The Bengals are lifeless in a loss to the Bears, the Fault is Zac Taylor’s

The Cincinnati Bengals are a young football team coming off a big win on opening day against the Minnesota Vikings. The bears were a team that was embarrassed last Sunday night in Los Angeles. You would think that would mean the Bengals would be hungry to prove they were an actual contender in the AFC North. If you thought that you would be wrong and it would mean that you don’t know the history of the Bengals.

The Offensive Line is as bad as it always was

Supposedly, a new coach on the line in Frank Pollack and signing some veteran retreads would improve the line; if you were hoping that, you were wrong. Number one, hope is not an option if you are a Bengals fan. Despair is more like it. If the Bengals do not want to ruin Joe Burrow, they need to protect him, and if you saw Ja’Marr Chase try to pick up a blitz, you know Chase can’t help there. Second, the lack of spending money to get a first-line guy was negligent at best; not drafting offensive line help in the first round of the NFL draft was criminal. Rashawn Slater would have been a more significant help to this team. Third, Chase is an effective deep threat, but as of right now, that looks like all he is; if that’s the case, he was picked too high. Finally, Frank Pollack, who everybody thought was the savior, needs to take a deeper look at his resume.

Playcalling is atrocious

Who calls up empty seats against the Bears defense that features Khalil Mack? Will that would be the Bengals resident boy genius Zac Taylor, and it led to three hits on Joe Burrow on the first series. The Bengals should have been taking deep shots much sooner in this game, but they didn’t. Was there a screen pass even attempted in this game? I don’t remember any, and with a defense pinning its ears back and coming after you, it was a play that was needed from time to time.

Clock management

It seems clock management has been an issue in Cincinnati for the past 30 years, which has not changed. Down 20-3, the Bengals took their time, went to around the 6:40 mark of the 4th quarter, and watched how the Bengals walked to the line of scrimmage and ran the ball. The Bengals would be better served to go no-huddle as that’s when the pace of the offense seems to be at its best.

Missed Opportunities

Logan Wilson’s scoop and score attempt could have changed the entire game. But, unfortunately, Wilson failed on the scoop and score attempt, and making matters even worse, he failed even to recover the fumble. The Bengals cannot miss on plays like that and expect to beat anybody.

Top Takeaways

My biggest takeaway is that Zac Taylor is the problem here. The defense played strong again, and that should have been enough to win this game. Unfortunately, stupid penalties and turnovers cost this team yet again, as it always does. Heck, I miss Marvin Lewis! Zac Taylor is that bad! The front office missed out on getting a qualified head coach because the front office is a joke. Will it ever get any better? I am not holding my breath.