The “One Play Away” Mantra Has Officially Worn Out Its Welcome
Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
“I think we all watch the game and we can see it’s just coming down to one play in every single game. So why would you make a big wholesale change? That to me is just panic. That’s not what we’re about. We believe in what we’re doing. And so again, we’re not going to be those people that just panic because the record is 4-7 and we start making all of these significant changes. That’s not what the answer is.”
These were words from Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, who has spent the entirety of 2024 trying to find the positives from a season that has felt like anything but.
Look, I get it. A lot of Bengals fans cling to the fact that they were “One play away” from winning several games, and it is true. Tanner Hudson’s near-the-end-zone fumble in Week 1, Daijahn Anthony’s penalty in Week 2, and Evan McPherson’s multiple missed game-winning field goals, among other things, have all resulted in the Bengals having a 1-6 record in one score games, with the six losses each having their own versions of heartbreak. Those “woulda, coulda, shoulda” moments have defined Cincinnati’s season and put them in the hole in which they currently reside.
I’m tired of the Bengals being on the losing end of the best games of the year
— Alex Schubert (@alexschubes) November 18, 2024
On paper, the Bengals are still a talented team, and they still boast a positive point differential by the literal slimmest of margins (+1), but their 4-7 record is hard to overlook. Sure, the Bengals have almost won games, but “almost” wins do not count in the black-and-white universe that is the Wins and Losses column. As the old saying goes, “almost” only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and guys who totally could have hooked up with that one girl that one time. If “We were one play away” was a valid excuse for football teams, Malcolm Butler wouldn’t have caused Richard Sherman’s face to become a meme, Marcus Williams’ missed tackle wouldn’t have turned Case Keenum and Stefon Diggs into Minneapolis legends, and Bills fans wouldn’t scream “F*** Scott Norwood” every time they launch themselves into a folding table.
The Bengals inability to win close games has been their undoing in 2024. Despite the nuclear level that Joe Burrow is playing at, he appears dejected and dumbfounded at far too many press conferences.
“Just gotta make the plays, just gotta make the plays,” Burrow said. “Down the stretch, we’re not a good enough team to––our margin of error is slim. So, we gotta make those plays. I gotta make those plays, we all gotta make those plays.”
The most recent loss to the Chargers is extra heartbreaking, as the Bengals put on their big boy pants on both sides of the ball and very nearly won despite facing a 21-point deficit, which would have equaled the largest comeback in franchise history. The offense caught fire in the second half and scored three touchdowns in eight minutes against a team that hadn’t even given up 17 points in an entire game this season. Unfortunately, two missed field goals by Evan McPherson prevented the Bengals from taking the lead, and they ultimately cost the team a desperately-needed victory.
“We don’t ever want to use a loss for good, but it’s got to help us in some way,” Zac Taylor said. “We’ve played some really good football teams and (we’ve) just got to find a way to finish it. I keep saying that and obviously, we’re a play away every time I say it, but I still (have) the confidence that we can get this thing done.”
Cincinnati is running out of time. As of Monday, the Bengals are the 10th overall seed in the AFC with a 4-7 record, and have a 10% chance at making the playoffs, which is deeply below the expectations that fans, players, and coaches alike have set for the team. 2024 has been a season where questionable play calling, game-losing mistakes, and not making that one play has likely cost the Bengals a playoff berth in a season with Super Bowl expectations. The Super Bowl, mind you, has seen teams be “one play away” from a victory time and time again (see: Norwood, Scott).
“We know where we’re at,” Joe Burrow said. “I’m not happy with where we’re at. I don’t think anybody is, but all you can do is come back tomorrow and try to get better.”
Week 12 has the Bengals on a bye, so everything that happens this week is out of the team’s control, but the stretch run of the season will feature three games against teams currently in the AFC playoff picture, including two games (one of which immediately follows the bye) against the division-leading Steelers, who thrive in close games. Pittsburgh, who boasts one of the NFL’s best defenses, has won five out of their seven one score games in 2024, and two of those wins featured the Steelers scoring exactly zero touchdowns.
Last night’s loss featured the Bengals finally getting in a rhythm after a monumentally slow start, but they ultimately came up short. In an unfortunate coincidence, it appears as if that is how the trajectory of the season is going, as well.
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