Postgame Press Conference: Zac Taylor Reacts After Bengals Loss to Jets | NFL Week 8

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Morning, Zoe, got donuts.

SPEAKER_2 (0:02)

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SPEAKER_1 (0:05)

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SPEAKER_2 (0:12)

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SPEAKER_1 (0:23)

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SPEAKER_2 (0:31)

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SPEAKER_3 (0:32)

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SPEAKER_1 (0:40)

So, what do we have for lunch?

SPEAKER_2 (0:41)

Dude, my work here is done.

SPEAKER_4 (0:55)

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Zac Taylor (1:00)

Yeah, not acceptable, humbling for us, certainly. Never got a chance to really break that game open, like we felt like we were capable of. And, you know, two opportunities there at the end of the game to close it out on offense and defensively, to get guys on the ground and tackling wasn't good enough. So we're not going to look at anything and say anything was good enough after that loss and humbling. And we're going to have to really dig deep to bounce back next week. Why did that kind of slip away from you? I don't know. I mean, I wish I had that reason for you. You know, it's just someone's got to step up and make a play. Someone's got to make a play either way, just to separate that game for us. Create turnover, get a guy on the ground, third down win, offensively explosive play in the game.

Just never happened for us.

SPEAKER_8 (1:45)

When the defense started to face adversity, do you feel like it snowballed on that group?

Zac Taylor (1:49)

Yeah, we just need somebody to rise up and make a play. Someone just hold the fort down, you know, and I didn't see enough of that today.

SPEAKER_8 (1:56)

Do you feel like you've got to kind of improve the intangibles there in your first situations like that?

Zac Taylor (2:00)

I think someone needs to step up and lead the group. That's what I'm waiting to see. Someone step up and lead the group and take some accountability over there and get this thing going the right way.

SPEAKER_6 (2:08)

What was your overall message to the team?

Zac Taylor (2:10)

That.

SPEAKER_6 (2:12)

Starting with that, from a partial defense wise, why do you think they were able to get so much on the ground?

Zac Taylor (2:16)

They got a lot of momentum. I mean, it's, they were a dangerous team that way. That was certainly a strength of theirs, you know, with their offensive line, and so again, we just, we weren't good enough. You know, I don't know how many explosives it felt like. It felt like there was a decent amount of explosives there.

SPEAKER_7 (2:36)

You've invested both capital, capitalized, and also in draft picks on the defensive line. How disappointing is the pass rush?

Zac Taylor (2:43)

Yeah, we need, we need somebody to step up and win some one-on-ones.

SPEAKER_6 (2:46)

Is it troubling that this run defense has been going back to the preseason? Seems like y'all didn't get cash.

Zac Taylor (2:51)

That's something we certainly got to improve on.

SPEAKER_9 (2:53)

It looks like Tee was visibly upset coming off the end through his helmet, like, putting it at himself. What was supposed to happen on Joe Blackner's last throw? Was he supposed to go to Yoshi here?

Zac Taylor (3:04)

Yeah, he was, yeah, he was an option there. I don't know what, I mean, he was probably just frustrated we lost.

SPEAKER_6 (3:08)

Was there a thought of maybe going to win without him giving whatever?

Zac Taylor (3:11)

It was a very deft decision right there, you know, and very tough, and Joe was ready to go. I don't think anything Joe did on that last couple of plays was anything that led us to not be able to win. I thought he was fine. He threw away, we were expecting coverage, didn't get it, threw it away, and the other one to Yoshi. I didn't exactly see what it looked like, but I didn't feel like.

SPEAKER_7 (3:36)

Zac, who are some guys you see on the defense, or at least?

Zac Taylor (3:39)

Yeah, we just need guys to step up. We just need some guys to step up. I'm not going to sit here and name names. We just need guys to step up.