4 (10-38)

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