The Bengals’ 2025 season ends in the most poetic way as the Cleveland Browns come to Paycor Stadium and pick up a week 18 win over Cincinnati, 20-18.
The Bengals beat themselves (yet again) with a Joe Burrow 97-yard pick-six, and Noah Fant’s fumble returned for a touchdown, gifting the Browns 14 of their 20 points. It’s been a familiar theme of ‘finding ways to lose’ since the the year 2019, when Zac Taylor just happened to be hired by the Bengals.
The Browns’ offense was bad and only posted six total points as a unit, but the Bengals’ defense had another chance to win the game with under 2 minutes left and could not do it, again.
This theme to a game has gotten so unbelievably stale for Bengals fans, and now the season comes to an end with a 6-11 overall record.
Any franchise would be ready to make a head coaching change after this disaster of a season and three straight years without a playoff appearance.
But not the Bengals (likely).
Taylor has shown time and time again that he is not built to be an NFL head coach and struggles every week to manage games properly.
It is safe to say that Bengals fans would love for Taylor’s time to be over in Cincinnati, but for some reason, he will likely be back in 2026, largely due to the fact he’s under contract for one more season, and Mike Brown hates paying buyout money like people hate paying taxes.
On the other side of the field today, the Browns are expected to move on from two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski.
Stefanski would thrive in Cincinnati if given the opportunity, so why not move on from Taylor and hire him? He has shown he can coach with a competent roster and even find ways to win with some of the worst rosters in the NFL.
At this point, Bengals fans are ready for just about any person on this planet other than Taylor to be the head coach. Too bad Mike Brown isn’t one of them.
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