Among all of the teams who made a coaching change are the Cincinnati Bengals who decided to fire Marvin Lewis after 16 seasons with the team. In his place is Zac Taylor who was hired on in hopes to change the tides of the franchise.
During the Lewis era of the organization, the team made the playoffs seven times but failed to win a single game. There's only so many times you can do the same thing over and over before you say enough is enough.
Therefore, the hiring of Taylor comes as a sense of fresh air for the Bengals franchise. Taylor comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree where was the Los Angeles Rams quarterback coach in 2018. As a result, fans are hoping for Taylor to rejuvenate Andy Dalton under center.
The Bengals are in a tough place but if Taylor can get everyone on the same page, maybe Cincinnati can take a step in the right direction.
In addition, there are a few players who must take the next step for the Bengals in 2019.
3. John Ross
To some people, John Ross may seem like a lost cause but his talent is too much to give up on just yet. After all, his speed alone can make him a reliable weapon in any offense.
Maybe with fresh faces helping with the offense in Taylor and Brian Callahan, Ross can find his groove in the NFL. Since being drafted ninth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, Ross' numbers have been less-than-stellar.
In his rookie season, Ross failed to catch one pass and only managed to muster up 12 yards on the ground. Although, on that very run he fumbled the ball.
Then, last season, Ross improved slightly by bringing in 21 catches for 210 yards and seven touchdowns. The seven touchdowns are nice but he's going to need to produce more all-around as a receiver.
Last year, the Bengals were able to get an improved Tyler Boyd and if Ross can step up as the third option, Cincinnati has something brewing on offense.
2. William Jackson
When discussing the worst defenses in the NFL in 2018, the Bengals absolutely have to be mentioned. Most notably, their passing defense was ranked dead last in the NFL.
Injuries can be part of the blame but not all of the blame can be chalked up to injuries. You don't allow 276 yards passing per game because of just injuries. Nonetheless, guys like William Jackson are ready to make people quickly forget about last season.
Jackson is going to be an absolutely key player for Cincinnati in 2019. Dre Kirkpatrick needs to play well too but this needs to be the year that Jackson makes his name be known. The fourth-year cornerback missed his rookie season in 2016 but has shown his potential in the NFL.
In 2017, Jackson started in just five games but was productive on the field. The young cornerback had one interception, 14 pass deflections, and 25 tackles.
Last season, he was less productive but still showed he can be a cornerstone on a defense.
1. Andy Dalton
Some people may be surprised to see Andy Dalton on this list but it's time for the veteran quarterback to take that next step in his career. He's been a solid quarterback but in Taylor's offense, he could ascend into the next level up.
Throughout his career, Dalton's always had A.J. Green but now he has a few shiny toys to play with. First, Boyd had a breakout season in 2018 and hopefully Ross can find his footing in the new offense.
Dalton is known to put up decent numbers—throwing for 4,000 yards twice—but turnovers have been an issue. The Bengals franchise quarterback will need to clean up some of the sloppy interceptions and fumbles to improve his game.
It's never too late to get better and maybe Callahan and Taylor can provide Dalton with a much-needed spark.
If Dalton and the offense can get going, Cincinnati can begin building the foundation of a winning culture.
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