Bengals HC Zac Taylor conference call (12.5.19)
Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor:
On what Bengals WR John Ross provides the offense:
“He has great speed, tops in the league really. He is one of the fastest receivers out there so he brings that element to you. He loosens up the coverage a little bit. He has great hands. He was playing well for us before he got hurt so it is good to have a starting caliber receiver back in the lineup.”
On how encouraged he was by Ross’ start to the season:
“Good. You want to see that kind of production, and certainly, he had a pretty big yards per catch average going into it. He had some big touchdowns for us in some games early in the season. He was progressing at the rate you would like to see.”
On the mood of the Bengals after winning their first game of the season:
“We put in a lot of work since April so it was good to have that rewarded for the first time all year really. Ultimately, that is what we are playing for is to get these wins and lead to big things in the future. It is good to see, but we had to put it to bed pretty quickly because, as we know, it is a big divisional game against Cleveland. We have to get our first divisional win for the year. We have not played these guys yet. They have a lot of talent. Our guys are fired up and ready to go play this one.”
On if Bengals QB Andy Dalton returning last week and how Dalton improves the Bengals’ chances of winning:
“He did a great job. He came in there and the team really rallied around him and was able to get us that first win. We just want to continue to be consistent from week to week and keep stacking those wins.”
On the blueprint for attacking the Browns secondary, given the Steelers’ deep passes last week:
“It was pretty tight coverage on all of them. Ultimately, the Steelers receivers just went up and made those plays. Those are tough 50/50 balls, and they went aggressive and they went and got them. I think that the Browns do a great job with their coverages. Those guys are good corners. They are fast. They are right in your hip on all those contested plays. Our guys have to take a lot of pride and win those one-on-one matchups.”
On Bengals WR A.J. Green’s status:
“He will not play this weekend.”
On how the Browns pass rush is different without DE Myles Garrett:
“He is a premier pass rusher in this league, but they still have a lot of talent right there behind him. Those guys, I have been on teams with (DE) Olivier Vernon, he is a great pass rusher. You have (DT) Sheldon Richardson and No. 65 (DT Larry Ogunjobi). They have a lot of guys that can get after the passer and really get after you so we are going to have our work cut out for us up front.”
On if he is surprised by WR Odell Beckham Jr.’s numbers this season:
“They have so many talented players, it is hard to get them all the ball. He certainly affects the defense, whether he is getting the ball or not because you are aware of him. He is a threat all over the field. It is hard. You have that many playmakers, it is hard to get them all touches to keep everybody happy. It is certainly something that we have to be aware of. “
On what the Battle of Ohio means to him in his first Bengals-Browns matchup:
“It is a divisional game for us. That is what it means. We are 0-4 right now in the division, and ultimately, if you want to win championships, it starts with the division. This one is really important for us.”
On Bengals DT Geno Atkins and Bengals DE Carlos Dunlap:
“We are certainly counting on them to affect the quarterback. Those guys, along with (Bengals DE Sam) Hubbard and all of our D linemen did a really nice job last week. The coverage on the backend matched the rush. Those guys were tight in coverage and forced those guys would hold on to the ball a little bit longer, and that is a good recipe for success. It allows us to create some turnovers and knock the offense backwards a little bit. We are counting on those guys to have another big game this week.”
On challenges RB Nick Chubb and RB Kareem Hunt present:
“They are two of the better backs in the league. They rarely go down on first contact. They have good hands. They just have an embarrassment of weapons over there on offense. Our defense has its work cut out for them.”
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