ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said Monday the Cincinnati Bengals need a new head coach after a 22-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars left the team at 2-2.
The defeat was Cincinnati’s second in a row. The Bengals opened with wins over Tampa Bay and at Houston, then lost at Pittsburgh and at home to Jacksonville.
The run game was a flashpoint. Asked about balance after the Jaguars controlled the ground, quarterback Joe Burrow said, “Let’s throw it more.”
Smith picked up that line on ESPN’s “First Take.”
“The Bengals need a new head coach,” Smith said.
He tied the comment to the numbers.
“What has Zac Taylor done as a head coach? They’re 31st in the NFL in rush attempts, 31st in the NFL in rush offense and 27th in yards per attempt. That means you’re completely reliant on the pass. Now, I understand why, I mean because obviously you get two yards per carry and you don’t want to find yourself in second-and-eight or something like that. I get it, I understand it. My point is it’s all about Joe Burrow. It’s all about Joe Burrow and him throwing the football. That’s what saves the day.”
Those ranks hold through four games. Cincinnati has 83 rushes and 297 rushing yards, both 31st, and averages 3.6 yards per carry, 27th. The offense is fifth in passing yards.
Burrow threw for 428 yards in the loss. All-Pro receiver Ja’Marr Chase left with a concussion, and Tee Higgins exited with a groin injury.
Taylor called the drop from 2-0 frustrating.
“It is (frustrating). We’ve played some good teams, and I was hoping we’d be 4-0 when we came out of that stretch, but we’re not,” Taylor said. “And so, we just have to continue to learn who we are and continue to make the adjustments that we need to make. I thought there were a lot of good plays the guys made out there today. We’ll see the ones that we have to clean up that have held us back from winning the last two games. Obviously, we’ll do everything we can to clean that up.”
Smith also questioned who gets the credit and the blame.
“When has the leadership ever been mentioned about the Cincinnati Bengals. We talk ‘Joe Burrow, Joe Burrow, Joe Burrow’ and I’m not saying that we shouldn’t. The man’s getting paid $275 million dollars, he’s a star quarterback, I get it, he can ball… My points is when do we get to talk about Zac Taylor? With the weapons that you have at your disposal, compared to what you’ve actually achieved.”
Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million extension in September 2023. It still averages $55 million a year.
The Bengals have missed the playoffs three years running. They finished 9-8 in 2023, 9-8 in 2024 and 6-11 in 2025.
Since back-to-back deep postseason runs in 2021 and 2022, Cincinnati is 26-29 under Taylor, counting this year’s 2-2 start.
Team president Mike Brown endorsed Taylor’s return for 2026 after last season, while saying he expects the club to be playing meaningful football in January 2027. Another miss could prompt a broader overhaul of the coaching staff and front office.
Cincinnati is tied for third in the AFC North with Pittsburgh at 2-2. Cleveland and Baltimore are both 3-1. The Bengals visit Miami on Sunday.
