Stephen A. Smith calls for investigation into Bengals HC Zac Taylor's offseason plans

Zac Taylor arrived at a franchise that hadn't registered a divisional-round appearance since 1990 and helped them to a Super Bowl. In 2023, with a backup quarterback playing for much of the year, Taylor managed to deliver a winning season.

However, a troubling pattern has emerged for the Bengals coach. In 2023, the team started 1-3 and went on to miss the playoffs. In 2024, the Bengals started 0-3 before ripping off a run to get over .500 at 9-8. However, they once again failed to secure a playoff berth.

On Tuesday's edition of "First Take," NFL analyst Stephen A. Smith highlighted the problem. He also suggested that offseason preparation played a role in the Bengals' early-season struggles.

"Their problem is that in the Zac Taylor era, they start out 1-11, you know, to start the season. It's automatic that they're going to lose the first two games. They'll be in a hole to start the season. I think there needs to be an investigation (into) what Zac Taylor and his staff are doing in the offseason. Why the hell are you never ready to start the season?"

Exploring potential cause of Zac Taylor's September struggles

Zac Taylor at Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers - Source: Imagn

The Cincinnati Bengals coach has a pattern that is worrying. However, the question is what the coach has been doing wrong to bring the team to this point. The answer for what went wrong in September might not be in that month.

Zac Taylor is a disciple of Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, who lets his starters rest in the preseason.

While Taylor doesn't go to the extreme of McVay and rest them throughout, he did keep Joe Burrow and many other starters out for an extended period.

Burrow threw just seven passes in the entire preseason. Those passes only came in the first preseason game, leaving a month between then and Week 1. Matthew Stafford's Rams have a similar September issue. They started 1-3 in 2024 and hit top gear later in the season.

To avoid another slow start, the Cincinnati Bengals might want to take a bit more risk and get their starters on the field more.