CINCINNATI (WKRC) – NFL coaches rarely get Sundays off, but Bengals coaches did because the team played on Thursday night. While many probably spent time on their couch watching other NFL games, head coach Zac Taylor and tight ends coach James Casey spent the day working at a football game.
Taylor and Casey were the chain game for their sons’ middle school football game.
Taylor brought that up when he was asked what stood out about what he saw while watching NFL games on Sunday. “You didn’t ask me about the game I attended yesterday in the driving rainstorm, keeping the chains with James Casey,” said Taylor. “We didn’t win, but thanks for asking. That ate up a good two hours of my day yesterday.”
Taylor was asked he wound up being a member of the chain gang. “It was the game I got to attend, so might as well volunteer for something,” said Taylor.
His son is a quarterback, while Casey’s son is a middle linebacker, running back and receiver. Taylor said he and Casey didn’t do a very good job in their role, because they were paying too close attention to their sons’ performances.
“Too often, the game had shifted 30 yards away from us, and I’m just standing there watching and thinking about the play and then the chain gang had to sprint to catch up cuz they weren’t going to wait around for us in that rainstorm,” said Taylor. “I would grade myself a D-minus.”
Taylor said he did come prepared for the weather as a cold front brought the rain, high winds and a shift in temperatures being in the 80s on Saturday to the low 60s on Sunday. “I was well-dressed,” said Taylor “I was ready for the cold. I didn’t lose to the cold, so I was ready to go, but no, I wouldn’t say I was great.”