Zac Taylor goes on record regarding having phone breaks during meetings and gives some insight into how he hopes to build on each day."Most people have probably gone through the honeymoon stage of a relationship. That period of time where you first start seeing someone you’re interested in
Tyler Eifert Jersey , and everything they do just infatuates you. From the way they smile, laugh or maybe just their fresh perspective on life that changes yours. Then finally comes the moment when you both can finally talk the specifics of your NFL schemes.Okay, maybe what the Bengals and new head coach Zac Taylor are going through is a little different. The excitement from both sides is very clear though. Taylor once again showed he has no problem being able to speak in front of a room of people when he held his first press conference after meeting with the team for the first time. He did emphasize that although this was the first time the two sides have been able to talk specifics, there is still plenty of work ahead.“You think about [addressing the team for the first time] a lot. In the grand scheme of things, it matters very little because we’re trying to build each and every day. So tomorrow’s team meeting is just as important as this team meeting. I’d be lying if I said you don’t think about that first time in front of the players and what your message is going to be. What’s important is that we keep stacking every single day and every single day that the players gain information we want to relay to them. Every team meeting is as good as the last one.”If there is one thing Taylor will be able to do during his time with the Bengals, it is say the right thing. It may come across as coach speak to most people, but as a fresh new exciting voice, he will be able to get away with it better than a coach who had been around for say more than 15 seasons.That isn’t to say all of Taylor’s press conference was committed to just referring to how excited the building was for this day. He also wasn’t afraid to touch on one of the more pressing issues facing new
Carlos Dunlap Jersey , younger coaches, phone breaks.“I wouldn’t say [coaches giving players phone breaks and conducting shorter meetings] happened just recently. I think it’s gotten more attention recently. That’s been important to me in places I’ve been for years now. I don’t have a long attention span. If I sit in a meeting with you all for more than 30 minutes, I lose my focus a little bit. I’ll try to keep this brief (laughs). I look at my phone as much as anyone. Nowadays, after 30 minutes, minds start to wander. So if you want the information that you spent a lot of time trying to package to be effective, if you want it to really hit home, then you can’t expect to keep anybody — adults, players
Dre Kirkpatrick Jersey , whatever — in one setting for a long time. You have to try to focus that in and give them breaks when necessary.”When asked if he’d give players phone breaks, Taylor had this to say:“I wouldn’t call it a cell phone break. But if they want leave the meeting and look at their cell phone, it’s fine by me. To me, it’s just a break.”There you have it. Ring the millennial riot alarm. Of course, that is just a joke. Honestly if anyone is going to be able to relate to how to hold these players’ attentions, it is probably the coach that is as ingrained in the smartphone era as his players.Taylor was also asked about the whole Mark Walton situation, and how the team handled parting ways with the running back. “It’s hard anytime you deal with a player who’s put a lot of work into their career. The unfortunate thing about these situations sometimes is that you don’t really get a chance to know the player when you’re a new head coach. There’s a human element to this stuff, but we want things done a certain way
Billy Price Jersey , and we’re appreciative of the players that are here in the building and doing things the right way. That’s our expectation here at the Bengals.”Pretty much a perfect response to a situation like that. He didn’t go out of his way to criticize the player, but he was still able to reinforce that he understands how much these players work (which you can bet didn’t go unnoticed by the players still in the building) as well as instilling the culture he has tried to preach since being hired. Of course, his comments on the Bengals new slogan “It’s About Us” (which I’m told has nothing to do with the NBC show This Is Us or the new Jordan Peele movie “Us”) really shows how a new coach may be able to come in and get something from the final few seasons this era of Bengals football has left.“All that matters is what’s inside these walls. There are so many distractions, so many different things going on outside these walls that can distract you and divert you away from what’s really important. I just want to make sure that our players and coaches understand that as we take care of business inside these walls, we’re going to be able achieve the things we want to achieve.”What was your favorite part of Taylor’s opening press conference? The Houston Texans are in position for a first-round playoff bye.At least, they are right now, after Saturday’s win over the Jets. They need a loss from the Patriots to stay at No. 2 in the AFC.The Browns, meanwhile
Jessie Bates Jersey , have kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a win over the Broncos.Here’s how the playoff picture looks heading into Sunday’s games:1. Chiefs (11-3): Win the tiebreaker with the Chargers based on better AFC West record.2. Texans (10-4): Will clinch the AFC South today if the Colts and Titans lose.3. Patriots (9-4): They’re still heavy favorites in the AFC East heading into Sunday’s big game in Pittsburgh.4. Steelers (7-5-1): A big game at home against the Patriots today.5. Chargers (11-3): Tied in the AFC West, but they need to win out while the Chiefs lose or tie one of their last two games.6. Ravens (7-6): They remain the top wild card team, and have a good chance of catching the Steelers in the division. The Ravens own the tiebreaker over Miami based on common games, and over Indianapolis based on AFC games.7. Colts (7-6): Win the head-to-head tiebreaker over Miami and Tennessee.8. Dolphins (7-6): Playoff hopes are still alive.9. Titans (7-6): Tiebreaker scenarios aren’t great for Tennessee.10. Browns (6-7-1): It may be too little too late, but give Cleveland credit for still being in contention after beating the Broncos.11. Broncos (6-8): Their playoff hopes went from slim to none with the loss to the Browns.12. Bengals (5-8): Marvin Lewis can do no better than .500 this season.