Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor wasn't expected to win 2022 AP NFL Coach of the Year despite leading his team to an AFC championship rematch with the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in addition to back-to-back AFC North titles.
But fans didn't expect him to not get any votes either, as eight head coaches received first-place votes, and the Seattle Seahawks' Pete Carroll and the Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin received several votes each.
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll won the award during Thursday night's NFL Honors, which recognized UC Medical Center professionals who attended to Damar Hamlin after his sudden cardiac arrest in Cincinnati. In addition, former Bengals great Ken Riley was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
One year ago, Taylor received two of the nationwide panel's 50 votes as the Tennessee Titans' Mike Vrabel won the award.
Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo received nine total votes for AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year. The award was won by DeMeco Ryans, the former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator named Jan. 31 as the new head coach of the Houston Texans.
Last week, Taylor talked to NFL Network's Peter Schrager about Bengals linebacker Joseph Ossai, and insisted that "what's great about Joseph is his passion for the game and his effort on every single play."
The Enquirer's Kelsey Conway wrote about what's next for Taylor and the Bengals after their loss in the AFC title game.
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