ESPN's Stephen A. Smith Urges Bengals to Make a Change

The Cincinnati Bengals suffered another frustrating loss on Sunday, falling 22-17 to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium. Despite a strong performance from Joe Burrow, Cincinnati's offense struggled to find consistency when it mattered most.

Burrow finished the game 39-for-54 for 428 yards and a touchdown, but two costly interceptions played a major role in the loss. The Bengals also struggled to establish anything on the ground, rushing for just 23 yards on 15 attempts.

That performance caught the attention of ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, who came to First Take on Tuesday with some strong opinions about the Bengals and where the team goes from here.

While Burrow has received plenty of criticism for Cincinnati's offensive struggles, Smith believes the blame should be directed elsewhere. More specifically, he believes head coach Zac Taylor should be the one feeling the heat.

Smith put his opinion bluntly when discussing the Bengals' current situation.

"The Bengals need a new head coach," Smith said.

A major part of Smith's frustration stems from Cincinnati's inability to run the football. Through the first four weeks of the season, the Bengals' rushing attack has been near the bottom of the NFL in several major statistical categories.

The Bengals have struggled to create explosive plays on the ground, consistently find positive yardage and take pressure off of Burrow. That has left the offense heavily reliant on its quarterback and passing game, something Smith believes has become an issue.

Burrow has shown that he can carry an offense when necessary, but expecting him to consistently overcome an ineffective running game puts an enormous amount of pressure on the quarterback, and that was evident against Jacksonville.

Even though Burrow threw for 428 yards, the Bengals managed just 17 points and failed to put together enough offense late in the game to complete the comeback. Cincinnati's inability to run the ball allowed the Jaguars to focus heavily on stopping Burrow and the passing game.

For Smith, that ultimately falls on Taylor.

The Bengals have invested heavily in Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, giving Cincinnati one of the most talented passing attacks in the league. But Smith believes the team needs more balance and better coaching to maximize that talent.

At the end of the day, though, Smith still believes Cincinnati's best path forward revolves around its franchise quarterback. He said it’s all about Burrow and what he can do with the ball in his hands. 

If Burrow can continue making plays through the air, Smith believes he can ultimately be the difference-maker who saves the day for Cincinnati. But until the Bengals find a way to improve the running game, the pressure on Burrow — and Taylor — will only continue to grow.