Zac Taylor on Bengals' Win Over Vikings
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00:00 It took everybody-- players, coaches, crowd.
00:05 It took everybody.
00:06 And we found a way to regain the momentum in the fourth quarter.
00:09 It was tough.
00:10 I mean, that was as hard-fought a game
00:12 as I've ever been a part of in my entire life.
00:14 And our guys found a way at the end.
00:16 And you just couldn't help but think about on that fourth
00:18 and one where the ball was at.
00:20 That was the same situation we were in against them
00:22 a couple of years ago.
00:23 And defense created the turnover.
00:25 Well, this time the defense created a turnover on downs.
00:27 And offense found a way to hit a big play and keep it moving.
00:31 And then Evan, just like he did in his first career game
00:34 winner against the Minnesota Vikings,
00:36 found a way to do it again.
00:37 So just couldn't be more proud of everybody involved
00:39 in this whole thing.
00:40 Anyone that represents the Bengals, man,
00:42 this is a good day.
00:43 Back to you.
00:44 Anticipating DJ Rayhurst Marches being
00:46 able to finish the season?
00:48 DJ-- I don't with DJ.
00:51 I'll get more information.
00:52 But I don't think it's positive for DJ.
00:55 We'll see on Jamar.
00:58 I don't know yet enough on Jamar.
00:59 What more information do you have on DJ?
01:03 I just-- I don't want to--
01:05 yeah, it's not great.
01:06 It's not great.
01:07 I just-- I don't want to be definitive on it
01:10 when I'm just coming off the locker room.
01:12 How appropriate is it, Zach, that with DJ out of the game,
01:15 the one spot they run to is where DJ would have been?
01:19 You've got guys like Josh and obviously DJ.
01:21 Yeah.
01:22 It took everybody.
01:23 I mean, it was--
01:24 really proud of the way our defense bowed up there
01:26 at the end and got some big stops for us.
01:28 And in the first half, they kept us in it, to be quite frank,
01:31 because we didn't have much momentum on offense
01:35 outside that first drive.
01:36 And they got those two takeaways in the red zone.
01:39 And so that game really--
01:40 it could have been an uphill battle.
01:42 It could have been very similar to the Tennessee game
01:44 in week four when they got the ball to start the second half
01:47 and had scored a bunch of points.
01:48 And this time, our defense just bowed up and kept us in it.
01:51 Offense was able to find some momentum in the second half.
01:54 And then defense again came.
01:55 So it was just-- it was a collective effort
01:57 in all three phases and couldn't be proud of our guys.
01:59 What changed offensively for you on the fourth quarter?
02:02 I think it was really the whole second half.
02:03 It felt good.
02:04 We had the turnover on the first drive.
02:05 And I don't know that we--
02:07 did we score on every drive since then?
02:08 I think.
02:09 And so I could be wrong on that.
02:12 But it just-- it felt like we were finally
02:14 able to get some first downs, get some momentum.
02:16 And in the first half, we got a holding penalty
02:18 that put us in second long, a sack that
02:20 put us in second long.
02:21 And it's tough to overcome against those guys.
02:23 That's a hell of a team.
02:24 And they make it really hard for you.
02:26 And so again, we put ourselves--
02:27 they put us in some tough spots.
02:29 And we weren't able to overcome it.
02:30 Why is the impression Jake will deliver in moments like that?
02:33 Jake's just so steady.
02:35 And he really is.
02:36 And so he doesn't get rattled by a negative play,
02:39 doesn't overreact to it.
02:42 I think the interception is just a great example of that.
02:45 A guy in his fourth ever career start throws a pick.
02:50 I think he was covered two in the corner,
02:51 just kind of played games with him.
02:52 And he tried to bait him and throw it over the top.
02:54 And then just came right back the next drive
02:56 and let us do a touchdown drive.
02:57 And so that's what you want to see from your quarterback,
02:59 a guy that doesn't get too high, too low, is able to move on.
03:03 And that's exactly what he did.
03:05 And that was really impressive.
03:06 And I thought-- trust me, the protection plan,
03:08 Brian Callahan does a heck of a job.
03:10 And those guys bought into it.
03:12 And it might not have every snap been perfect.
03:15 Harrison Smith is a heck of a player, man.
03:18 He makes life really, really, really, really, really hard
03:21 on you.
03:22 And so you got to give credit to those guys.
03:24 But I thought our guys stepped up when he needed to.
03:26 And we're able to give Jake some time to do what he needed to do.
03:29 Against a team that brings it like that,
03:30 there are going to be some plays where it's just
03:32 kind of throw it up to your guys.
03:34 I mean, T's play.
03:35 And obviously, the one at the end, he scrambles to hit boy.
03:38 How much is that something that you kind of have to count on?
03:40 Sometimes you do just kind of throw it up to your guys.
03:42 Yeah, I mean, when you got great players,
03:44 Jane Orville used to tell me, just think players, not plays.
03:47 And there was a--
03:48 I think it was cover zero.
03:49 And he just launched one up to T, if I'm not mistaken.
03:51 And T went up and got it and scored a touchdown.
03:53 And that's the one area of the field I can't see.
03:55 So I still don't really know what happened.
03:57 But just proud of the way--
04:00 I can list names all day on guys that stepped up.
04:03 And guys that maybe faced some adversity
04:06 at some point in the game, maybe a play didn't go their way.
04:08 And then they just put their head down and came right back
04:10 and made some big plays for us on the stretch.
04:12 Do you think it's-- does this feel like a possible T season
04:15 for maybe a little bit early and then find a way
04:18 to kind of find his form and make plays?
04:19 All I can say is we always count on T Higgins.
04:21 And T stepped up big for us.
04:23 And those were two big touchdowns.
04:26 He scored for us there at the end of the game.
04:28 And he has some big catches across the middle
04:30 at other points.
04:31 And so again, we're always counting on T.
04:32 And he came through big for us.
04:34 Yeah, can your guys find a way to win what
04:37 felt like a game of inches over and over again
04:39 that came out today in this day, this playoff race?
04:42 What does it continue to say about the fight in the locker
04:44 room?
04:45 Yeah.
04:46 I mean, it was an emotional game.
04:47 I mean, that thing was a roller coaster.
04:50 That's kind of like the season a little bit.
04:52 And you just have to be able to stay composed and not panic.
04:57 And just like when you're down in the season,
04:59 you're down in this game.
05:00 And our guys just--
05:02 there's no fear.
05:05 There's no, oh, here we go.
05:06 It's just who's going to step up and make the play that
05:09 keeps us in this thing.
05:10 And I remember being out 14, I think,
05:12 at the end of the third quarter, if I'm not mistaken,
05:14 just feeling like, we're in this.
05:16 We just have to score.
05:17 Our defense will get a stop.
05:18 And we don't have to start throwing the ball every play
05:21 because it's a two-score game.
05:22 It didn't feel like that.
05:23 And that came true for us.
05:26 On that same note, after the game,
05:28 when the guys were off to the locker room,
05:30 multiple players screamed out one word, "believe."
05:32 Is that what you guys are preaching?
05:34 That's not coming from me.
05:36 Maybe those guys watched Ted Lasso
05:38 on the way to the stadium.
05:39 But the guys do believe.
05:42 That's just-- again, we've talked
05:44 a lot about we have to be our strongest here in December,
05:46 January.
05:47 And just kind of reflecting back over the last couple of years,
05:51 everything we do is geared towards offseason training
05:54 camp, regular season, being at our best now.
05:58 And these last three weeks, we've been pretty dang good.
06:01 And so we just have to keep that moving.
06:03 And we've got a big one next week.
06:05 We know that.
06:06 And we've got to get our minds right, get rested.
06:08 It's a physical game.
06:08 Guys are going to be worn out.
06:10 Get their minds right and come back in here
06:11 on Tuesday ready to work.
06:12 This game and the Jacksonville game,
06:13 why have you guys picked other situational moments
06:16 and fourth quarter overtime coming in?
06:18 Man, we talk about it.
06:20 We meet on it every week as a team.
06:23 Chuck Burks, Jordan Kovacs, they're
06:24 situational masters this season.
06:26 They've done a great job educating the guys
06:28 on situations that don't come up that often.
06:31 Again, when you've got great veterans that
06:33 understand these moments, there's no panic.
06:35 And so they do a really good job staying composed and just
06:40 making plays.
06:40 Are these the kind of moments that
06:42 give you confidence that this team should be in playoffs
06:44 or by the end of the year?
06:46 That's not how I think about it.
06:47 Now I'm just immediately thinking about Pittsburgh
06:50 and what do we need to do.
06:51 And it's just really too much to think down the road.
06:54 All we could control is what we did the last three weeks.
06:57 And so just keep winning.
06:58 And you don't have to worry about everybody else.
07:00 I'm confident that if we can just win this next one,
07:02 and then we're in control of what we need to control.
07:05 And so that's really the message to the guys,
07:08 is just focus on Pittsburgh.
07:09 and don't worry about anything else right now.