Zac Taylor Defends 'Best Decision For Team' Sitting Joe Burrow, Despite Joe Flacco's Continued Disintegration

CINCINNATI — The Bengals lost a fourth consecutive game on Sunday to fall to 3-8, officially sticking a fork in any postseason hopes this season.

Zac Taylor defended his decision to sit Joe Burrow one more week despite Joe Flacco struggling again on Sunday (19-37 for 183 yards, one score and one pick-six, 63.2 passer rating). Flacco was abysmal again on Sunday as the luster has clearly worn off on his backup shine. Taylor is adamant the Bengals "haven't lost a game because of Joe Flacco."

Burrow was a full participant in practice the entire week.

The pick-six was a clear swing point in a 26-20 loss. Taylor noted he keeps telling the team the "same thing" after losses.

"Joe Burrow, we'll see," Taylor said about Burrow's injury update. "I'm not going to clear anything for Thursday yet. I thought he put himself in a great position to be ready to play this weekend, and the best decision for us was to wait a couple more days."

Taylor loved his team's fight, like he rattles off after each loss piles up. ESPN's FPI gave Cincinnati a less than 3% chance to make the playoffs entering today, and with another win by Baltimore, the season is over. He said they are building momentum to "just find a win." The franchise would be better off draft-capital-wise to not win another game this season.

"The fight is what it is; we don't appreciate losing," Taylor said. "It's an awful feeling, sick. Our guys, they just keep showing up, man. They keep doing a great job during the course of the week, keep practicing their tails off. They're giving everything they can on the field. We just came up short. You saw different guys that played all year for us, guys that came in there and got their first opportunity, guys that came in there on a one-play notice, and guys just kept fighting. And we thought we were gonna win the game, and we came up short. It's a sickening feeling. We can't question the fight for one second, and at some point, that's going to pay off for us."

Tee Higgins is in concussion protocol now, entering a Thursday Night Football week, basically guaranteed not to play with that injury.

The free fall continues in another prime Joe Burrow season.

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