The Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday kept their playoff hopes alive with a win over the Denver Broncos. But that did not spare Bengals head coach Zac Taylor from being criticized over his poor clock management.
The Bengals scored a touchdown to go ahead 24-17 over the Denver Broncos with 1:29 left at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Quarterback Joe Burrow scored his second rushing touchdown of the season on a QB sneak with the Bengals facing 2nd-and-goal at the 1.
Burrow sneaks for the lead with 1:29 left!
📺: #DENvsCIN on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/eP9p2IA2pN— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024
While Burrow went viral for his fun touchdown celebration, several Bengals fans on X wished he had never scored at all. Some felt that Taylor should have opted for Burrow to take a knee twice to milk the clock. Then Cincinnati could have kicked a field goal with minimal time left for Denver to come back and score.
ok zac you’re gonna manage the clock and not give denver enough time to score here right?”
zac taylor: pic.twitter.com/3oOc6TgDMA
— Annie Agar (@AnnieAgar) December 29, 2024
Zac Taylor and the entire Bengals coaching staff should be fired before the overtime for that absolutely idiotic clock management.
— Gerry Callahan (@GerryCallahan) December 29, 2024
I have no idea how Zac Taylor has a head coaching job. Another guy who has no clock management and situational awareness. pic.twitter.com/YkMjN05fMa
— Scott Reichel (@ReichelRadio) December 29, 2024
I've said all year that Zac Taylor has replaced Brandon Staley as the worst coach in the NFL.
That clock management at the end of this game against the Broncos sure didn't change my mind on that.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) December 29, 2024
Luckily for Taylor, Burrow erased his mistake by coming up big in the overtime period. The Bengals QB found Tee Higgins for a game-ending 3-yard TD to keep Cincinnati’s playoff hopes alive.
Taylor gave all the credit to Burrow after the game.
“I don’t know that anybody can stand on the field and watch Joe Burrow and say he’s not the best player in the world,” Taylor told reporters during his postgame press conference.
It’s hard to disagree with Taylor given Burrow’s performance on Saturday.
Burrow went 39/49 for 412 yards with 3 touchdowns. It’s his eighth straight game with at least 250 passing yards and 3 passing touchdowns.
