Zac Taylor on Bengals' QB Situation, Rookie Performances and More
Zac Taylor on Bengals' QB Situation, Rookie Performances and More
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00:00 It's obviously an exciting day, plenty of fans in the stands.
00:03 What's that like, especially,
00:05 because it feels like the excitement is bigger this year for back-to-gether set-up?
00:09 I think it just reminds you, you know, not that we need many reminders,
00:12 but to get out there in the stadium, in front of fan support,
00:18 it does remind you what games feel like to an extent.
00:22 And so, again, not that we need that reminder,
00:25 but I think it does serve us out a little bit.
00:27 Back here, the NFL is full of diversity.
00:30 You know that as a coach, obviously, for a long time now.
00:35 Has it helped, almost, in some ways that you've been through adversity now
00:38 with Joe Berger entering the game?
00:40 Because in some ways it does feel like,
00:42 I hate to say it, but this has kind of become part of the norm in the last year.
00:46 It doesn't hurt.
00:47 Obviously, we'd rather him be here practicing all the time
00:50 and us continue to make that progress on offense,
00:53 but we've been through this before,
00:55 so I don't think anyone even hesitates to continue to move on.
00:59 And when he comes back, he'll be back to help us.
01:02 In the meantime, you make the best of the situation,
01:04 and it's a lot more reps for those two quarterbacks that are competing.
01:07 It would have been probably the only time they get a chance to work with the ones.
01:10 Otherwise, they wouldn't have gotten that opportunity.
01:13 So, again, those are some positive things that you have to make of the situation,
01:17 and that's what we're doing right now.
01:19 What are you most impressed with, Zach, about D.J. Turner
01:23 in the little you've seen of him so far?
01:25 Right.
01:26 So, through three days, consistent, you know,
01:29 and he's made a lot of plays on the ball.
01:33 And, again, as the install increases,
01:35 more things are thrown at him on offense.
01:38 I'm sure there will be a learning curve there.
01:41 But, again, through three days, I think he's been impressive.
01:44 And it's one thing to do it three days.
01:47 It's another thing to do it three weeks.
01:48 It's another thing to do it three months.
01:50 But, again, with all these young players, it's the consistency over time
01:53 that will be critical for them.
01:54 One thing he said yesterday is everybody knows he has speed,
01:57 but it's how to use the speed and how to integrate the mechanics with that.
02:01 Yeah.
02:02 What did you notice about that, his tape at Michigan, and how does that work here?
02:06 Well, obviously, his tape was very good.
02:08 We had a high opinion of him, thought he could fit us in several different ways.
02:12 I think that Chuck Burks has done a great job since he's been here
02:15 of continuing to fine tune the mechanics of how we want to play corner here.
02:20 And I think that has meshed really well.
02:23 We've got great veteran players in that room as well
02:25 that are always lending support.
02:27 So I think that we've got a player who's willing to do what it takes,
02:31 and we've got a lot of people around him that are willing to try to get the most
02:34 out of him.
02:35 How close is Chioda maybe practicing,
02:37 and how do you think he's looked in the position for his stuff?
02:39 It's been encouraging, certainly, to see him do the individual stuff.
02:42 I'm not putting any sort of timeline on him.
02:44 We'll continue to ease through this process and not rush anything.
02:47 Will Tee participate in the team drills today?
02:49 Yeah.
02:51 With a player like Jonah, I know you guys said he's in the new thin,
02:55 and it's not a question of if Jonah can switch from left to right.
03:00 But with a player like him that does have starting experience,
03:04 what do you need to see when you switch sides that'll make you and Frank know,
03:09 okay, he can succeed in right tackle similar as he was in left tackle?
03:13 Yeah, just time on task.
03:16 And so, again, as he and Jackson continue to work through that competition
03:19 over that right tackle, again, three days into training camp,
03:22 and like I've said before, yesterday was a predetermined competition day off
03:28 for Jonah as he comes off the injury.
03:31 But, again, time will tell and time on task will help both those guys
03:34 and help us make a decision.
03:36 Zach, how have you evolved as you've been a head coach in riding the roller coaster
03:41 of the season, of the highs and lows, bad things shows up on your desk,
03:45 good things shows up?
03:46 Has that been a hard, something you've learned along the way, how to do that?
03:50 Oh, yeah.
03:51 Oh, yeah.
03:52 I mean, the experience in any profession, mine's no different.
03:55 Experience has really helped me, just seeing a variety of different things.
04:02 Again, I take a lot of notes because there's so many things I forget about
04:06 over the years that I reflect on that really help me.
04:10 The health nurse quote, I think, from my first year was,
04:12 "Don't make a mountain out of a molehill."
04:13 I may have said that in this room before.
04:15 That has really helped me because there are situations that pop up on a daily basis
04:18 that you feel like are enormous and they're stressful and, man,
04:21 how are we going to overcome this?
04:23 But you've got to put everything in perspective and which do you devote a lot of time on,
04:27 which do you devote a little time on.
04:29 And, again, empowering other people to help you as well,
04:32 which we've got such a tremendous staff that has helped us do that.
04:35 But I think experience has been the best teacher for me over these years,
04:39 seen a lot.
04:41 How does it compare with another head coach who's been in the league five years?
04:44 I have no idea, but I know what it means to me, and it's been helpful for me and our staff.
04:47 Do you ever go back to the notes from your very first training camp?
04:50 All the time.
04:51 All the time.
04:52 I guess it can't get worse than this, right?
04:54 Well, my first year, I think, was more general notes on what is going on.
05:01 Now it's more daily.
05:03 The past two years in particular, the daily notes in training camp really helped me
05:08 with just how we set up the practice and things to look for
05:13 and compare to years past in terms of injury standpoints and reps and things like that.
05:16 So I've maybe changed my note-taking over the years.
05:21 You've become a great manager.
05:23 You've become a great manager of a crisis.
05:25 You've been a crisis manager.
05:27 I don't want that.
05:29 I guess McCormick's too, but have you ever wondered what the hell it would be like if it was normal?
05:34 No, I--
05:35 It's going to be normal.
05:36 Well, I mean, to be honest with you, I think this is why we're all in the profession.
05:42 We like to be in these moments, whether it's a critical moment, a game,
05:45 where you're facing adversity in a game or just in the daily process of being in the NFL.
05:51 That's what keeps me going.
05:53 It might be too boring otherwise.
05:55 And so sometimes you like a little challenge thrown at you.
05:58 I felt like in the two years I was in L.A., we got to see a lot of different things happen.
06:02 Wildfires forced us out of our facility for a week.
06:05 We were supposed to play a Monday night game in Mexico City,
06:07 and all of a sudden 24 hours before we're playing in L.A.
06:09 And I always thought Sean did such a great job of keeping an even demeanor.
06:15 He was learning on the move those two years there.
06:17 And so to be around someone that was similar in age to me,
06:20 that was really open with how they went through the process, I think helped me when I got this job,
06:24 certainly have that exposure to him.
06:26 Having a father-in-law who's been a head coach in the NFL has helped me.
06:29 He can oftentimes say things to me, and he knows kind of what I'm going through.
06:34 My own dad having been a coach and really my primary coach my whole life has always been helpful.
06:39 So I'm very fortunate that I've had a lot of people to lean on that have served me well in my time here.
06:45 Jack, do you view yourself as a sense of calm in some way,
06:48 whether it's the kids want to stop and go to the bathroom so many times on the road,
06:52 tread boards, the NFL and your star quarterback coach,
06:55 do you always kind of operate it that way where you're calm in the storm or calm in the chaos a little bit?
07:00 I've never been a loud person.
07:02 I've never been a big speech.
07:05 That's just not been my demeanor.
07:07 And I think probably what's always stuck with me is be true to yourself
07:13 and don't try to be someone that you think you're supposed to be.
07:16 And certainly early in my coaching career, I would do that.
07:18 I'd see somebody act a certain way, so I felt like I needed to do that.
07:21 But again, over experience and over time, you become truer to yourself, and that's been my best way to lead.
07:27 Hopefully it serves our team well.
07:29 I think that we've got a lot of players and a lot of players on this team that do that way.
07:33 I know we have a lot of coaches that are some of the best men you'll ever be around,
07:37 and I think that our team responds that way, and that's why we've got the culture we've got.
07:41 How has time on a task made you or what's been the evolution of you as a play caller?
07:46 How different are you now as a play caller?
07:49 Sure.
07:50 Yeah, again, you learn from experiences you couldn't draw up.
07:55 And certainly as you're in big games, big high-leverage situations, you learn from all that stuff.
08:01 I think as a staff, that's an area we continue to grow as well,
08:04 and I get a chance to lean on guys we've all been through the same situations,
08:08 so we get a chance to have really open dialogue and things that we can improve on.
08:12 But absolutely, I think you continue to grow as a play caller over the years here.
08:17 Have you come to any decision on bringing in a third quarterback?
08:21 We worked some guys out, you know, and so that will be a process over the next couple days.
08:24 How did it go?
08:26 I try not to comment on that because I never know the details of how those transactions are going to unfold shortly,
08:31 but worked some guys out, and something will probably happen in the next couple days.
08:35 It's only been one day, but I'm guessing no updates on Gilbert or anything?
08:39 No, I don't have any updates.
08:42 How do you think Brown and Taylor, I guess assuming you look today, were warm?
08:47 I thought both those guys yesterday did a really nice job, starting with Jake.
08:52 I thought Jake executed really well with that group, and so I was really, really impressed.
08:57 You know, the red zone day can tend to be a little sloppy the first time you do it,
09:00 but I think that, you know, Brian Callahan does a great job installing
09:05 and communicating what we're looking for on that day with those guys, and they handled it really well.
09:09 We got good reps in the spring, so I felt like we were able to hit the ground running a little bit.
09:14 And there were some great plays by the defense as well.
09:16 You know, I mean, I can think of several times those guys took away throws that we thought would be there
09:20 or just made plays on the ball, and that was impressive to see.
09:22 But Jake had a good day.
09:24 Now Trevor will get his opportunity today as well, and so we get a chance to see him out there.
09:27 It seemed like that was a blow for continuity.
09:29 I mean, you know, yeah, I mean, these guys obviously aren't horrible, but they stepped in,
09:33 and it was, you know, on the training frame.
09:37 Yeah, they threw on time.
09:40 They threw with good accuracy.
09:41 You know, they kept us going, so that was good to see.
09:44 How much has it been going through the tape of the day?
09:47 Do you have enjoyment in specifically, like, watching Jomar versus Cam Taylor-Britt?
09:53 It seems like they're really into it.
09:56 Have you guys been into watching it afterwards too?
09:59 Just watching the rep?
10:01 There are particular match-ups they've been watching a lot.
10:03 Yeah.
10:04 What do you think has been consistent?
10:05 I think it is a good--they're handling it the right way.
10:08 They both seem to feed off of each other.
10:11 They both have the right attitude about the competition, trying to make each other better.
10:15 And so that's been really encouraging to see from both those guys.
10:18 It's not like Cam has never been on Jomar before the practice,
10:21 but to have potentially a month where that's something he's doing consistently,
10:27 is that something you guys personally plotted for him to help him take the next step as a young corner?
10:33 Well, it's just more the side he's been playing in training camp
10:35 and when Jomar ends up on the right.
10:36 But to your point, you know, Cam wasn't with the ones early in training camp last year,
10:41 then had the core muscle injury, so he missed the remainder of training camp.
10:44 If he really didn't, I'd have to go back and watch.
10:46 But they probably did not match up against each other hardly at all over last year.
10:51 And then at the end of the season, it's all scout teamwork.
10:53 So, yeah, to your point, this is the most they've gone against each other through three days.
10:58 Drew being out for the timetable, he's obviously a guy, so how do you get--
11:05 I know you were looking forward to the competition between him and Brad,
11:07 but so with Drew out, how are you guys able to evaluate Brad without any competition?
11:13 Yeah, I mean, Darren's a pro at that, you know, and so, again,
11:16 just statistically things we're looking for,
11:20 evaluating all the things that go into that competition,
11:22 there will be plenty of time for Drew to come back and compete side by side with Brad.
11:28 But in the meantime, there's plenty to compare it to,
11:30 and Darren's got decades' worth of notes to compare it to
11:33 and see where we need to be at in the putting situation.
11:35 And give things Brad to continue to work on and improve on and try differently.
11:38 And so, you know, Darren's got a great plenum of points for that.
11:41 [Indiscernible]
11:48 Got himself in that line.
11:49 That's what you said.
11:50 I know your answer.
11:51 Is that kind of similar to, you know,
11:52 last year you guys had Jesse returning from offensive practice?
11:54 Is that just for him to get extra reps?
11:56 Yeah, get some reps, you know, and, again,
11:58 guys are willing to put in the work consistently, to put in the work,
12:01 then you take a look at them.
12:03 There's obviously reasons why you don't put Jamar Chase back there all the time.
12:06 But, again, he wants to put in the work, so we let him take some reps back there.
12:10 What would have to happen for him to get back?
12:12 I'm not going to get into those scenarios right now.
12:15 Jones and Yosevash, does it help working on a rookie,
12:18 trying to get their feet set here in the lead and they're at the same complete lead?
12:22 It seems like they both flash, so let us be.
12:27 Yeah, I would say so.
12:29 I would say that they both -- I didn't hear the names you said,
12:31 so I was trying to process where you -- I was just going to BS something.
12:34 But what did you say?
12:35 What did you say?
12:36 Jones and Yosevash.
12:37 Okay.
12:38 Okay, yes.
12:39 Okay, gotcha.
12:40 I didn't understand what you said.
12:41 Yeah, I think for all these rookies early in training camp, the installs are smaller.
12:47 They're going to get much bigger over the next week.
12:49 And so they've handled it the right way.
12:52 I've been really impressed.
12:53 Next week is going to be the bigger challenge,
12:55 the four practices we have over the next week really leading into the Green Bay practice.
12:59 So that's where a bigger assessment will be able to come.
13:02 Once we put the pads on, and, again, guys are getting a lot sore
13:06 and the install gets bigger, that will be when you can gain a better assessment of these guys.
13:10 You mean to tell me you BS'ed?
13:12 I really try not to as best I can.
13:15 And I stopped myself.
13:17 On that note, we've got to wrap it up.