If you found yourself consistently questioning Zac Taylor’s decision making throughout Cincinnati’s 30-24 overtime victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 17, you weren’t alone. Taylor made several head-scratching decisions over the course of the contest, starting in the first half.

Zac Taylor made several questionable calls in overtime win over Denver

Taylor opted against attempting a chip-shot field goal not once, but twice in the first half in favor of going for it on fourth down, and on both occasions the Bengals failed to convert. That’s six points left off the board as the result of questionable decision-making. Had the Bengals simply converted those kicks, the game might not have been as close as it ultimately was down the stretch.

But, those attempts were early enough in the contest, and at least an argument could be made in favor of added aggression in those scenarios. But, things got worse for Taylor in the second half. Fast forward to closing minutes of the fourth quarter.

Instead of bleeding the clock and attempting a game-winning field goal in the closing seconds of the contest when the Bengals had the ball in a goal-to-go position, Taylor instructed Burrow to score a touchdown while leaving plenty of time on the clock for the Broncos to answer. And answer they did.

The Broncos marched all the way down the field and tied the game with a touchdown bomb in the closing seconds. Had they opted to go for two — and converted — Denver could have won the game and ended Cincinnati’s playoff hopes right there. Instead, they kicked a game-tying extra point and played for overtime.

(After the game, Taylor explained that Chase Brown getting hurt and forcing the Bengals to use a timeout altered the team’s end-of-game approach. Had Brown not gone down, perhaps the Bengals would have bled the clock and attempted a kick).

In overtime, Taylor made another questionable call as he attempted a 33-yard, game-winning field goal with Cade York on third and three, as opposed to allowing the offense (and a red-hot Joe Burrow) another opportunity to operate and potentially close out the game. York blasted the kick off of the post and gave the ball back to the Broncos with his miss. Things looked pretty grim for Cincinnati at that point, as they would be eliminated from postseason contention with a tie.

Luckily, Cincinnati’s defense was able to hold and get the ball back for the offense. Burrow then led the team down the field and hit Tee Higgins for a game-winning, season-saving touchdown. Both Taylor and York were bailed out by the combined greatness of Burrow and Higgins, who connected for three TDs in the game. Some might even argue that the Bengals won that game in spite of the head coach.

So, where does that leave us with Taylor? It sure seems like the expectation is that he will remain in his role beyond the current campaign. But, there’s a not-so-small contingent of the fanbase that would like to see him replaced, and after his questionable decision-making in the do-or-die game against Denver, that group might grow.