The Cincinnati Bengals experienced a renaissance after hiring head coach Zac Taylor for the 2019 season. Marvin Lewis had long had his own way of doing things, and Taylor brought a fresh perspective.

The first year was so bad that Taylor was selected first and was able to bring in quarterback Joe Burrow. That certainly helps. They’ve made two straight AFC Championship games and almost won the Super Bowl. However, Taylor has found ways to win games even without Burrow on the team. Last season, Cincinnati almost made the playoffs with Jake Browning.

What I’m saying is that Taylor and his team have a pretty solid track record when it comes to how good they are, but they haven’t necessarily gotten the respect.

Take, for example, ESPN’s Ben Solak, who lists the best head coaches and coordinators for 2024. He ranks Taylor and his team 14th in the NFL.

I had my doubts about Taylor, but I thought last season was the best sign of offensive ingenuity we’ve seen since his time with the Bengals, so the arrow is pointing up. On the other hand, I’ve long been a big fan of Anarumo, who is one of the best defensive coaches against elite quarterbacks — which is tremendously valuable. The Bengals couldn’t figure out how to handle a young secondary last season, as Anarumo’s deep and versatile defensive structure overwhelmed the recognition and communication of an inexperienced safety room. Anarumo needs to find a way to simplify things when necessary — or his defense could never function without Jessie Bates (now a Falcon) at the helm.

Taylor wasn’t perfect. There were frustrating offensive lapses that just shouldn’t have happened with the offensive talent they had. However, they always found a way to pull themselves together when they needed to.

Lou Anarumo has proven to be one of the best signings, which isn’t too bad considering how hard it was for him to give up the job at first. Before last season, he was a headache for the NFL’s best quarterbacks every time they played Cincinnati. We could see him returning there if Geno Stone returns in a similar role to Jessie Bates two years ago, rather than the inexperienced Daxton Hill.

The entire list is a bit recent. This is the only explanation for the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills being ahead of them. The rest is debatable.

It would be one thing if Taylor and the Bengals couldn’t get anything done without Burrow, but lately they have been competitive without Burrow — at least as competitive as a team can be without its franchise quarterback.

At some point the league has to give Taylor his flowers. Maybe a ring is the only way to reach that level.

What do you think of this ranking? Let us know your opinion in the comments!