Zac Taylor had just secured adulation for a lifetime after guiding the Cincinnati Bengals past the Las Vegas Raiders for their first play-off victory in 30 years.
Taylor had delivered that precious moment, and was set to mastermind a few more of them on the way to Sunday’s Super Bowl LVI against the Los Angeles Rams. But the third-year head coach allowed himself to revel in his achievement just a little.
A man of his word, after vowing to dish out game balls once to fans after play-off victories, Taylor pulled over on the way home from Paul Brown Stadium last month, delighting locals at Mount Lookout Tavern with a surprise visit. Joined by punter Kevin Huber, Taylor hand-delivered a game ball to the bar as gratitude after igniting this brave new era.
"It was what I pictured," Taylor told The MMQB’s Albert Breer. "It was packed. It was a good scene. People obviously had been there for a while, having a good time, which is what I was hoping for. So it was fun to be able to share that with those people."
Taylor, a former undrafted quarterback, is happy to concede the limelight to his star players, unlike some of his contemporaries. In fact, there remains considerable scepticism, even among Bengals fans, as to how much credit he deserves for this miraculous run, with a contract renewal all but inevitable this off-season.
The 38-year-old entered the year under pressure after returning a record of 6-25-1 from two seasons in charge. Taylor is a disciple of former boss Sean McVay, who he meets on Sunday at SoFi Stadium five years after first linking up in 2017 as an assistant wide receivers coach before graduating to quarterbacks coach a year later.
And after landing the big job in Ohio three years ago, Taylor chose wisely entering this year at a crossroads.
Armed with the 2020 first overall pick Joe Burrow, who was rebounding from a serious knee injury, Taylor resisted pressure to protect ‘Joey Franchise’ by drafting a sizeable brick in the wall to protect the former LSU slinger in the shape of former Oregon tackle Penei Sewell - who was snagged by the Detroit Lions two picks later.
Instead Taylor paired Burrow with his former LSU teammate and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who has dazzled throughout one of the greatest rookie seasons, torching the league with a rookie record 1,455 receiving yards at a massive 18 yards per clip and 13 touchdowns. Yes, there have been bumps and bruises along the way, with Burrow the unenviable winner of the sack race among quarterbacks, absorbing damage on 51 occasions. But Taylor has created an exciting team built by spreading his weapons out across the field. The second-most 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers) this season, per Next Gen Stats, his identity is embedded here, while also relying on the sixth widest formation (27 yards) to bring the best out of Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and others.
But this team is not only dedicated to their explosive offense and will gladly keep up in a shoot-out, as documented by the regular season win over the Kansas City Chiefs. But they can also grind it out on defense, leaning on a stout run defense that ranks fifth in the NFL in rushing yards conceded per game.
And when the latter occurs, Taylor has solidified his trust in rookie kicker Evan McPherson, who has drilled a perfect 12 from 12 field goals in the post-season, as well as a league-leading nine kicks from 50+ yards during the regular season.
The dynamic between the two head coaches remains a fascinating subplot to this Super Bowl, with Taylor aiming to best his former master, who in turn is eager to prove his worth as the more experienced head coach at just 36 years old. A devastating 13-3 loss to the Patriots at Super Bowl LIII, spurning the opportunity to snatch glory in a rare, low-scoring affair, remains a sore topic for McVay. But unlike his battle with Bill Belichick, this coaching contest is more personable due to their prior working relationship.
“We met in Shula’s restaurant [in Indianpolis] at the combine in 2013, 2014 or 2015, then we played against Washington and we would talk,” recalls Taylor. “Then he called me when he got the [Rams] job and I jumped at the opportunity. We didn’t know each other that well, but well enough to know we wanted to work together.
“I played against my brother four times, against Sean, Matt [LaFleur, who was offensive coordinator under McVay with the Rams]. So there’s no added, ‘I want to beat this guy’, no, it’s the Bengals playing the Rams for the Super Bowl, it has nothing to do with the relationships on the sidelines.”
A lot of focus will be on Taylor’s decision-making on Sunday, having grown a reputation to opt for a conservative run on first down, drawing the ire of Tony Romo on commentary against the Chiefs. But despite initially failing to place Burrow in advantageous positions, the Bengals rallied in overtime to book their place in the Super Bowl. Now Taylor must outsmart his former boss to secure legendary status and a few more trips to late-night bars in Cincinnati.
