Joe Burrow, who usually avoids preseason action like a cold plunge, decided it was finally time to change the script. The Bengals quarterback suited up with one clear goal: get this team out of their annual September funk. Even HC Zac Taylor admitted it, saying the team’s trying to avoid another slow start, and early reps could “spark” things.
To be fair, Cincinnati has earned a reputation for snoozing through opening weeks. Burrow’s been part of that problem, starting past seasons sluggishly before ramping up late. So yes, getting some game snaps before Week 1 makes sense. But unfortunately for the Who Dey Nation, the result was the same—the Bengals fell short, losing 34-27 to the Eagles. Not the kind of early momentum the city was craving.
Then came Zac Taylor’s press conference, and it wasn’t pretty. The Bengals’ head coach looked rattled and didn’t hold back. “Never really got a good rhythm there to get on track. Felt like we were behind the sticks quite a bit,” he said, before pointing fingers at the locker room itself. “And just as a whole, I say the communication really just, you know, we had too many guys free. Whether it be the run game, whether it be in protection, on some simple stuff that we shouldn’t have.”
That could’ve been chalked up as honest critique. But Taylor went further, and this is where it got spicy: “This was a team effort in the loss… There’s a lot of things we’ve got to fix as a team.”
Still, let’s not ignore what Burrow brought. After a rocky first pass to Tee Higgins, Joey B dialed in—completing nine straight for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Sure, it came against Eagles backups, but it was a much-needed spark. And maybe the only highlight of the night.
“We’re trying to not show too much (on defense) … This was a team effort in the loss… There’s a lot of things we’ve got to fix as a team.” Zac Taylor
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 8, 2025
Add in Ja’Marr Chase’s electric outing—four catches, 77 yards, one touchdown (plus one nullified by a penalty)—and it wasn’t all gloom. With another preseason tilt on Aug. 18 vs. Washington, and Taylor feels starters need “more preseason snaps than he ever has before,” the Jungle isn’t panicking.
The post Zac Taylor Throws Bengals Locker Room Under the Bus After Joe Burrow’s Embarrassing Loss appeared first on EssentiallySports.
