Zac Taylor, Joe Flacco React to Bengals’ 26-20 Loss vs. Patriots

Zac Taylor, Joe Flacco React to Bengals’ 26-20 Loss vs. Patriots

We don’t appreciate losing. It’s it’s it’s it’s an awful feeling. Sick. Um but our guys, they just keep showing up, man. They they keep they keep doing a great job during the course of the week. They keep practicing their tails off. They’re giving everything they can on the field. We just came up short. You saw a different game. You saw guys that have played all year for us. You saw guys that came in there and got their first opportunity. You saw guys that came in there on a one-play notice and guys just kept fighting and we thought we were going to win the game and we came up short. And it’s it’s a sickening feeling. Um but you can’t question the fight for one second and and at some point that’s going to pay off for us. Can we get um some to your decision as to why Joe Burrow didn’t start today? Do you expect him to start on season? We’ll see. I’m not going to declare anything for Thursday yet. Um I thought he put himself in a great position to be ready to play this weekend and the best decision for us was was to wait a couple more days. How’s T Zach? He’s in concussion protocol. Taj uh Taj Brooks um marker got a hamstring and uh Flaco had a a issue with his finger on his throwing hand. Dislocated, popped back in. I I don’t remember. That’s what it that’s what it sounded like at the time. I I can’t remember what the trainers told me. How do you feel like he played overall today, Flaco? Yeah, I I think he continues to just fight for us, man, and give us a chance. and um him and him and a lot of other guys in all three phases today I thought just kept fighting for us and he gave us a chance there at the end of the game. He plays through a lot of pain um and just keeps keeps giving us a chance to win. We just we just haven’t been able to do it as a team yet. What did you see defensively from Al Golden? They fought like crazy. I mean they um a lot of different ways they they didn’t didn’t allow things to be easy for New England. Uh kept fighting them in the goal line stands I think representing who these guys are right now. Just just keep coming back. got a penalty, first and goal on the one, kept fighting, got to stop. And there’s a lot of trust, you know, when they keep playing that way. Um, you know, I I factored in the fourth and one. You know, we didn’t go for fourth and one kind of in our own field position. I think we’re on the minus 40 and felt like we could pin them down in there and get a stop and get the ball back right where we just kicked it from. And so again, I thought those guys fought for us, got a turnover, a pick six, gave us some momentum early in the game and just keep believing in those guys. They’re going to keep fighting for us and finding a way. Late in the game, you’re out there trying to come back. No Jamar, no T. I know no Joe Burrow obviously. I mean, how does that challenge? How does that change the way you approach the calls and how you do a drive like that? Yeah. Uh just a lot of credit to those guys out there because th those personnel groupings aren’t things that we’ve ever operated out of before. for. And so guys, just understanding what position they’re playing, who’s in the game, concepts that most of those guys have not worked all week, at least at the position they were probably playing at the end of the game. Thought the coaches did a great job on the sidelines, the position coaches getting trying to cover every base. I mean, we have to cover the last plays on the move there inside the 30 yard line with guys that have none of those guys have been in that position before. And so, um, you still felt we were going to find a way. I mean, he’s he takes an alert to Mitch for a touchdown, you know, and that’s that’s the kind of game it was where guys just kept stepping up and you kept believing that that eventually um we’re going to find a way to win it and just came up a couple yards short. On the whole, what do you feel like kept the passing game from them for most of the game today? I think you got to give credit to New England first of all. They’re a well coached group. They play hard. They keep try to keep you off balance as much as they can. Um so, you got to give them credit and you know, there were some opportunities. I feel like there was a drive there in the second quarter. Some penalties just just bit us where where I felt like we were getting some good momentum and then ended up having to punt. Um so just I I don’t think there’s one thing you can put your finger on that that limited our rhythm. I do think you got to give New England a lot of credit for that and we just got to find a way to to do a better job there. On the other side, what’d you see out of Jaylen Davis today? His first game up since the record. Nothing that surprised me. That’s JD. I mean JD’s had an unbelievable attitude. Every day he’s been in this building. He’s a fan favorite in the locker room because he just competes. He loves football. He embraces whatever role whether it’s a scout team player on the practice, whatever it is. And then gets his opportunity. Hasn’t played a game all season and goes out there and and fights like crazy, you know, and gets a sack and doing a great job fitting the run game. Draws a holding penalty on a run play, you know, so there there’s a lot to love about JD. Um, and I thought he stepped in there and did a did a nice job for us. What was your message to the team? The same thing I’m just saying. You know, these guys are they’re they’re working. It’s important to them. um they’re not giving up on each other. They keep trying to find a way to win. It’s just been one of those years where we just we haven’t found a way at the end of the game. And that’s been frustrating. It’s frustrating for everybody, but guys aren’t losing hope. Um it’s important to everybody to to just keep at this thing and find a way to get some momentum here. And it’s going to start with one win. And we just haven’t found a way to get that in a while since that Thursday night game. And that’s disappointing. It’s frustrating. It’s heartbreaking. Um, I feel for these guys because they’re giving us everything that we ask them to give us during the course of the week and out there on Sunday and and um just got to find a way to win so we we can remember what that feels like. We’ve asked you about Gino Stone multiple times just for him to come out play the way he did today. Really excited to see that. You know, it’s um especially the turnover early in the game. Finish it in the end zone. Something we’ve been talking about like crazy. It’s going to come to us. We got to finish it in the end zone. We got to finish through the back of the end line. all the things that we’ve been talking about. Um, he did and again he’s just he’s one of those guys that’s going to keep fighting for us and and find a way to find a win here at some point. Zack, at three and eight, what are y’all building momentum for? To just find a win. What do you what have uh you appreciated the most about the way Flaco’s battled this year? I mean, you just you can’t put into words. Um, he you know, he didn’t owe anything to this team. he just showed up, you know, and so he could take the easy way out and and nurse and injury and say, you know, I I need more rest and all that stuff. And he hasn’t. He just keeps walking on the field and pops his finger out. And whatever happened there, I’m hurting your throwing hand is not easy, you know, to go out there and push through that. And Jake’s response, he goes out there, shoots one pass for 15 yards with not a moment’s notice. And so, um, just a lot of examples of guys just just want to do whatever it takes to find a win. Be hesitant to call a pass there with Jake coming in. I mean, he had to run and grab his helmet. There wasn’t there wasn’t a lot of choice there. I mean, we were we were down two scores, I think, at that moment when Jake did it. Um, Jake went in there and did a great job. Bought some time, found the backside crosser, big completion. Appreciate that. What you think kicks from happening? What’s that? You’ve seen a lot of big kicks from Evan right before halftime, a 63 yard, new franchise record. Your thoughts on how that came about and how he hit it? Yeah, he’s in a great rhythm. Has a lot of confidence. I think the operation’s been really good and so we have a lot of confidence in him. So, it’s not surprising, you know, to um for him to take that opportunity that what was it 63 yards? Really didn’t didn’t bat an eye at it. I double checked with Darren just to make sure we’re in good shape there. He he didn’t hesitate. Um and then once we line up for the kick, you just you assume it’s going in. That’s the point you’re at with Evan right now. Go ahead. I know Hopson has it. Thanks. Yeah. Sich’s catch on fourth and seven. Uh first of all, your impression of the catch and then I guess they wanted to get the clock. That was the one right in front of me our sidelines. Yeah. Um yeah, I mean just just you know layered it right over the top. I think it was the nickel right there. Um Mitch did a great job securing it out of bounds. They didn’t touch him, so they end up putting the time back on the clock. But it’s it’s a big moment for us, you know, fourth down and got to make a play and um happy that it stepped up for us. Now, what’s probably the most frustrating thing about not being able to get more wins with this stint with Flaco and Joe? That is the most frustrating thing. Losing Losing is the worst. I mean, it’s the worst. And you we’re accountable for it. We we’re we’re we make all the adjustments we got to make and then you got to turn the page and you got to get ready for the next week. That’s that’s life in the NFL. We got to get ready for Thursday. So, not a lot of time to sit here and um do we just got to move forward and we got to go back to work and I know these guys are going to do that and we got to do it with great energy and belief that we’re going to walk on that field and and go find a win on Thursday night on the road and that’s that’s what we’re going to set forth to do. Started tomorrow morning. With the Burough situation, when did Flaco know he was starting today? Flaco knew on Friday. He knew on Friday he was starting. Exactly. um T going down when he did late in the game. Um we’re obviously going through a short week now and Mitch pops up big catches there in the last couple minutes. Does that does that feel like kind of reassurance just for the passing game overall short? Yeah, I thought I thought a lot of guys stepped up, you know. So again, they they’ve shown that we should have confidence in them, you know, and I think that’s just what’s been built up over there with with a lot of the skilled players on offense is is you put them in, you expect them to make a play, and then they keep showing up for us. With uh with the loss today, I’m sure this question isn’t going to surprise you. There’ll be a lot of talk externally about why the organization feels that it’s in best interest of Joe. If if you do decide to play him, can you just address what what you guys are factoring in with that decision? Yeah, winning is important. We want to win and Joe gives us a great chance to win. And again, Flaco has has given us every every opportunity. We haven’t lost games because of Joe Flacco. He’s gone out there and given us everything and he understands that. Um, that being said, we’ll also be excited to watch Joe Bro. We Joe Bro now for six years and seen the things he can do as well. And um, so again, it’s it’s he’s worked really hard to get himself back. He’s a football player. He wants to play football. We want to win football games. And so that will lead into that decision. How are you feeling physically right now? Feel good. Yeah. I mean, I came out of the game pretty good. I mean, besides my finger. So, body feels good. Can you describe what happened? You think we know what happened? Yeah. I mean, I just I hit my finger on a helmet just kind of like you always do and I looked down at my finger and it was just, you know, kind of all bent up and and dislocated. So, just had to go get it pulled out real quick. Feels like you guys have been in this situation a bunch since you’ve been here where you have the ball or you’re possession game one way or another and it just you haven’t been able to make play. Yeah, exactly. I mean, we’ve we’ve uh you know, I think we’ve been in situations on both sides of the ball and just we just haven’t been able to get it done down the stretch. How do you feel like you played it? I’m sorry. Uh the finger did you get it taped or anything before you came back? We tried putting tape on it, but it was just made it stiff and didn’t really help it too much. So, I just kind of went without it. So you just first play as a touchdown must have was it? I don’t know. Yeah, I I mean I threw on the sideline just to make sure I could, you know, and after I after it happened. But do you feel like there were any opportunities there kind of on those final four plays or just well covered? Yeah, listen. I mean, we we’ll look at it. I’m sure there were there’s always opportunities, you know, and it’s like I think we took we took our shots and and even within those shots, we had opportunities. We just didn’t quite get it done. I mean, I just felt like they did a pretty good job all day of just kind of slowing us down, not allowing us to get into a rhythm. Um, even though we ran the ball well, we weren’t able to kind of capitalize on that and and get in a ri a rhythm and and and convert some third downs. And, you know, we’d get to midfield, 40 yardd line, and then we just kind of wouldn’t be able to keep going. Um, and it’s probably it’s there’s always fault on us for not being able to make that happen, but at the same time, like I said, I think they just do a good job of of slowing you down and and not allowing you to do that. And I thought our O line played well. Um, and they were just able to do what they do on defense and and and kind of not allow us to make any big plays and and and then have to go the long way. And we weren’t able to do it with the inconsistency in the passing game. six the finger. How are you able to kind of clear your head of that and you you had some good moments there down the stretch? Yeah. Well, I mean, stuff happens throughout the course of a game. I mean, it’s a shame. I mean, I feel bad about the pick six, but at the same time, I didn’t see the guy and it’s, you know, it’s one of those plays um you you want back. It’s the simplest play in the world. Play action. Look for T. Check it down. Um, I gave TE all the opportunities and they just had the right coverage on and um, yeah, I mean it, like I said, you don’t draw it up like that when that happens. It’s it’s it’s one of the simplest plays in football. So, um, those are going to hurt you. But, how do you feel like you played overall today? Uh, just kind of like I talked about, um, there were some things that, you know, where we started to kind of feel like we’re going to go put a drive together and then just were got slowed down. And I feel like same same with me. I was never really quite able to get in that rhythm and and um you know and and complete as many balls as I would as I was as I would like to. How you doing on the team specifically? Seemed like they did a good job of targeting and trying to take him out. For sure. I think they do a good job of playing top down and just kind of, you know, taking away some of the quick stuff by coming up and pressing so you’re not you’re not able to get the ball out of your hands to them really quick. And then in situations they they do a good job of playing top down with the eyes with their eyes on the quarterback and having some help. Um yeah, there was times they played man, but I think they were able to drop some other guys underneath. And I think with T specifically, you’re always kind of shading his way and then trying to just throw off his rhythm, whether that’s at the line of scrimmage or, you know, holding your ground 10 yards down the field with your eyes back on the quarterback and making it tough to kind of break leverage. How difficult or different is it running this offense without Jamar Chase? Well, I I I think anytime you you lose, you know, not only one of the best players in your team, but one of the best players in football, you know, you have, you know, guys have to step up. Um, but I I think I think we still got a bunch of good players and it’s a shame that we didn’t do what we wanted to today, but I definitely think we’re capable of it. Besides the Jamar distraction, Besides the Jamar distraction this week, there was a lot of talk about Joe Burrow potentially playing. Zach said you found out on Friday that you’d be definitely the starter. Did that change preparation or anything like that for you this week? That was a challenge. The good the good thing um with my situation is listen, I’ve played a lot of football and I probably wasn’t going to practice a lot this week anyway. Um you know, I might have got a couple reps on Thursday that, you know, wouldn’t would have wouldn’t have ended up mattering that much. Um, so no, uh, that’s just part of this business is, you know, getting ready for a game and each week presents it different challenges and, you know, Joe is, you know, he he’s trying to feel out his body and and get back on the field. So that’s part of what you have to deal with. Looking at the last month, is it almost cruel knowing couple different plays and this could look like a much different story since you Well, yeah. Listen, I mean, it’s all about winning in this league and um you know, I’ve talked about it a lot. In order to get to that point, in order to win football games, everybody has to focus on their job and then the wins come and take care of themselves. Um and you know, I think a lot of I think, you know, we’ve done a good job of doing that. Um we just haven’t been, you know, consistently good enough throughout 60 minutes. uh you know, you can see little things getting better here and little things getting better there and we’re just not producing wins with those things. Um it’s frustrating. Yes, it is. Especially now that we’re sitting here and you look back on all those, but like I’ve always said, when you’re in the moment, you just got to continue to do your job little by little and and look up at the end of the day and see what the results are. And the results haven’t been what we want them to be. Um but I do think we’ve done a lot of good things in that meantime. Zach said the last healthwise on a short week, do you think that you’d be able to play if caught up on Thursday? I assume so. I mean, you never know with fingers, but I mean, the fact that I was able to get out there and do it right now and stuff like that. Like, yeah. I mean, I literally like, yeah, my shoulder actually feels really good. I think my shoulder’s done nothing but gotten better the last three weeks and um everything else, you know, feels great. So Zach said the la the last drive was, you know, with Jamaro, T out, guys were lining up where, you know, nobody ever lined up before. What was that last drive like for you with just kind of trying to trying to move? Yeah, listen, I mean, I have all the confidence in the world in everybody that we throw out there. And I think you could see that. I think, you know, a different guy made a play on each one, you know, as as we started moving down the field. And you know, uh, Mitch gets in, you know, the second to last drive and, you know, not not that he wasn’t in, but, you know, gets a chance on a go ball and wins. And, um, you know, it’s a shame because there are always positives in games like these, but when you don’t win them, you know, it’s hard to feel like it matters. So, uh, you know, that’s that’s why winning is such a big deal. it it it it can highlight, you know, guys stepping up and and doing good things in those roles. And since we weren’t able to do it, it, you know, it kind of goes unseen. I just want to follow up on what you were saying about how it’s your job to get ready. Is it is it hard to deal with the situation you’re going to for the next whether it’s few days or few weeks with this storyline about when Joe come back in that if you do end up being his backup whenever he comes like you didn’t lose your job because of a results thing like you’re playing really well or or you’re not hurt like does it does it make it that much harder to accept or like what what’s this like for you behind the scenes? Um I think as a competitor you always want to be out there on the field. I mean, this is what I live to do is go out in that field and play football. Um, but at the same time, uh, I feel really fortunate to have kind of found myself in this situation. As much as I would have loved to see us win games, I still have had a lot of fun here with these guys in the locker room. Um, going out lacing them up with these guys has been a lot of fun and I’ve felt right at home and have had a blast doing it. And I don’t think I really am looking anything past that. You know, I I get it. I get how certain feelings could be involved with this. But in this case, it’s you know, it’s easy for me to kind of put those aside and just look at the positives of the whole thing and um you know, and be excited for another teammate um trying to work his way back. So, I it might sound like crap and like I’m lying and and yeah, there there is a tough part of not being out there. There always is. Um, but I feel like I’ve put my head down and worked hard the last however long it’s been. And I’ve had a lot of fun with these guys and it’s always it’s always I don’t know. It’s just always um I don’t know. I I keep saying fun, but I want to say something else. But when you’re in there with guys and you make relationships with them and you’re out there battling on the field with them and you can look each other in the eyes and know that you’ve been doing that the right way, then you really can’t worry about the other things. So you say that you just are going out there playing and let the rest of it take care of itself. Is that I think that’s what I think that’s ultimately kind of the secret in terms of like playing football is like you want things right. You want things to happen. Um, but there’s got to be a piece of you that lets it happen, you know, you can’t force things and you can’t try to, you know, you just can’t. And I think as you get older and the more you play and the more you just experience everything, you realize that, you know, you you you you get you gain a little bit of perspective and you realize and and then there’s times in the moment where you still want to try to do too much. Um or whatever it is and worry about what’s happening at the end. Uh but I think the more you do it, you do find out that the secret is to just go out there and and do what you love to do to the best of your ability and let the things fall in place. And I think if you get a collective group of guys doing that, then you have then then you have what you want. Two quick two quick things. Uh just to circle back on the game real quick. Does the lack of rhythm maybe affect how you see the field? Is that is that coral? Is there a correlation probably how you saw today? Was the rhythm? No. I mean it it’s it’s you know it it’s good defense and maybe not as good of offense as we would like. And um that’s what good teams do. like it it even like today it didn’t feel like anything crazy but it it was harder because they just are good at what they they do and um they make it tough for you to complete underneath passes. You know there’s times where you drop the ball down underneath and you get 25 yard gains and stuff like that and these guys because they they’re able to rally to the ball and do things like that. They make it they make those things hard. They’re not going to give you anything. And um listen, this is the type of games that it end this is the type of game it ends up being it when you put when you go against good teams. It’s 26 to 20 and you have a chance to win. Um it’s kind of how we felt like the game against Pittsburgh should have probably went last week, but we made mistakes. Um obviously we did make a mistake in this game, but ultimately we didn’t. We we kept the game within striking distance and we just weren’t able to get it done at the end. And secondly, going going back to the way the line of questioning was going, uh, what’s what was it like kind of walking off? What was running through your mind as you walked off the field at the end of that one? What were you thinking about? I I don’t know. The same thing you’re probably always thinking when, you know, you come up a little short. You’re just a little bit, you know, you’re thinking about what you could have done on the last couple plays and can’t wait to go look at it and maybe see what you could have done and beat yourself up about it a little bit. Um the same same as always. So what’s your body feel like tomorrow compared to the show of like 31? Uh I think playing quarterback it’s always week to week. Sometimes you get really beat up and sometimes you play really physical games and other times you don’t. And um I really don’t think because I’m 40 I I feel different waking up. I mean, everybody always says that, you know, oh, once you hit 30 or once you hit 40, uh, wait till you get out of bed and this happens. Um, yeah, I have to stay on top of things more, but in terms of waking up and how my body my how my body reacts, I’m so much better at do at taking care of myself and like and actually doing the things to prepare your body for success than I was when I was 25 years old. So, I I think the um if there is any drop off at 40, it it just it it makes up that you’re a little bit more aware of how to of how to do things. So, how often do you have to pop your finger? Is that common when you have to do that midame before or is that I’ve never I’ve never done that. I’ve never had to do it. How’s that feel? I mean, it didn’t feel like much. I mean, I didn’t know I did it until I looked down at it and then I came over and Matt just popped it in, you know, popped it back into place and and then it was just like, “Okay, I can throw.” Yeah. There you go. Were you curious what that first throw was going to feel like after you popped it back in or Yeah, I was. It’s I threw a couple balls in the sideline and Jake did a good job. Completed the ball and you know, but I didn’t want to let him have too much fun out there. So, index finger. Yes. Yep.

The Cincinnati Bengals battled, but it wasn’t enough on Sunday, as they ultimately lost to the New England Patriots 26-20. Head coach Zac Taylor and quarterback Joe Flacco each discussed the loss, including losing Tee Higgins (concussion) in the fourth quarter, and Joe Flacco’s resilience despite sustaining a finger injury during the game. Plus, Zac discusses the improved defense in Week 12 and the team’s quick turnaround to face the Ravens, possibly with Joe Burrow at quarterback, on Thanksgiving.

00:00 Zac Taylor
09:46 Joe Flacco

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