Where Zac Taylor stands in CBS’ NFL coach rankings

Zac Taylor has seen the best of times and the worst of times in his short tenure as an NFL head coach.

After all, things went about as badly as possible during his first two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, going 6-25-1 over his first 32 games.

That’s when the script flipped in a big way. Over the next two seasons, Taylor would help usher in the best two-year stretch in franchise history, which saw the Bengals go 22-11, win five playoff games, make two AFC Championships, and reach Super Bowl LVI.

As you can imagine, the peaks and valleys of Taylor’s four-year tenure thus far make it hard to accurately place him when it comes to NFL head coach rankings.

That’s the case in CBS Sports’ coach rankings ahead of the 2023 NFL season, which saw Taylor check in at No. 14.

Here’s what CBS analyst Cody Benjamin had to say about Taylor’s spot in the ranking.

14. Zac Taylor (Bengals)

Season: 5th with CIN, 5th as HC

Career record: 28-36-1 | Playoffs: 5-2 (0-1 in Super Bowls)

There isn’t a good spot for Taylor on this list. On one hand, his record unsurprisingly looks glaringly different before and after Joe Burrow’s arrival. He deserves credit for letting his QB lead the way and shepherding two different AFC title-game bids. But there isn’t necessarily one thing he does as an offensive mind that separates him from the pack.

So, what say you? In what range should Taylor be ranked among NFL head coaches? Let us know in the poll below and in the comments section!

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