Stephen A. Smith has never shied from criticizing the Cincinnati Bengals as an organization.
He’s also said, many times, that Zac Taylor and the team must start strong out of the gate for once.
So when receiver Tee Higgins told Adam Schein in an interview otherwise, it set the ESPN analyst off.
“I really don’t like the narrative of getting off to a hot start,” Higgins said to the Mad Dog Sports Radio host.
Instead, the star player went on to say that he believes the team needs to take a more holistic approach to the year.
“I just feel like at the end of the day, we just got to execute as a team,” Higgins went on to say. “Offense has to complement the defense. Defense has to complement the offense. And special teams got to complement both.”
If you listen to the interview, it sounds like Higgins is saying he doesn’t want the team to let fear of another slow start distract them. Rather, he seems to be saying, if everyone just focuses on their job, the results will come.
But Smith didn’t see it that way. While he did compliment Higgins and express that he’s glad the receiver “got his bag”, the First Take analyst then switched gears, saying, “But that’s one of the most ignorant quotes of the year. That’s going to be a top 10 ignorant quote of the year.”
Smith then pointed out that the Bengals have started 0-2 in five of Taylor’s six seasons as head coach, going 1-11 overall in Weeks 1 and 2 in the coach’s career.
“I have called for an investigation into Zac Taylor and his coaching staff as to what they’re doing once the season is over, until mid-September, because they don’t show up ready to play to start the season,” Smith said.
And then Smith made it about Higgins, saying he was either “completely lost” or he “can’t count”. He then backtracked and acknowledged that the receiver can count, but finished by saying, “That was a foolish statement on his part.”
Ultimately, if the Bengals do want to change that narrative, they will need the defense to do its part, as Higgins said.
If their first preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles was any indication, not much has changed, though rookie Shemar Stewart did show promise, as we discuss in the video below.
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