The Bengals suffered another one-score loss on Sunday, and the team now sits at 4-7 as a result. The bye week could present the opportunity to make changes in the lineup and/or on the sidelines, but that will not be the case.

“I think we all watch the game and we can see it’s just coming down to one play in every single game,” head coach Zac Taylor said (via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer). “So why would you make a big wholesale change? That to me is just panic. That’s not what we’re about. We believe in what we’re doing.”

Quarterback Joe Burrow leads the league in completions (274), yards (3,028) and touchdown passes (27) through 11 games, but that effectiveness has often not translated to wins in 2024. Cincinnati was beaten handily by Philadelphia in Week 8, but otherwise the team’s losses have been decided by an average of 3.8 points. That lends itself to continuity amongst the coaching staff; Taylor and Co. nevertheless certainly have a number of areas to improve on during the bye.

The Bengals rank 28th in the league in points allowed, and the team has amassed underwhelming totals against both the pass and run this season. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has been in place since Taylor’s HC tenure began in 2019, and his unit posted a sixth-place finish in scoring defense in 2022. A repeat of that showing was not expected this year – nor would it be necessary for sustained success given the level of Burrow’s performances – but an uptick in play after the bye would help Cincinnati’s chances of a late wild-card run. Anarumo has drawn head coaching interest in the past, although 2024 has likely not helped his stock.

Taylor operates as the offense’s play-caller, so the role of offensive coordinator is one which is also unlikely to receive considerable attention over the coming days. Dan Pitcher is in place as OC after Brian Callahan took the Titans’ head coaching gig this past offseason. The Bengals have not been effective on the ground in 2024, but their passing efficiency has left them sixth in the NFL in scoring and ninth in total offense.

Special teams have generally been a strength under Taylor, but the kicking game has been an issue in 2024. Evan McPherson (who landed a three-year extension this summer) has connected on only 15 of 21 field goal attempts this season, a critical factor given the team’s close losses. A rebound in that regard could go a long way toward a late-year playoff push. In any event, Cincinnati will maintain the status quo coming out of the bye.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor‘s short history as a head coach is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s been a bit of all or nothing for Cincinnati fans as Taylor’s squad has either been playing in an AFC championship game (and a Super Bowl) to end a season or finishing fourth in the AFC North to end a season. Currently at 1-4 with a Sunday night matchup against the Giants to determine if they will be in fourth place in the AFC North to end Week 6, some are beginning to wonder if Taylor’s seat is starting to heat up.

Taylor’s first two seasons saw a combined record of 6-25-1. The first, two-win season solidified the Bengals’ ability to draft LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall draft pick. An ineffective rookie Burrow, who would eventually miss time with injury, led to a second straight losing season.

The next two years saw the best of what Taylor and his team had to offer. In Burrow’s sophomore campaign, Taylor and his quarterback led the team to its first division title since 2015 with a 10-7 record. They fell in Super Bowl LVI to the Rams then avoided the hangover by going 12-4 to secure back-to-back division titles for the first time in franchise history.

That success didn’t hold over into 2023. In 10 games with a healthy Burrow, the Bengals only won five games, and the team went 4-3 for the remainder of season, finishing fourth in a very competitive AFC North with a 9-8 record. So far, in 2024, the Bengals are 1-4 and in danger of once again falling to fourth place in the division with a loss tonight. To date, Taylor’s record as a head coach in the regular season is 38-48-1.

Despite the all or nothing results each season, many journalists are under the impression that Taylor’s job is in no danger. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated points out that the Bengals are historically a very patient franchise. Taylor’s predecessor, Marvin Lewis, was given ample time in his role. Hired in 2003, Lewis was in place for the Bengals for 16 years before finally departing.

In all that time with Lewis the Bengals saw a variety of results. They made the playoffs seven times during Lewis’ tenure, even finding the postseason six times in a seven-year stretch, but they never made it past the wild-card round, going 0-7 in the playoffs. Not only was Lewis given grace despite an absence of any sort of playoff success, but he was also given the nearly full tenures of two franchise quarterbacks, Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton, to figure it out. Despite that consistency at the quarterback position, Lewis failed to find lasting success, and still the franchise persisted under his leadership.

In contrast, Taylor’s lack of consistent regular season success has had no bearing on his 5-2 playoff record. Not only has he made it past the wild-card round in both playoff appearances, but he also made it to the Conference final in both years. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic tends to agree with Breer’s sentiments, pointing out that, despite the team’s 1-4 record, Taylor is still calling plays for a top-10 offense and a top-five passing offense coming into Week 6. There’s still plenty of time left in the season, and Dehner believes that, despite the odds, Cincinnati cannot be ruled out for a playoff spot.

Combine Taylor’s playoff success and offensive success with very patient franchise ownership, and there’s no reason to believe that a new coach will be in place for the Bengals in 2025. Fans and pundits tend to get upset in the midst of stretches that result in a 1-4 record, but team owners and management are rarely as reactive.

Zac Taylor is going to stay awhile. On Wednesday morning, the Bengals announced a brand new extension for their head coach that will take him through the 2026 season. 

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“Zac has come into the league and worked to develop the foundations for a winning program that can be successful over time,” said Bengals president Mike Brown. “The fruits of Zac’s efforts were seen this year, and Zac is well-regarded by our players and coaches. I know the effort and passion Zac brings to the building and to our team, and I am pleased by his approach. And I think the city of Cincinnati sees him the way the players and I do. He’s brought excitement to the town and deserves credit and recognition for that.”

The news comes as no surprise, following the Bengals’ Super Bowl appearance. After years of disappointing finishes, the Bengals are clearly on the right track with Taylor at the helm. Of course, the last two years were a different story. Taylor’s teams went 6-25-1 between 2019 and 2020, but the franchise’s decision to stick by him has paid off.

“If I coached in any other organization in football, I probably wouldn’t be here right now in my third year. That’s the truth,” Taylor said during the postseason.

Taylor, 38, became one of the youngest coaches in Super Bowl history this year. With Joe Burrow under center and Offensive Rookie of the Year Ja’Marr Chase at wide receiver, Taylor’s Bengals will head into 2022 as an early championship favorite. Meanwhile, more extensions are expected for coaches including wide receivers coach Troy Walters, D-line coach Marion Hobby, tight ends coach James Casey, DC Lou Anarumo, and OC Brian Callahan.