Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has brought nothing but positive energy to the team since arriving.
That changed after Monday’s practice.
With NFL officials in town and anywhere between 10-15 flags based on the observer getting thrown on the day, Taylor’s tune changed a bit, per Bengals.com: “We just have to make sure we have some great urgency across the board.”
Mistakes were rampant on offense, from false starts to botched snaps. An elite-looking defense from a pressure standpoint — headed up by the resurgent Carl Lawson — certainly didn’t help.
Even so, Taylor said these sorts of days will happen.
“I’m in no way dejected over it. It happens in training camp. Sometimes you get a day like this. You never know when it’s going to come, but today was the day, so tomorrow you just have those guys step up and rebound and let’s have a great day so that we know that we’re mentally and physically prepared to go on the road against Kansas City.”
Some of this isn’t a major surprise. The Bengals lost two starting offensive linemen before training camp even started and have had to shuffle people in and out. The offense is working with three different quarterbacks, one of them a new rookie, and also just got Billy Price back under center. Mistakes and mistimings were going to happen.
Granted, if the mistakes keep up there is cause for concern. Tuesday is Cincinnati’s last padded practice before Saturday night’s game in Kansas City.
This recurring trend of the defense getting the best of the offense wasn’t wholly unexpected, but Taylor’s reaction is something to note. If the offense can’t respond and show well in preseason Week 1, a budding sense of concern would be understandable.
