When Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor found he would be playing the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 56, a specific moment from his first season with the Bengals immediately popped in his mind.It was past midnight early in the week when Taylor and his offensive coordinator Brian Callahan were sitting watching film of Los Angeles Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald chase down Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. At the time, the Bengals were 0-8 searching for their first win. Typically, by this point in the week, Taylor and Callahan would have the groundwork laid out for their game plan. Donald had them stumped.“It’s one of those moments where you’re so upset that you just start laughing,” Taylor said. “And I think that’s where me and Brian were, we were just laughing watching him chase this guy around the backfield and trying to devise a plan. And we got a plan in place that gave us an opportunity. We didn’t win the game, but, you know, we gave it our best shot, but we’ve certainly come a long ways now.”Bengals coaches:How the greatest team you've never heard of led to the Bengals playing the ChiefsCincinnati Enquirer:How to follow The Cincinnati Enquirer's coverage of Super Bowl 56Bass:What do Bengals mean to you? ‘I wish my dad were alive to see this.’Taylor, a notorious note taker, took a minute to write something on the dry-erase board in his office. He never wanted to forget this moment and would use it as motivation for years to come.“Remember when.”Aaron Donald and the Rams in the Super BowlThree years later, with the message still on his dry erase board, Taylor and Callahan are getting ready for a rematch with Donald in pursuit of a Lombardi Trophy. Needless to say, they feel much better about their plan this time around.“It was a difficult time. We had thought we would have more success at that point,” Callahan said. “For a number of reasons we didn’t, and then you’re looking at the best defensive player in football wreaking havoc against everybody he played against. Going up to that game, we just sat there and watched him for a couple of hours trying to figure out, is he even blockable? The answer to that is primarily no, he’s not. He tends to wreck everybody’s game. He’s a phenomenal player. We have our work cut out for us. You always have a plan for guys who can disrupt the game like that. You always have to be aware of where he is, and you always have to be aware of how you can help when people need help against him and that’s often. Those were some dark moments there that first year.”Donald is widely viewed as the best defensive player in the NFL. Some even argue he’s the best player period. He’s the type of player who can completely take over a game and its why teams must come into games with a specific plan for how they’ll scheme around him.The eight-time Pro Bowler is undoubtedly a mismatch for the Bengals. Cincinnati’s offensive line has been a question mark all season long. Joe Burrow was the most sacked quarterback in the NFL in the regular season and has already been sacked 12 times in the postseason. PFF (formerly Pro Football Focus) rated the Bengals at No. 25 out of 32 in their pass-blocking metric.During the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bengals rotated Hakeem Adeniji and Jackson Carman at right guard – a position they have yet to solidify this season. The right side of the Bengals’ offensive line is where the uncertainty comes. Isaiah Prince, a former sixth-round pick by the Miami Dolphins whom the Bengals claimed off waivers in late 2019, is starting at right tackle in place of veteran Riley Reiff who suffered an ankle injury and was placed on injured reserve. Prince was graded at No. 77 out of 83 tackles in pass blocking, according to PFF.Regardless of the question marks the Bengals have on the offensive line, the unit has persevered against some of the best defensive linemen in the NFL. Despite giving up nine sacks against the Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati has held their own up front in the postseason. The game the Bengals’ offensive line graded out highest in this metric during the regular season might come as a surprise.PFF gave the Bengals a 73.5 pass-block grade against the Denver Broncos. Cincinnati scored just 15 points but won a critical game on the road. This is an encouraging sign for the Bengals ahead of Sunday’s matchup because the Rams play the same style of defense the Broncos do. That’s not to say the Rams will do everything Denver did in this game, but the Bengals will go into this game knowing what Los Angeles will try to do and will know they can hold their own.“I’ve got a ton of confidence in our guys up front,” Callahan said this week. “They’re battle-tested. They’ve played in tough games. They’ve managed. They’ve made mistakes. They’ve given up sacks. They just keep coming back and fighting. That’s all you can ask for at this point in the year.”More Cincinnati Bengals videos Source link
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