The Cincinnati Bengals fell for their fourth straight game in a 27-18 loss to the Green Bay Packers this Sunday. Though freshly signed quarterback Joe Flacco was impressive in his Bengals debut, head coach Zac Taylor created a more complex picture in his postgame presser.

On one hand, Taylor praised the veteran quarterback for his composure, saying, “He had a lot of confidence… got into a rhythm. He knows where to find Ja’Marr and Tee… and it paid off for us.” On the other hand, he’s “sick” after the defeat and held the offense accountable for not showing up.

Even in the loss, Flacco’s arrival did bring some positives for the squad. He gave a real chance to the Bengals to fight in this game by completing 29 of 44 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. Taylor specifically addressed the shortage of complementary football, pointing out that although the offense perked up, the defense did not keep pace.

“He [Flacco] was definitely ready,” Taylor said.

The Bengals’ HC’s take on this move signifies that the team needs to come together as one unit and complete their assigned tasks in all phases of the game. Flacco’s debut featured 17 plays, a 78-yard opening-second-half touchdown march, the Bengals’ longest scoring drive of the season. That drive devoured more than 10 minutes of the clock and culminated with Flacco lofting a dart to tight end Tanner Hudson for his first touchdown in a Bengals jersey.

”In the moment, you’re just trying to keep it simple, take it one play at a time,” Flacco explained after the game. “I kind of kept telling myself that on the sideline today… If you’re able to do that consistently, then you’re going to put yourself in it down the stretch.”

The Bengals briefly made it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter, as Flacco connected with Ja’Marr Chase on a 19-yard touchdown before a successful two-point conversion to Chase Brown cut the deficit to 24-18. But Green Bay answered with a 39-yard field goal that sealed the win, and a late 56-yard attempt by Evan McPherson came up short, ending Cincinnati’s hopes.

While the head coach was all praises for their veteran quarterback, he had a blunt message for his locker room.

Zac Taylor is ”sick after that loss”

The Bengals’ head coach didn’t mince words while addressing the media after their loss to the Packers.

“Sick after that loss… It wasn’t overall good enough… There’s no consolation there. We expected to win,” Taylor said.

The loopholes in Cincinnati were very obvious, especially in the first half. They went scoreless in the first quarter, trailing the Packers by 10-0. Although Flacco found momentum before the break, a potential record-breaking 67-yard field goal by McPherson was negated by a Green Bay timeout. The subsequent attempt was short.

Cincinnati’s head coach decried the absence of coordination between the offense and defense, an issue that’s haunted the team during their losing streak. “The offense had those four possessions that generated offense and gave us a chance there to take a lead, take a tie to halftime,” he said. “Defense just couldn’t quite get off the field…..”

The Packers offense, led by Jordan Love, who threw for 19 of 26 for 256 yards and a touchdown, took advantage of the Bengals’ collapse. RB Josh Jacobs made sure that the Bengals’ defense remains unsettled. He added 93 yards and two touchdowns. Although Ja’Marr Chase tried to balance the defense with 10 catches for 94 yards, it still failed to stand out.

Taylor’s message was unambiguous: progress in isolated locations isn’t the norm. “Good to see pieces that we can lean into and continue to grow,” he stated. “But losing this game on the road — there’s no consolation there.”

As the Bengals fall to 2-5, the panic button is near for the Bengals. Flacco’s addition gives a sense of stability and veteran presence at the quarterback position, but until the offense, defense, and special teams come together, only Flacco won’t be enough to save the game.