After a 9-8 ‘24 season, the Bengals were missing a little bit of that fire that came with the arrival of HC Zac Taylor. With Joe Burrow coming off his career-best season, and Taylor entering his 7th year as the Bengals’ coach, the expectations are high for the HC to deliver a Big W to his team. As Taylor navigates a season full of heat and scrutiny, the veterans believe that old fire is still burning bright. For OT Orlando Brown Jr., there’s no better place to be than with the Bengals.

After playing under two of the most dynamic coaches in the league – Andy Reid and John Harbaugh – Brown came to the Bengals. And even after spending 5 long seasons under Reid and Harbaugh, Brown’s favorite coach today remains Zac Taylor. And as Brown sees it, the HC isn’t going to shy away from breaking barriers this season. Especially when it comes to securing a big win for his team. 

On Sports with Strawberry Ice, Orlando Brown Jr. shared what it’s been like for him to play for Zac Taylor. Brown wasted no time praising his coach. “Zac is awesome, man. He’s really personable, you know? He’s easy to talk to and the thing I love about him the most is he’s not scared to try something new, to take somebody else’s perspective to ask a question about a scheme or something related in the building… always looking to grow and get better and, you know, he’s an alpha male.” Way back in 2019, when Zac Taylor first took the helm for the Bengals, he’d noted that he wanted to build a “connected” team. He also shared his vision of wanting to “bring great things to this city and to this franchise.” And he started to deliver just that at first.

The improvements were visible right from 2019, and the next year marked the arrival of Joe Burrow under center. With Burrow leading the fray, the bigger changes were visible. In 2021, the Bengals entered the Super Bowl for the first time since 1988. They didn’t win. But they brought the same heat in 2022 as well, winning their second straight AFC North division title. This was also the year Burrow got his first Pro Bowl selection. But ‘21 & ’22 were the only two years the Bengals saw the postseason under Taylor. And with the numbers steadily dropping, the ‘25 season finds Taylor on the hot seat with very high stakes.

“Make-or-break” – Zac Taylor’s ’25 season struggles

Through his time with the Bengals, Zac Taylor holds a record of 37-44-1 (regular season). And after two straight 9-8 seasons, analysts don’t see a good run forming for Taylor’s future with the Bengals. CBS’s Tyler Sullivan recently added Taylor to the list of coaches facing the most pressure this season. With Taylor ranking 3rd on the pressure list, there are writings on the wall. As Sullivan put it, “Taylor will need to get the Bengals back into the playoffs to keep his job, and it’s no sure thing he’ll be able to do that.” The Bengals have missed the playoffs for two years in a row. And with their rivals packing serious heat, things don’t bode well for Taylor.

Lamar Jackson is gearing up to explode with the Ravens. There’s also the added threat of Aaron Rodgers aiming to make a great last season of his career with the Steelers. As for the Bengals, they are dealing with two contract disputes – one with Trey Hendrickson and the other with Shemar Stewart. And with trade clouds swirling around Hendrickson, the Bengals’ defense will find itself without a key piece. As per Sullivan, the offense might not have a good chance either. “Last season, the Bengals lost six games despite the offense scoring 25 points. They also lost two games despite a 38-point output from the offense. All of that doesn’t exactly bode well for Taylor in what feels like a make-or-break season.”

If the Bengals are knocked out of playoff contention for a third year in a row, Taylor will have drawn the short straw. But if he can adapt and follow through on Orlando Brown’s vote of confidence and bring that “alpha” game, we may be looking at a longer run for Taylor. There’s also Burrow’s historic ‘24 records that give hope to the Bengals. It will all depend on how the season turns out. Make or break? Which do you think it will be?