Zac Taylor on Bengals' Win Over Cowboys, Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and More
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00:00Zach, when you first saw the first part of the block, did you have an immediate fear of Greg?
00:04Or did you just kind of watch him play and play himself out?
00:07No, it's not a great feeling.
00:09First of all, you know, that it was something we can't let happen.
00:12But, you know, fortunately, I guess I can say a lot went our way on this one.
00:17You know, and so good job by Boomer there collecting the ball and giving us another chance at it and taking advantage of it.
00:22It was a tough sequence of events leading up to that, that itself.
00:27But again, fortunate that our guys were able to step up and make some plays on the swing game.
00:30Are you happy with getting the losing streak? Are you happy with getting the win?
00:34Yeah, no, no, no. We're going to enjoy this.
00:36You know, and it's a short week, but I'm just so proud of our guys for sticking together, you know, through a lot of adversity over the last month.
00:44Hadn't had this feeling in a while, so we're going to enjoy it for the four hours we get to enjoy it
00:49before we get back to work tomorrow and get ready for Tennessee.
00:51But again, proud of the guys.
00:53The way that they've responded with every practice, every rep, every meeting has been like a team that's in the mix,
00:59in the hunt, you know, all the things we expected to do.
01:01And so, God that they were rewarded with this win tonight.
01:04I know you've maintained the stance that nothing tomorrow does surprises you, but just another dominant performance for him.
01:10What did you think about this?
01:11Yeah, you just can't get him blown up.
01:12You know, we got up to him 14 times and it feels like you can still try to get it to him more.
01:16And we do, trust me.
01:18But, you know, just in those moments, sometimes you just try to keep it simple and get, you know, playmaker right out of the ball and it paid off for us.
01:27Another game, Zach, where it underscores the toughness of Joe Burrow in the pocket.
01:31You talk about the hits he took and what he went through in this game.
01:35Yeah, and this, trust me, it's not even just the physical toughness, it's the mental toughness in this game
01:40because what Zimmer does to you is as hard as it gets, you know.
01:44And especially with a guy like Michael Parsons and a chess piece like that, it's exhausting.
01:48And so, you're exhausted as a coach dealing with it, trying to solve those problems.
01:52I can't imagine what it's like to play quarterback and have to deal with that.
01:55And again, he just, he keeps his composure and keeps moving along and keeps the sticks moving and finds a way to help us win the game.
02:01Was it the game plan to have him drop back, Joe, 44 times or have that many pass attempts?
02:05I mean, is that just the nature of the game?
02:07No, I mean, we have two minutes before the half.
02:08We've got those situations at the end of the game where you want the ball in his hands.
02:12You know, it's just kind of the way the game played out.
02:14But, you know, we did mix it up protection-wise more and tried to mix up the runs as best we could.
02:20But again, sometimes in these type of games, the moment calls, the ball will be in Joe's hand and we won't.
02:25What does it mean long-term for you guys to win a game like this, in a season like this?
02:30It's just, we needed this feeling.
02:32And because those last three locker rooms haven't been like this.
02:36So just to feel that the joy and the week's worth of work has paid off for you.
02:42And then you turn the page and you move on to the next one.
02:45But it helps you during the week, man, just to have this confidence.
02:48We got one and now we've got to go do it again.
02:51Did you feel a snowball effect in the positive direction of the defense in the fourth quarter?
02:55Wilson making plays, Trey obviously.
02:58I mean, guys were playing with confidence, you know, and what they held to.
03:02I guess it was 10 points in the second half because it was 17-10 at halftime.
03:05But they made some big plays for us to step up.
03:08I think Josiah with the sack at the end of the half gave us three points, got us the ball back.
03:12Trey closed out the game at the end with the big sack that put him in a tough spot.
03:16You know, even when we gave up completions, the last five guys were right there making the tackle and everything was contested.
03:21So just really happy for the defense, the way they finished that game off.
03:25Chase Brown was really effective for you tonight.
03:27How much have you liked the way he's grown this year?
03:29He's got to get the ball in his hands.
03:30So, you know, you look at rush attempts and so much of it is just us trying to get the ball to him quick on the perimeter sometimes.
03:35That can replace some tosses.
03:37And so, you know, people look at those pass attempts and 44, whatever.
03:41Those are just quick completions for us to get the ball out there on the perimeter and do that to Jamar, do that to Chase.
03:46Because you saw so many times they just got the ball quickly in their hand and exploded for big games.
03:52So that's just another way to get those guys quick touches.
03:56What was the combo like with you and Doug on that TD that Chase had that wasn't actually called a TD?
04:01What was the combo like with you and Doug on challenging that play whenever, you know, it looked like you might have gotten in but was rolled out?
04:07Yeah, I can't see. You know, Doug and I are the only people that can't see.
04:11So we were just rolling out on the guys upstairs and they did a good job with the feedback that it appeared that it was a touchdown.
04:17So that's why we challenged it.
04:19It looks like he's just been really explosive in the whole yard and he just ran really aggressive all season.
04:23How big has that been for y'all offensively and how much has that enabled y'all to get some plays that maybe y'all haven't been able to get previously?
04:28Yeah, you just break through that second level and he's got a chance to take to the house, you know.
04:32And so again, it's just he's doing a good job as the game gets going, feeling those holes and hitting them fast.
04:37And then you're up on the second level, third level quickly and there's some explosive plays to be had there.
04:41You said you can't get the ball to Chase enough.
04:44Were there some plays tonight where it was maybe kind of looking a little too much for some of the interception?
04:50No, I don't know that it was.
04:54I don't know if it warranted interference necessarily, but I think he is watching up off a little bit.
05:00I don't think there's anything that should be called necessarily.
05:03We'll have to watch that to see what it looked like.
05:05But no, I mean, we're going to try to keep it informed and I'm never going to feel like it's too much.
05:10What were they doing to make that such an obvious game plan outside of you guys can move Jamar around, obviously find ways to get him open.
05:16But were they doing something that you felt like that was where you just keep hammering over and over again?
05:21No, I mean, we just try to make him the primary as much as possible.
05:25And just, you know, we gave him touches on Jet sweeps and quick perimeter throws.
05:29And, you know, Joe Jet took a couple of those quick throws to Kisecki and Jamar as well.
05:34And again, you got to give them credit.
05:38It's a good team. They fight the right way.
05:41They have a really good coaching staff. They make it hard on you.
05:45I've got so much respect for Zack Zimmer.
05:47And it's exhausting. It's exhausting during the week getting ready for him.
05:50It's exhausting during the game playing against him.
05:52And I'm just happy we ended up on top of that.
05:55Were there any conversations, Zack, with Joe when he got dinged up, face-masked, and put that sleeve on his left knee?
06:03Were there any conversations there?
06:05Don't ask questions you don't know the answer to.
06:08I guess Mooma gets a game off.
06:10I guess.
06:12What?
06:15You gotta watch the whole play.
06:17Zack, you said last week that you thought the money that's in the law environment and everything that comes with that could be a good thing for you guys.
06:23Other than, you know, the reward that the players have for the work they put in, like you were talking about,
06:30do you feel like you conveyed anything meaningful about what this year's team is about?
06:34I think just it's an opportunity for the world to see that we're going to keep fighting.
06:38You know, this is who we are.
06:41We've got a chance to stow that at times in all three phases.
06:43And so when the bagels walk on the field, you know, you're going to get our best shot.
06:47And I'm happy that we got a win.
06:49But again, now it's a short week.
06:51And we're certainly not going to overlook the team we're about to play.
06:54I've got all I can expect for Tennessee.
06:56So we've got to turn the page very quickly and get ready for these guys.
06:58Zack, what did it say, though?
07:00Mooma did look like he gave up the block, but then he fought his way back downfield to get around the ball.
07:03Yeah, he didn't quit on the play.
07:05And so, again, that's something to be said for that.
07:08We've obviously got to make the correction and can't have the first part of the play.
07:10But we're one of the events there that got us the ball back and out of school.
07:15I know we ask you about Chamar all the time.
07:17But do you allow yourself as a coach when you have these primetime games when he makes the plays that he does?
07:22And then, I don't know if you saw, but he had this moment with Joe postgame where they're like shoving a donut on each other.
07:27And, you know, they're just so happy.
07:29Do you allow yourself to just, you know, take a moment to soak in, like, that you're coaching him at his prime?
07:34I don't take that for granted for one second.
07:37I really don't.
07:38And so, the last play was the simplest play we can ever call.
07:43I've been around that place for 30 years.
07:45It's as easy as it gets.
07:46They want to install him.
07:47And you're just trying to keep it simple, give the ball to a guy like that that you know can change the game.
07:51And that's what he did.
08:06You