As the NFL trade deadline closes in, the Bengals are hearing plenty of noise. Inside the building, though, Zac Taylor is keeping the message simple: he’s comfortable with what he has.
Asked whether the team needed help in any particular area, Taylor didn’t leave much room for interpretation. “No, I feel good about where we’re at,” Taylor said.
That stance comes even as Cincinnati has been tied to trade chatter around Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, “middle-tier options across the board.” But when the deadline conversation was brought back up and Taylor was pressed on what the next 24 hours might look like, he waved it off again.
“That’s just that’s a bunch for everybody to talk about, but we’re good,” he said.
For Taylor, the focus is elsewhere. “We’re just focused on Pittsburgh right now. It’s our biggest focus,” Taylor continued.
The Bengals head coach has made it clear he believes roster strength comes from the players already in the room, not from a late-season splash. He pointed to the way the team has handled injuries, especially on offense, with practice-squad and backup players stepping in without the operation falling apart.
“Smart players get an opportunity to play here...We hold them to the same standard as Ja’Marr and Tee... The next-man-up mentality has been really good for us, and those guys have embraced it and stepped up.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean Cincinnati will sit out the deadline entirely. The Bengals have made in-season trades in each of the past two seasons, and they also landed Dexter Lawrence in a blockbuster deal with the Giants in April.
Still, Taylor’s role isn’t to campaign for additions. His job is to keep the team locked in on the group already in place.
And right now, that group is rolling. The Bengals have won four straight and will host the Steelers on Sunday with first place in the AFC North on the line.
“We’re not running from divisional games. A team that’s gotten us once,” Taylor said. “I think we’ve done a good job of just focusing on the opponent in front of us and making that game the biggest game of the year, and that will be no different this week when Pittsburgh comes down.”
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Falcons Get Caught In The NFLs Strangest Madrid Moment
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When the lights came back on shortly after, the game resumed under unusual circumstances, and NFL officials had to sort out what happened during the blackout. Cincinnati kept control from there and held on to improve its season record, but the oddest part of the afternoon may be the play that vanished into the darkness and the confusion that followed. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Defensive Progress Could Decide Where Al Golden Ends Up
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Joe Burrow Is Carrying The Bengals Into A Massive Steelers Test
Joe Burrow kept rolling in Week 9, and the Bengals kept pace in the AFC with a convincing win over Atlanta that pushed them to 6-2. Cincinnati looked sharp on offense throughout the afternoon, with Burrow once again steering the attack efficiently and reminding the league why the Bengals have stayed in the thick of the conference race.
Now the focus shifts to Pittsburgh, where a much bigger test awaits next week. Burrows recent form has him sitting atop the MVP conversation, and the Bengals will need that same level of command against a Steelers team that is always eager to turn these matchups into a grind. For Cincinnati, the question is no longer whether Burrow is playing at a high level. It is how far he can carry them when the stakes rise again. [Read more 🡒]