Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor is trying to bring a different culture around that revolves around winning. The NFL is all about winning but Taylor is trying to make it about winning and not just on the football field.
It also trickles all the way down to the reserves and not just the starters trying to win. On Thursday as the team was wrapping up minicamp it was the reserves competing against eachother while the first and second teamers watched.
“That was a good one,” Taylor said, via John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “So you just take that idea, and you do some other stuff on the field and try to create your own scoring systems. Again, when it’s scripted the guys are out there and, yeah, they’re giving their all. But it’s a little bit different when there’s something on the line. And it’s competitive, and there’s a scoring system in place. So we just want to provide as much competition as possible.”
After over a decade of Marvin Lewis, it seems that players are enjoying the new style of coaching and a different voice. Running back Joe Mixon has noticed how much Taylor has been preaching competition, effort, and attitude.
“That’s pretty much what coach Taylor has been preaching, make sure you have effort and attitude every day,” running back Joe Mixon said. “Be ready to learn in the classroom, then when we get on the field, be ready to put it all on the field. We come out there being very competitive, doing the things we gotta do. We’re going to be like that all season. We gotta keep up.”
The competition just hasn't been on the field though. On Thursday before practice, the team played “The Price is Right” and made it important that they won.
This doesn't automatically mean that the team is going to start winning games once the regular season comes around, but a change in a culture is a positive step in the right direction.
Follow Us
Subscribe