It’s time for Brian Callahan to call the plays
The Cincinnati Bengals has a very high-powered offense, with many superstars, but this offense has look sluggish to start the season. The difference? Zac Taylor is calling the plays.
Last season this team started the same way, towards the end of the season Brian Callahan took over as the play caller. On that magical playoff run Callahan had this offense looking amazing. So why not start a new campaign the same way?
Bengal fans have not been happy with Taylor’s play calling throughout the first four games. Fourth-and-one outside pitches in back-to-back weeks have made absolutely no sense. In week three against the New York Jets, this play call lost a yard at the 20-yard line. Week four, right side pitch to Joe Mixon, loses a yard at the 24-yard line.
When you have as many weapons as the Bengals have, you must be aggressive, and Zac Taylor plays way too conservative for the majority of every game.
Let’s look back at the end of last season when Brian Callahan was calling plays. Weeks 15 and 16 saw some of the most explosive plays of the entire season for the Bengals. They put up 41 on the Baltimore Ravens, then 34 on the Kansas City Chiefs. Taylor gave Callahan the green light to call plays during these games, and this offense looked the most explosive it had looked all season.
Image from Mike Petraglia
It’s no secret that Jamarr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd are three of the most explosive players in the league, especially with Joe Burrow throwing to them. To get back to where this team was last year, Taylor needs to allow Callahan to call the plays. These three guys, along with Mixon need better play calling to perform at the high levels they are capable of. In the opener this year, 17-of-19 snaps under center were designed runs. A high-powered offense like this gets nowhere without some type of scheming.
Owner Mike Brown spent some serious money to fix the teams only weakness, the offensive line this past offseason. Bengals fans can’t blame the line this year. The blame is completely on play calling.
Cincy has an elite defense, and an elite offense. Take advantage of this. Taylor has not done that so far. Callahan has shown throughout his career that he has a great ability to set up an elite offense, he did so in Denver, and showed it again last year.
Bottom line, Cincinnati has a championship roster, and they certainly won’t be able to keep all these guys around after extending their core pieces, such as Burrow, Chase, Higgins, Wilson, Hubbard, and Awuzie. Taylor can’t waste any more time calling the plays. The solution, let Brian Callahan, the OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR call the plays.