Cincinnati’s injury report keeps growing longer, while Zac Taylor’s patience keeps getting shorter. The Bengals‘ head coach didn’t hold back his frustration heading into Monday night’s preseason matchup against Washington, calling out his entire team’s execution while dealing with mounting health concerns across the roster.

Guard Cordell Volson won’t suit up after suffering a shoulder injury, derailing his competition for the starting right guard position. The timing couldn’t be worse for Volson, who needed quality preseason tape to solidify his spot in Cincinnati’s offensive line hierarchy. Edge rusher Myles Murphy joins him on the sidelines, along with Geno Stone, Mike Gesicki, and Jermaine Burton.

Taylor’s patience is thinning. When addressing the team’s recent performance, he said, “Better attention to detail… there were so many foolish things we did… that part was really disappointing… I expect to see us much cleaner operationally in this game.” he declared about Monday’s Washington matchup. The coach’s public criticism sent shockwaves through the organization, particularly his willingness to call out veteran leadership.

Eight penalties for 68 yards plagued Cincinnati against the Eagles, including pre-snap mistakes that extended Philadelphia drives unnecessarily. Taylor’s frustration boiled over as he watched basic fundamentals crumble during what should have been a smooth tune-up game. The injury situation complicates Taylor’s roster evaluation process. “I think Myles is one of those guys probably in the week-ish range,” Taylor said about Murphy’s timeline. “We’ll see kind of where it ends up in the preseason. You want to be cautious. We’re not going to throw him out there for a preseason game, but it’s nothing long-term [or] significant.”

Cornerback DJ Turner II sits questionable for Monday’s game, while wide receiver Jermaine Burton’s status hangs in limbo pending Saturday’s evaluation. Despite the mounting casualties, Taylor plans to give Joe Burrow and the starters significant first-quarter action against Washington. The approach mirrors their Philadelphia opener, where Burrow’s offense scored two touchdowns in the first 12 minutes before Taylor pulled his key players.

First-round pick Shemar Stewart gets his chance to shine with the starting defense, taking advantage of Murphy’s absence to prove he belongs with the first-team unit. Cornerbacks Cam Taylor-Britt and Dax Hill will finally see action after sitting out the Eagles game completely. Taylor ditched joint practices this preseason, believing internal work serves Cincinnati better than external competition. His decision paid dividends during camp preparation, allowing coaches to focus on fundamentals rather than game-planning against opponents. When Zac Taylor’s patience with his team’s sloppy play runs thin, the reality is his own coaching seat is getting scorching hot in Cincinnati.

Zac taylor’s coaching future depends on September turnaround

Cincinnati’s championship window is closing fast, and Zac Taylor knows it. The Bengals’ head coach enters his sixth season carrying the burden of early-season failures that have defined his tenure since 2019. Taylor’s shocking statistic tells the whole story—just one victory in the first two weeks of any regular season across five years of coaching. That dismal September record has created a vicious cycle where Cincinnati constantly plays catch-up football. The Bengals went 7-14-1 during September games under Taylor, transforming potential playoff runs into desperate late-season scrambles. Even with a Super Bowl appearance in 2021 and a near-miss the following year, consecutive 9-8 seasons exposed the cost of sluggish starts.

Taylor’s preseason strategy shift offers hope for breaking the early-season hex. His decision to play starters more extensively against Philadelphia produced immediate results, with Joe Burrow orchestrating two touchdown drives in the game’s opening minutes. The offensive firepower remains elite, with Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins forming one of the league’s most dangerous trios. Defense continues to plague Cincinnati’s championship aspirations. Bottom-10 defensive rankings over the past two seasons have created impossible pressure on Burrow’s offense to score 30-plus points weekly. Taylor’s job security directly correlates with fixing those defensive breakdowns while maintaining offensive excellence.

The math is simple for Taylor—another September collapse likely ends his Cincinnati tenure. With elite quarterback play and championship expectations, the Bengals can’t waste another season digging out of early holes. Taylor’s coaching legacy hinges entirely on whether Cincinnati finally starts fast when games actually matter in September.