Zac Taylor on Bengals' Season Finale, Playing Starters and Joe Flacco
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00:00 Yeah, I think they're both sore coming out of the game. You know, we'll see where
00:03 they go over the course of the week. Jamar's probably a little further along
00:06 than Tee. We'll just play it in today.
00:11 We're gonna try to win this game.
00:15 How important is it to finish with a winning record?
00:17 Is that something that you can hang your hat on?
00:19 I know the playoffs is obviously the ultimate goal in the Super Bowl, but what's the winning record?
00:24 Winning period. Winning period. I mean, we wear it all week when we lose.
00:28 It's way better to win for everybody's, you know, and so that's our
00:33 plan is to do everything we can to win the game.
00:35 How frustrating is it when your fans talk about, "Oh, you know, it'd be nice to get another loss, it's a hard draft pick."
00:39 I don't hear that. So that's the first I've heard of it. So we isolate ourselves from that.
00:44 So it's not frustrating. We just control what we control and try to win every game.
00:47 Do you think you can underestimate how much time you've dealt with it, how much it really matters to everybody who's really done it?
00:53 I can't speak to any of that. Again, it's we do our best to isolate ourselves to where we know what's important.
00:57 We know how hard we work. I know how much time I enjoy with this staff and this team.
01:03 And we owe it to ourselves. We certainly owe it to our fans who have supported us through thick and thin,
01:08 you know, and been there every step of the way. And that is obviously representing our franchise the right way.
01:13 And, you know, making something that our fans are proud of is important, but also just as important as all the work we put in together,
01:20 you know, ending on the right note with a win. That matters a lot to us.
01:24 You have multiple guys that are close to the milestone. Jamar Small catches away from 100, Trey Tyler, and Saks.
01:31 Are you aware of that going into an alley like this?
01:34 You know, I think when all these guys are playing and doing everything they can to help us win,
01:41 some of that stuff takes care of itself sometimes. I've been in situations over 20 years where you try to force things,
01:49 and it just creates really frustration as a team, not just because you try to go out of your way to do something.
01:55 And it can set you back a little bit. So you just let things happen naturally.
01:59 And if guys hit those, obviously you're proud of those guys for the work they've put in over the course of the last year,
02:06 over the course of their career to get to where they're at. Love to assist with that any way we ever can.
02:11 But that is a lesson I've learned. I remember one time in college we were trying to get a rusher, you know,
02:16 get 1,000 yards in the season or X consecutive 100-yard rushing games, and we kept feeding them.
02:21 When he needed like four yards, we just kept losing yardage, you know, and setting ourselves back.
02:25 And it just created frustration. So lesson learned on that. We'll just let everything always happen organically.
02:32 Is that factor playing guys at all?
02:35 I don't think everyone's listening to me. We're trying to win the game.
02:38 So we're playing everybody that will help us win the football game.
02:42 [Inaudible]
02:48 Yeah, we'll take those guys day to day. I think Jamar obviously came out with some soreness.
02:52 He got through it. Tee with the new hamstring. So we'll manage him day to day.
02:56 I think Jamar's probably a little bit along here on a Wednesday.
02:59 But we'll just see as we get through practice each day and kind of see where those guys land.
03:03 Looking at the trio Jamar's taken out over several years, anything just coaching those guys that'll keep them going?
03:11 How hard they work, you know, and just there's only one ball and you've got great back, tight ends who have played a great role for us.
03:23 Those three guys and so unselfish.
03:28 You don't obviously they all want to be involved and they want to help the team win.
03:33 And but just the limited amount of frustration you deal with from superstars like that is unprecedented, I feel like.
03:40 And so I don't take that for granted. I understand how hard they work and they're focused on helping this team win.
03:49 And you don't hear much about individual accolades from those guys.
03:53 And so it's just really proud of, you know, the job Troy Walters does with that and all the position position coaches.
04:01 But but it starts with those guys being made of the right stuff and understanding what we're trying to achieve here.
04:05 And and so, again, very appreciative of, you know, you spoke about those three.
04:11 But really, as a team and just how unselfish these guys are is is tremendous.
04:16 20 years from now, you're coaching receivers and putting rosters together.
04:20 Is there anything you might reflect on from Jamar's team?
04:24 Well, when your best players work as hard as they do, that that filters throughout the team, filters throughout the receiver room,
04:29 filters throughout the offense, filters throughout the entire team.
04:32 And so, again, when your best players are willing to go out on the practice field and work as hard as anybody else and put in,
04:39 put in and and represent the team that the way that they do.
04:42 I think that's what you take away is, is that's a great way to build a team and, you know,
04:48 experience success when your players are willing to do that.
05:00 I can't make the comparisons, but really happy to be coaching those guys, you know,
05:08 and I'm certainly not putting any sort of finality on that.
05:11 It's it's I enjoy being around those guys.
05:13 I think the whole team enjoys being around them.
05:15 They've got great presence about them, really good personalities.
05:18 And and again, represent this this franchise the right way.
05:21 Lou was talking about the fact that you guys have had explosive plays on defense, allowed them,
05:28 but still there's no pointing the finger at the sideline.
05:31 Everybody keeps their composure.
05:33 How much of that is the culture you brought in here and kind of established with all veterans and rookies and whatnot?
05:41 I think the starting point has always been what could I have done better, you know, as an individual person?
05:46 And so, yeah, maybe maybe somebody else is making a mistake,
05:48 but could I have communicated something better to help that help that individual?
05:51 Could I have done a little bit more as a as a position group to help that position group?
05:55 And so, you know, it's all we didn't expect to be in this position this year,
06:00 but these guys have still fought to the bitter end, you know,
06:03 and we got one more game to fight and expect that from our guys.
06:06 How hard have you leaned on the culture that you've built here this year?
06:11 I don't I don't know that leaning is the right word.
06:14 You're just you're always preparing for adversity.
06:17 Always. It's so easy, so easy to lead when things are good.
06:21 That's that's you get no indication of who a person is when things are good.
06:24 You have none whatsoever. That's the easiest thing.
06:26 And so it's it's you know, when you face the adversity, that's when you truly because it's hard.
06:30 It's hard to get out of bed. It's hard to face the music. It's hard to to be positive.
06:34 It's hard to lift people up instead of pointing fingers to try to pile on.
06:37 That's really difficult. And so we continue to see that when we've had a two game losing streak.
06:43 And you get a chance to see what these players and these people in this building are really made of.
06:47 And that's been encouraging to me. And so, you know, that's that's it's unfortunate because you don't want to
06:54 you don't want to lose to see the true character shine through.
06:57 But that's what we see. And again, really proud of the way that you guys have handled themselves.
07:09 I do, you know, and I wasn't around TB in his first two years here.
07:14 And so I've kind of heard him talk about that before.
07:17 But I think when you've got a veteran who came in as a talented, talented player, had their had their learning curves,
07:24 had to get a sense of the lay of the land. I think that's helpful when you get new guys coming in.
07:31 And the first, you know, really, T's first rounder, essentially, and guys that come in at the first round.
07:35 You got that veteran in the room who, A, has been a part of what we're doing here offensively and as a team and can kind of help them.
07:42 B, hey, here's what I dealt with as receiver in this league with DBs and how you have to practice.
07:48 It's it's it's it's tough. You got to be ready to go.
07:51 And so I think that that TB's leadership is really critical in that room.
07:55 And he's done a great job with that.
07:57 Is there anything that stands out about Jamal that he has done this year as opposed to the years he's been in the role?
08:05 What have you seen this year?
08:06 You know, it's hard for me to say expanded role.
08:09 He's capable of doing so much. You know, it's you don't hesitate moving him and creating a package and playing him at a different position.
08:16 You don't hesitate because he he never makes the mistake.
08:19 You know, it's it's rare that we even have to redo a walkthrough rep, you know,
08:23 and again, he can play a lot of different positions, do a lot of different things.
08:26 So you just continue to be impressed by that.
08:28 You know, a high level player that is is able to to continue to retain all that that knowledge and is one to one emotion on, you know,
08:38 a million snaps in the game and whatever it does to put our team in a good position.
08:41 He's he's willing to do that. Yeah.
08:50 Yeah, that's appreciative of that, you know, because it's hard.
08:54 That was a physical game. They're going to put their hands on you.
08:57 They're going to have two guys near vicinity quite a bit.
08:59 And and we were going to run the ball, you know, and so you have to get in there and block as well and be a physical game.
09:04 We really challenged our guys in that regard. And so and it's cold.
09:07 It's not fun to be in pain when you're cold and it was cold.
09:10 And so there's just so many things that went into that, that he knows how I feel about it.
09:14 And, you know, again, when your best players are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, that's that's what we're looking for.
09:21 You know, with with our players.
09:32 Yeah, it's that's a hard one to answer. You know, you got to reflect on the season.
09:36 I'm not in reflective mode yet. I think what this this group has shown is a lot of potential, a lot of eagerness, a lot of potential.
09:44 A lot of the things that we were hoping to get when we drafted them.
09:47 We've seen it. And and you don't you don't look at a single guy in this class, say, man, we might have missed there.
09:53 You know, you don't feel that. So, again, we got another game to play and we're expecting those guys to step up big.
09:58 You know, we talked to those guys at the halfway point of the year that their roles, you know, as injuries come and the season goes,
10:04 your roles are only going to continue to get bigger.
10:06 And we're at a point where some of those guys roles are pretty big right now.
10:09 And we expect their best in week 18.
10:16 Lerne, I mean, we knew he had great speed.
10:19 We've seen that again, able to handle handle a little bit more just as his rookie year has gone on.
10:26 Nothing we didn't see earlier. It was just that was a that was a kind of a tricky room and training camp, you know,
10:33 because Travion was hurt. Chase was a rookie.
10:36 So you were kind of trying to get your feel for who's who's going to be able to protect who's going to be first, second down,
10:41 you know, as a compliment to Joe.
10:43 And and so, again, as his role has continued to increase, he's done a great job handling that responsibility and making plays for us.
10:52 You know, when we need him.
11:03 They've always had a lot of talent on that team and and they're playing at a high level right now.
11:08 And again, we have a lot of respect for Jim Schwartz, haven't played him in Philly over the years.
11:13 And he's been in Tennessee the last couple of years.
11:15 So he's done a great job with that unit. And those guys are playing really hard.
11:18 They play with a lot of energy. They have a lot of talent.
11:20 They have a lot of confidence and they've done a good job.
11:23 You don't take anything for granted, you know, and that's I've known that, you know,
11:44 you know that from being in this league for a long time.
11:46 That's that's why you see time teams rise and fall. And we're striving for that consistency of always being a championship team.
11:53 I think what you end up at this point in the year, you take away, you know, week 18.
11:58 We don't get to play in the playoffs. That hurts. You know, that's the first time we've experienced that in a while.
12:02 We don't want to feel that anymore. I think if anything, you just sit there saying, I don't want to.
12:06 We don't want to be talking about playing with energy and, you know, find a way to end on a positive note.
12:10 We want to continue to play. And so you just take away that for the future of.
12:14 Unfortunately, that's the situation we found ourself in. We're going to remember that.
12:18 And I don't think we're going to need any more fuel once the season ends.
12:22 But but I guess you could look at it that way.
12:31 Yeah. Jeff, really smart guy, really great athlete, has had a lot of success, you know,
12:37 in college as a quarterback and played for a lot of teams in this league, gotten some starting experience.
12:41 He's played a lot of football. Very smart. You know, it's for him to come in and he was with Alex Van Pelt.
12:47 So that makes sense, you know, that there's some familiarity there.
12:50 I don't know if he's been with any other coaches on their staff, but Jeff's had a really good career in this league and,
12:55 and, you know, create a lot of value for himself playing different positions over his time.
13:00 And so, again, good opportunity for him.
13:08 Well, I think it's hard to to when you haven't seen a guy play live in a game, it's it's hard to say this is what I expect,
13:15 you know, and it's what you it's you want your back and quarterback to give you a chance.
13:23 And Jake has gone in there and given us a chance. And it's because of how he's prepared.
13:27 It's what we're able to do with him. It's the confidence he gives his teammates.
13:32 I really have enjoyed seeing Jake, the in-game player, you know, just his mentality and his focus and his competitiveness.
13:40 I've really enjoyed that because otherwise, outside of a preseason game, when we all know the end result isn't as significant as it is now,
13:49 it's really good to see him in that environment. And it makes sense.
13:53 That's why he's a record setting high school quarterback, state champion, you know, won a Pac-12 championship.
13:59 I think he's the all time winning Pac-12 quarterback. You know, it's all these things make sense when you're around him and you watch him play in a competitive area
14:05 and how he's prepared himself and, you know, the confidence that his teammates and coaches have in him.
14:15 He's really impressive. You know, it's just I don't know how many times I've gone against a Joe Flacco team in my career, but explosive.
14:24 You know, that's the thing that you always notice with him is it can always happen in one play.
14:28 You know, I remember that Super Bowl run that they had in Baltimore.
14:31 That was always the scary thing is, you know, hitting one of those deep balls, a post route or a go route for a big play that changes the game.
14:36 And they had a great defense to boot with it. So, you know, he was a great fit for that style.
14:41 And he's done a really good job fitting into that system and doing all the things that, you know, those guys wanted him to do.
14:47 And he's had a good run so far there in Cleveland.
14:52 Thank you.