Head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals Zac Taylor is preparing for a primetime game against his brother, Press, who is the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The parents of Zac and Press, Julie and Sherwood Taylor, joined the Bengals Beat Podcast to talk about their feelings before the game as both teams got ready for their Week 13 matchup.
On Monday night in Jacksonville, Julie and Sherwood will be watching their sons compete against one another from the stands, making it a family affair. Julie is extremely nervous, and they will be dressed in muted hues.
“I already feel anxious,” Julie Taylor remarked. My stomach is twitching back and forth. It is really not to my taste. I hope the best for them both. All I want is for both offenses to succeed; that is all I want.
There have been previous instances where the Taylor brothers have faced off against each other. Zac is losing to Press, who has a 2-1-1 record. But since Press became the offensive coordinator and Zac became the head coach, this is the first time the brothers are playing against one another. Press calls Jacksonville’s offensive plays.
At forty years old, Zac is the oldest of the four Taylor children. Press, a 35-year-old, paved his own route in the NFL coaching community. The NFL has never seen the Taylor brothers on the same staff. Press first became acquainted with current Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson while working as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Press and Zac call plays in the NFL, share a similar personality, and each have four children of their own.
Julie Taylor remarked, “I don’t think they look alike, but when they come back to Norman, people can’t tell who’s who.” “They have the exact same sense of humor. Both of them are lovely boys who are meticulous and well-organized.
Press will probably start getting interviews for head coaching positions if the Jaguars keep winning. When Zac was appointed head coach of the Bengals in 2019, Press was Press’s age. In terms of scoring this season, Jacksonville is ranked No. 12 in the NFL (23.1). Press and Zac are comparable in that Press’s coaching career began with him working with quarterbacks. Press specialized in working with quarterbacks in Philadelphia from 2016 to 2020.
Considering the current NFL trend of owners favoring offensive-minded coaches—especially those with a history of developing quarterbacks—it appears as though Press will eventually get his chance to lead an NFL team. The similarities between Press and Zac’s coaching careers lie in the significant roles they have played in the growth of their franchise quarterbacks who were selected first overall. It’s Trevor Lawrence (2021 first-round pick) for Press and Joe Burrow (2020 first-round pick) for Zac.
The idea of these two former No. 1 picks facing off was one of the main attractions to this game. Burrow and Lawrence are two of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL right now. But because of Burrow’s wrist injury that ended the season, it won’t happen.
Because both of their sons are so busy getting their teams ready for battle, Julie and Sherwood anticipate that their sons won’t speak much to one another before the game. With an 8-3 record, the Jaguars want to keep winning to secure a spot in the playoffs for a second season in a row. Cincinnati, who is currently 5-6, is looking to end a three-game losing streak and salvage the season.
Julie hopes the family can get together for a meal before the chaos begins, despite the fact that Zac and Press will be pulled in a lot of different directions before the game.
