The Cincinnati Bengals are creating history, just not the right kind. They stumbled into Week 3 with a 34-3 deficit to the Minnesota Vikings by halftime. That 31-point hole has tied for the worst halftime collapse in Bengals’ history, dating all the way back to 1970. By the fourth quarter, not much had changed. The scoreboard read: Bengals 10, Vikings 48, a blowout that sealed Minnesota’s Week 3 victory.

The Bengals’ disastrous first half included four costly turnovers, the third time since 2000 they’ve given the ball away that many times before halftime. And two of them turned directly into Vikings touchdowns. One of the worst openings a team could hope to avoid.

So, Tee Higgins’ mom, Camilla Stewart, sparked controversy by calling for the Bengals to fire head coach Zac Taylor following their humiliating first-half performance. Posting on X, she bluntly wrote, “Get him out of here.” The post is cryptic and doesn’t directly mention who it is for, with fans asking her to clarify. But looking at the way the Bengals performed, it has to be for the coach. 

The players behind the costly mistakes? Ja’Marr Chase, Noah Fant, and Samaje Perine fumbled, and Jake Browning threw an interception. Taylor addressed the media and said, “Anytime you have four turnovers in the first half, two for touchdowns, one as you’re trying to run out the clock at the end of half, it’s unacceptable.” He vowed to fix the issues, adding, “So we’ve got to get it fixed. We’ve got to play hard the second half. Obviously the score is what the score is. We’ve got a lot of pride to play for right now.” 

Isaiah Rodgers was the catalyst behind the Vikings’ domination, making play after play that shattered the Bengals’ offense. He forced three turnovers and scored two touchdowns himself, all in the first half. Rodgers became the first player in NFL history to return an interception and a fumble for touchdowns and force two fumbles in a single game. 

For a Bengals offense struggling without Joe Burrow at center to find a single rhythm, facing a defensive show like that was more than they could handle.

Zac Taylor’s take on Browning

Just days before the Vikings debacle, Zac Taylor had spoken highly of Browning, who took over at quarterback after Joe Burrow’s turf toe injury. Taylor praised Browning’s increase in vocal leadership and confidence since stepping in as QB1. “His voice is a little bit louder obviously with thoughts that he has and teammates got familiarity with as well. So been good. You know, it’s first day of install today. We talked a little bit last night as we were game planning. So he’s had a great attitude and so far so good,” Taylor said.

Browning showed some grit, throwing for 241 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions and took a sack. Taylor acknowledged the tough situation, noting how hard it is to enter a game cold without all the practice reps. Still, Taylor seemed optimistic that Browning could lead the Bengals effectively moving forward if he cuts down on the mistakes.

The Bengals’ injury news, however, was not encouraging. Burrow’s turf toe injury is severe enough to require surgery. Losing Burrow is a heavy blow, and Zac Taylor now faces the daunting task of rallying a team that seems to be unraveling.