On Feb. 4, the Bengals hired L.A. Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor as the Cincinnati's 10th head coach. His first season was marked by injuries to key players and early-season team struggles which led to a franchise-worst 0-11 start. The Bengals finished the year at 2-14, which (through 2019) matched the worst record in team history (the 2002 club also finished 2-14). Cincinnati's hopes for success took three significant hits before the end of the first preseason game. Rookie OT Jonah Williams, the Bengals' first-round pick who had been slated to start at LOT, was lost for the season in June OTAs due to a shoulder injury (he returned to practice late in the year, but did not see game action). Then on July 27, in the team's first training camp practice, which was held at Welcome Stadium in Dayton as part of the NFL's 100th season celebration, perennial All-Pro WR A.J. Green went down with an ankle injury that ended up costing him the entire season. Making matters worse, OT Cordy Glenn, who was to replace Williams at LOT, suffered a concussion in the preseason opener at Kansas City and did not return to game action until late November. After the team had progressed to an 0-8 start, Taylor announced during the team's bye week that he would be benching longtime starting QB Andy Dalton in favor of rookie Ryan Finley. The experiment turned out to be short-lived, as Cincinnati's offense managed just 33 points over the next three games (all losses). Dalton returned to the starting role on Dec. 1 vs. the N.Y. Jets and led the Bengals to their first win of the season. During that game, Dalton passed Ken Anderson for most career completions and TD passes in team history (Anderson had 2654 completions and 197 TD passes). Cincinnati secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft with a Dec. 22 loss at Miami, but the game will perhaps be remembered most for the Bengals' dramatic 23-point fourth-quarter comeback that featured 16 points in the final 29 seconds to force OT. The game also included a 57-yard FG from K Randy Bullock, the longest in team history. Cincinnati wrapped up its season with a convincing 33-23 win over Cleveland at Paul Brown Stadium. After that contest, fans lined the stands surrounding the Bengals' tunnel and chanted Dalton's name as he exited the field from what was believed to be his final game with the team.
