NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is set to face off against his former assistant coach, Brian Callahan, who is now in his first year as the Tennessee Titans’ head coach. This matchup will take place on Sunday, marking a significant moment for Taylor, who has been with the Bengals for six seasons. Callahan served as Taylor’s offensive coordinator for the last five years in Cincinnati, and the two maintain a close relationship, frequently communicating as often as Taylor does with his brother, Press, the offensive coordinator for Jacksonville.
Business is the priority for the Bengals, who currently hold a record of 5-8. In order to secure a fourth consecutive winning season, they must win all of their remaining games. Any further losses will extinguish any playoff aspirations, leaving them at the bottom of the AFC playoff picture. “You’re able to remove all that emotion and just focus on the Tennessee Titans,” Taylor explained. He added that while he and Callahan may share a brief moment before kickoff, the focus will solely be on the game once it begins.
The Bengals kept their hopes alive with a recent victory over the Dallas Cowboys, finishing with a score of 27-20, highlighted by the league’s top passing duo—quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase—connecting for a crucial 40-yard touchdown. On the other hand, Callahan is focused on laying down a strong foundation for a Titans team that has been struggling, facing its third consecutive losing campaign despite significant investments in free agency. Callahan looks to Taylor as a mentor, drawing from his experiences in Cincinnati.
Callahan emphasized the importance of composure and a commitment to improvement, particularly during challenging seasons, calling it something Taylor excelled at during his initial year with the Bengals. In his debut season, Taylor’s record was a disappointing 2-14, but with the first overall pick in 2020, he was able to draft Burrow, followed by adding Chase in 2021. Callahan’s current focus is on quarterback Will Levis, who was selected 33rd overall in 2023 and is now adjusting to his second offensive scheme.
Taylor acknowledged the difficulties that come with the first year of coaching, stating that the Titans should be prepared for a tough matchup against the Bengals. “Rarely do you get an opportunity to walk in and take a team to the playoffs and all the pieces are there,” he noted, adding that there is much to analyze from their game footage.
This upcoming game will showcase a clash between the Bengals, who are leading the NFL in passing offense with an average of 271.6 yards per game, and the Titans, boasting the league’s top pass defense which has allowed just 175.5 yards per game. This matchup marks a rarity for this late in the season, being the first encounter of its kind in the last 15 years in Week 15 or later. Back in 2008, the New York Jets, with the best passing defense, defeated Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 29-15.
Burrow is currently leading the league with 3,706 passing yards and 33 touchdown passes, whereas Chase ranks highly among receivers with 93 catches, amassing 1,319 yards and a career-best 15 touchdowns, which should position him for a substantial contract extension. However, the Bengals have struggled with their running game, potentially allowing the Titans to pose a greater threat to Burrow, who is dealing with a sore left knee after being taken down late against Dallas. Although he did not miss any plays, he finished the game wearing a compression sleeve.
Callahan has been using footage of Burrow to aid Levis’s development, describing Burrow as a candidate for the NFL MVP this season. Burrow expressed his gratitude towards Callahan for the role he played in his career development. “Cally has played a huge role in my success throughout my career so far, and so I owe Cally a lot,” Burrow commented. After recovering from a sprained right shoulder joint, Levis finds himself back on the injury report but has put together a commendable performance with a passer rating of 95.3 in his last five games, throwing for 1,128 yards with seven touchdowns and only two interceptions. Notably, he’s managed to avoid turnovers in the last two matches.
As Levis prepares to witness Burrow’s style firsthand, he reflects on the uniqueness of this matchup. “It’s going to be interesting seeing both systems kind of go at it against each other,” he remarked. The Bengals have faced tough luck throughout their season, having lost seven of their eight games by a single score, but they recently managed to clinch a victory over the Cowboys in Dallas. A pivotal moment came when they benefited from a mishandled blocked punt that set them up for the winning score.
In contrast, the Titans have also experienced heartbreak, losing three of their initial four games by a narrow margin and struggling in recent weeks, scoring only 10 points against the Jaguars, marking a season low in both points scored and allowed.
