For some, the Cincinnati Bengals are a trendy underdog pick heading into 2019 in large part simply because a change at head coach finally happened after 16 seasons.
But when talking about first-year head coaches, Zac Taylor has some stiff competition.
Matt LaFleur with the Green Bay Packers is perhaps the most notable comparison thanks to his offensive background, which also happened to include a stop with the Los Angels Rams in 2017 as offensive coordinator.
Above, NFL Network decided to debate which first-year coach would come away with more wins.
While all involved noted they liked Taylor’s approach and one even suggested the Bengals are going to be a surprise team, one fact settled the debate in Green Bay’s favor — Aaron Rodgers.
It is hard to argue. Even in a down season for the team last year, Rodgers threw for 4,442 yards and 25 touchdowns against just two interceptions. If a coach is making mistakes or learning on the fly, Rodgers is still the type of transcendent talent who can compensate.
In this comparison, at least, it is understandable if the Bengals don’t hold up well. At the same time, it should be interesting to revisit it by the end of the season.
