Postgame Press Conference: Zac Taylor, Joe Burrow React to Bengals Shutout Loss to Ravens

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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Zac Taylor (0:57)

Yeah, frustrating, you know, it really starts with our offense getting shut out. That's not who we are. That's unacceptable. Never saw that coming. You know, I think we had five trips to their side of the field and came away with no points. And just, again, as a play caller, that starts with me. When you walk away with no points, there's a huge amount of accountability that I got to take for that. But it was just overall a very frustrating day. I think we did some things that were very unorthodox on offense for us, you know, just penalties, silly penalties that were controllable on our end.

You know, in some possessions where we had opportunities at points and didn't walk away with anything, it was frustrating.

SPEAKER_4 (1:37)

What are your thoughts on the team's effort?

Zac Taylor (1:40)

Well, I thought defensively, I saw some really good things. I mean, they pressured him. He didn't have a lot of time in the pocket with three or four sacks, got a turnover, had an opportunity, had another one, I know. They got us on a zero beater, you know, where we were something we'd practice, we were ready for it, and they still got us for touchdown. So there was some, held him three points in the second half, you know, if my memory serves correctly. So there was some effort, you know, that's, I didn't see a lack of effort. I just saw a lack of attention to detail, maybe, on offense. That really showed up. That was disappointing.

SPEAKER_5 (2:14)

What do you think is the reason for so many drops today and how big were those drops?

Zac Taylor (2:18)

Yeah, but it was everything. You know, it wasn't just drops. It was, I think, everybody involved in the offense has got to own up to that performance today.

SPEAKER_6 (2:30)

Zac, Joe had kind of a unique down to meter on Wednesday. Did you notice anything different from him this week? No.

SPEAKER_7 (2:36)

You had a lot of conviction after Pittsburgh that you guys were going to be in this until the very end. Is it stunning the fact that you're sitting here with three weeks to go?

Zac Taylor (2:46)

Yeah, I think it's frustrating to score zero points, get shut out of home. That's unacceptable.

Never in a million years would I have seen that come. But that's what happened today. So now we're going to look at why that happened and we've got to be accountable for it and keep moving forward.

SPEAKER_8 (3:03)

Zac, why do you think you and your group of coaches, administration, top to bottom, are the right group over here?

Zac Taylor (3:10)

Yeah, I believe in everybody we got.

SPEAKER_7 (3:14)

You're down 17-0.

SPEAKER_5 (3:15)

I believe that drive that ended in the pick six took like eight minutes.

SPEAKER_7 (3:19)

Anything you guys could have done there to try to speed that up?

Zac Taylor (3:22)

We had some personnel issues, certainly, with some injuries that we were trying to balance there. Moments, we went tempo. Moments, we decided to huddle and try to make sure we got points on the board.

SPEAKER_9 (3:30)

So otherwise, you all have been eliminated from playoff contention since 2020 How tough is that?

Zac Taylor (3:36)

It's frustrating. This is a team that I thought was a talented team that was going to have a chance to do big things this year.

SPEAKER_4 (3:40)

What was your message in the locker room just now?

Zac Taylor (3:43)

Very similar.

SPEAKER_9 (3:45)

Was Joe Sharpen practiced throughout the week?

Zac Taylor (3:47)

Yes.

SPEAKER_9 (3:48)

How do you feel like you played today?

Zac Taylor (3:50)

I'll let him speak to that, but I know that there's some plays that he's going to want to come back.