NFL.com analyst predicts Andy Dalton will have a career year with Zac Taylor

Despite being a first-time head coach, Zac Taylor has already left a huge mark on the Bengals organization.

From how he managed the draft to how he manages the locker room, we’re already seeing a difference between Taylor and Marvin Lewis.

One huge area of difference is the background of each coach. While Marvin Lewis made his living as a defensive coordinator before taking the helm in Cincinnati, Taylor’s experience comes from the other side of the ball.

A.J. Green has already noted the difference that an offensive head coach makes, but he is certainly not the only one who is enjoying the regime change. Andy Dalton has already started forming a strong relationship with the new head coach, who is only five years his senior. Their relationship looks more like a friendship, whereas Lewis is old enough to be Dalton’s father.

Others around the NFL think Dalton will thrive with a new head coach. NFL.com’s Adam Schein predicted, “First-year Bengals head coach Zac Taylor will help Andy Dalton have the best season of his career.”

Considering that Dalton has had some pretty great seasons in the NFL, this statement might not actually be as bold as it seems. Dalton will be having his head coach calling plays for him for he first time in his career, instead of having his defensive-minded head coach deferring to his offensive coordinator. Now, the head coach will work in tandem with the offensive coordinator, now Brian Callahan, to help coach their quarterback.

It’s also important to note that Zac Taylor could very well be the best play-caller Dalton has had since Hue Jackson in 2015. That season was unfortunately shortened by injury, it is arguably his best season as of yet, with career high marks in completion percentage, quarterback rating, and touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Of course, a huge part in helping Dalton succeed is keeping him upright. Up until 2017, Dalton had the privilege of playing behind Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler. After the Bengals failed to resign them and their replacements flopped, his play clearly declined. But Taylor has already done a lot to fix the offensive line, including drafting left tackle Jonah Williams with his first ever draft pick and (hopefully) instilling competition at other spots.

All in all, the Bengals have done a great job of setting up Andy Dalton for success this season. It seems like a bold statement to say that he will outperform his career best up to this point, especially since so many people in the media have lost hope in the Bengals. But really, Schein is just pointing out the obvious.

Obvious or not, it is nice to see someone have faith in Zac Taylor and the Bengals for a change.