The high from good news has already morphed into frustration for Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals after an ugly Week 1 loss.
Days after locking up franchise quarterback Joe Burrow to a record-breaking contract extension, Taylor's Bengals laid an egg on the road against the Cleveland Browns.
“We didn’t handle the field position or the conditions well enough.” Taylor lamented after the game, courtesy of Enquirer's Charlie Goldsmith. It was raining for much of the day in Cleveland, producing wet, ugly conditions.
The precipitation clearly had a negative effect on what the Bengals wanted to do on offense, something Taylor noted. “It’s a real challenge when the passing game is going to be like that.”
Fresh off becoming the highest paid quarterback in the NFL, Burrow had a miserable day against the Browns' defense. His final statline: 14-for-31 for just 82 yards and zero touchdowns. He also took two sacks for 15 yards.
Burrow's performance was so ugly that Taylor eventually opted to pull the quarterback with the game out of hand in the 4th quarter. Jake Browning came in to finish up the game under center for Cincy. It should be noted that Burrow has been battling a calf injury for weeks, which may have affected his performance.
The Bengals offense as a whole did not even break the 200-yard mark.
Seen as Super Bowl contenders due in large part to their explosive offense, the loss is a major setback. Divisional games hold such importance on the NFL schedule, and losing to the AFC North rival Browns could have major consequences as the season plays out.
For his part, Taylor seemed unconcerned despite the dud of a performance. For now, he is keeping the faith. “This isn’t the team that we are going to be. We all understand that,” the fifth-year head coach said after the game, per The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr.
Bengals fans sure hope Taylor is correct after an uninspiring start to the 2023 season.