Thursday, Jan 27, 2022. 4:49 PM
Don’t miss the match between the Bengals and the Chiefs, Sunday at 3 p.m., on RDS and RDS Direct.
Avant-match Bengals-Chiefs
CINCINNATI — Despite two miserable seasons in which his team posted an overall record of 6-25-1, Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown kept Zac Taylor as head coach.
Ahead of the 2021 season, Brown expressed his unwavering support for Taylor, but also made it clear he wanted to see results soon.
The 86-year-old owner’s patience was rewarded with a division title and now the Bengals are one win away from their first Super Bowl appearance in 33 years.
Taylor thanked Brown for his confidence as he presented him with the game ball after the first playoff win.
“If I was coaching in another organization, I wouldn’t be here third year,” said Taylor, 38. It’s the truth. »
Taylor got the first-round picks he wanted in Joe Burrow in 2020 and Ja’Marr Chase in 2021, with both players becoming stars.
Taylor will face Andy Reid, who led Kansas City to the AFC Championship Game for the fourth straight time, on Sunday.
“Things weren’t going so well last year and he hung on and made some changes,” Reid said. He has done a great job this season. »
Cincinnati won a postseason game for the first time in three decades in the first round, then won a first-ever road playoff game last Saturday in Nashville, courtesy of Evan McPherson’s last-second field goal.
The Bengals now travel to Kansas City to face a team that has been to the Super Bowl for the past two seasons and won it two years ago.
Taylor was the quarterbacks coach for the Rams when he was picked by Cincinnati to clean it up after Marvin Lewis was fired after 16 seasons. The team began to move on from familiar faces like Andy Dalton, AJ Green, Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap and Giovani Bernard.
Jessie Bates was in her second campaign when Taylor was hired in 2019.
“We have very good coaches who put us in a great position. (Zac) really wants the players to take matters into their own hands, said Bates, a safety. I’m grateful to have a head coach who has that mentality. »
The Bengals went 2-14 in Taylor’s first season, then the 2020 season was marred by injuries, including to Burrow, and coronavirus concerns. The team went 4-11-1.
“This season we came into training camp thinking we could do whatever we had in mind,” Taylor said. We have the talent, the chemistry and the character to succeed. »
