ZAC TAYLOR
Head coach
On the decision to go for it on fourth-and-one late in the third quarter, what are your thoughts?
"I felt like we needed to be aggressive there. It didn't work out, so that's frustrating. I put that on myself. It was a situation where we felt like we needed to be aggressive and get a score on that possession given we were down seven. Anytime it doesn't go well, obviously you've got to think long and hard about that decision."
Overall, how would you sum up the performance today?
"The second half wasn't good enough. We didn't make enough plays, enough calls, lost the turnover battle. They scored on every possession in the second half. Offensively, we really walked away with essentially three turnovers. I thought we did a good job coming out with the touchdown drive to match them, and then turnover on downs, pick and fumble, and that's not good enough for us."
Speak about the play call on the fourth-and-one and the screen to Ja'Marr Chase. What was the idea there?
"He's one of the options. The play didn't work, and that's 100 percent on me."
What about the third-and-one earlier that you were stopped on? What did you like in that spot?
"That's off the game plan."
How difficult is it to be winless at home?
"It's frustrating. Everybody deserves better. We've got great fans, great support and haven't done enough to reward them. We haven't done enough to reward our players and the work that goes on in this building. We should feel more wins, we need to feel more wins. We haven't done enough to do that for ourselves. That's on us. There's no finger pointing anywhere else. We've got to take accountability for that — players and coaches. We're better than what our record indicates, but your record is what your record is. We've earned that. Again, we've put ourselves in a bad spot, but it's not a spot that we can't get ourselves out of. I know that we believe that. We're not even yet at the halfway point of the season. Again, there's going to be a lot of opportunity here. We've just got to stick together and keep working, find some wins and string it together."
You averaged 2.9 yards per rush today. It's tough to win with that. How do you get that going moving forward?
"We've just got to be better in that run game."
Was there something specifically with the run game? Were they just winning up front?
"We didn't have any explosives there. Sometimes you can get an explosive and kind of get it going a little bit — we just never got that opportunity. We threw the ball well. It's not that I called much runs in the first half because were moving the ball really well the way that we were attacking them. Sometimes when you're not making a lot of damage there, you just keep the ball in the air because it's been successful. That's no knock on the run game, that's just an area we felt like we were making a lot of hay and getting some real big plays out of it, so stuck with that a little bit. Then in the second half, you don't give yourself much opportunity to run it when you get down two scores and three scores, so that's where the average comes into play there. It presents probably a little worse than it would have been if we had kept that thing tighter and given ourselves more opportunity."
Was the deep shot to Ja'Marr Chase that was intercepted in the fourth quarter a product of just trying to make something happen?
"It was a good play by the corner. Ja'Marr got a step on him and the guy threw his hand up at the last second and tipped it, and then the safety was just right place, right time with the pick. Sometimes things just don't go your way. I think it was a good look for it and again, those guys just made the play."
When did you know you would not have Tee Higgins available today and how did that affect the game plan?
"We gave it all the way up until the final second. It's unfortunate. He works really hard to put himself in position to help our team. It's just unfortunate we were not able to make that work."
How much did not having Orlando Brown Jr. in the second have impact you on offense?
"I'll have to watch the tape, but I felt like Cody (Ford) in there did a good job. I didn't feel like he was hurting us in any way."
With the inconsistencies with the pass rush this year, do you feel like you can get more pressure or do you feel with the current personnel that this is what it is?
"I feel like we've got good players."
What do you think today's game says about your team and where you guys are at in the season in terms of your ability to dig out of this thing?
"I don't think it's indicative of where we are as a team because I think the score is going to reflect differently than how I feel about our guys and what opportunities we're going to be able to capitalize on. It's a disappointing day. There's no running from that. I felt good coming in at halftime that we were going to find a way to win this game. The second half, it starts with the fourth down. They score a touchdown and we come out and go for it on fourth down and don't get it, and that's heavy on my mind the entire game. Anytime that happens and I make a decision like that and it doesn't go your way, you're sick to your stomach about it. I still felt we were going to have opportunity, and then again, you get a tipped pick and all of a sudden they run away with the momentum. It's unfortunate. What I just told the team is we're in a hole, a hole that I believe we can dig ourselves out of. We're just going to have to find a way to do that."
At the half, did you feel the game should have been tied?
"No, I don't think it should have been tied. We had opportunity on offense there. We had a close call on a third down that we ended up settling for a field goal, and then we missed a field goal. Three possessions in the first half, that's as few as you're ever going to have, and so when you're not capitalizing on every single one of them, you felt like you left something out there on the field."
What gives you confidence you can dig out of this hole and go where you want to go?
"We've got enough talent, we've got great coaches, we've got great players, we have enough talent and enough leadership."
Evan McPherson has now missed his last three attempts from 50 yards or more. What's going on with him?
"I've got confidence in him."
Was there anything Philadelphia changed schematically to attack you?
"It was turnovers. That's what got us. That's as much on us as anything."
As the Eagles gained momentum in the second half, did you feel that your guys played a little tighter?
"No, I really didn't. I think there was still confidence over there, even down seven. We didn't get the fourth-and-one. The defense held them to a three-and-out and a field goal. There was really nothing else they could have done aside from getting a turnover. So, I didn't feel that tightness. I felt like actually the defense rose up right there and got the stop and forced them into as long a field goal as you're going to get. We turned around and again, the ball gets tipped up and picked off. That's football. It's unfortunate, and we're just going to get back to work and find a way to get a win next week."
From a coaching perspective, how differently do teams guard Ja'Marr Chase when Tee Higgins isn't playing?
"I think everybody puts a lot of focus on Ja'Marr. We put it on ourselves to find ways to move him around and continue to get him targets."
When you have limited possessions in the first half, how does that change your thinking the rest of the game?
"It really doesn't. We came out and offensively had a good drive that finished in seven points and then essentially had the three turnovers."
JOE BURROW
Quarterback
How are you compartmentalizing being 0-4 at home?
"I'm not entirely sure how to answer it. Obviously, it's not good enough."
What changed after the first drive?
"First half, we moved the ball well. We stalled out on the other two drives, made one field goal, missed the other one. First drive of the second half, went down and scored a touchdown. Then after that, didn't get it on fourth down, threw a pick and then we fumbled. It was those three drives really that put us behind."
What happened on fourth down?
"I threw it to Ja'Marr (Chase) and he got tackled."
Was that the initial play call? What did you see from their defense?
"They were playing man. Their guy made a good play. We weren't able to convert there"
How did the struggles in the run game affect the offense?
"They have a good front, so when you're struggling running like that, then their pass rushers start to tee off a little bit. We knew that going in. We knew their front was good, they were going to be disruptive. We knew we were going to have to score points and we didn't score enough points today."
You go seven-for-seven on your first seven third downs and you end up at 10-13. You had a conversion on third-and-22. With those numbers, it's surprising to see the final score of the game. Was it just the turnovers and the fourth-down stop?
"We were tied, then we didn't get the fourth down. And then they kick a field goal and we're down 10 at that point, then I throw a pick. At that point, it was an uphill battle."
What do you think today's result and the way it went down says about your team and where you guys are at in terms of an ability to dig out of this hole right now?
"We're not good enough. We're not good enough, so we've got to get better."
Mike Hilton just said something has to change. What do you think has to change in order for you guys to play better than you have, especially against these good opponents?
"We've just got to take responsibility for how we're playing individually. You've just got to focus on what you can do better to help your team win. I don't think anybody was good enough today."
Is it frustrating that for the last couple of years, you guys have struggled in short-yardage situations? The third-and-one, the fourth down that everyone is talking about. Has it been frustrating for you that that's been a theme for the last couple of years?
"I would say that, yeah."
How much has not being able to get the running game going this season impacted your ability to manage the game, control time of possession? How much does that impact you with not being able to consistently have a run game?
"After the first game, we ran it well for a couple weeks in a row there. The last couple of weeks haven't been good enough. When you play good rushers like we have the last several weeks, you've got to keep them off balance and be able to run the ball. If you don't, then they aren't going to be quite as worried about it and then their edge guys are going to start getting push and play action isn't going to be as good. So, you've got to drop back and make plays, and that's what those kind of teams want. So, it's tough when you can't."
How much do things change when you don't have Tee Higgins and/or Orlando Brown Jr. since he left in the second half?
"Whenever you don't have some of your best players, that always makes it tough. But that's no excuse. We're going out there with the guys that we have. That's the NFL. You're expected to go out and play well and play up to our standard. It was nice to see Jermaine (Burton) make a play today. I think Jermaine is going to be a good player. He continues to get open, and we're going to continue that dialogue that quarterbacks and receivers have to have. I think he played well today and I think the guys that stood in for Tee played pretty well today."
Did you feel like this was a game you needed to win to show you can be where you want to be at the end of the year?
"Obviously, it would've been good to get this one. It's not how it worked out. We'll just go back to watch the tape and get better. Obviously, you want to win every game. That's ideal, but you've got to adapt to whatever your record is and adapt to how you're playing, so we'll do that."
How close are you to the hole being too deep to dig out of as a team?
"I think 10 wins usually gets you in, so we've got to win seven out of nine. That's doable, so we'll go from there."
Do you feel like after that fourth down stop when they get the field goal and go up 10 points, do you feel like you deviated from the game plan and started chasing, and that's what dug you into a deeper hole?
"At that point, you have to drop back and throw it. We got a couple of completions there. It just really came down to if we go down and score a touchdown on that drive, then we're down three — we're still in it. The interception was tough. The guy made a good play. I left it a little short. I'd like to have that one back, obviously. Then after that, they go down and I believe they scored again, and at that point the game is pretty much over."
On the interception, did you feel like you just needed a play and that you just needed to find Ja'Marr Chase on a deep shot? What predicated you making that decision?
"That was the call. The safety was cheated over there, so I just tried to give him a chance and just left it a little too short."
Do you feel like with where you're at not just in the game, but in the season, you're at a point where you just needed a play like that, regardless of what the outcome was going to be?
"That's something I always try to balance is when things aren't going your way, try not to do too much. I don't think that was trying to do too much. The guy made a good play."
You're 0-4 at home this year. What has it been that you guys haven't been able to get the job done in Cincinnati?
"Just haven't made the plays to win the game. I don't think it has anything to do with being at home or being on the road. It's just those games, we haven't made plays."
With Tee Higgins, how much do you feel for his two setbacks in practice and knowing how hard he works and how tough that is for him?
"That's tough. I know Tee wants to be out there with us. He works really hard to be out there and he's a great player, so it's obviously tough for everybody — Tee in particular — when he's not out there."
I know there's only so much you can control from an individual standpoint, but how much has this season challenged you from a leadership standpoint in finding the balance between staying positive but also the accountability that's necessary for a team at 3-5?
"It's challenging. I don't think anybody has been good enough so far to go and win the games that we needed to."
Their defensive coordinator has been around a long time with seven different teams. He changes things up, what was the second half like compared to the first?
"He was just rolling through his calls, not giving away any tells. The linebackers were doing a good job moving pre- and post-snap to not give away rotation. They didn't have any coverage tendencies for any of our formations, they were just kind of calling it. So, that makes it tough on the quarterback, but I felt I saw it all day."
You almost had that touchdown to Jermaine Burton. He almost came down with it, and it would've been a huge play. What was your view of that?
"I think I left that one a little short too. He almost made a great play on the ball. They doubled Ja'Marr (Chase), ran the linebacker out to cover the flat to the right. I just tried to give him a chance."
You just said that winning seven of your final nine games is doable. What makes you think that?
"We've done it before. I know the players we've got in there. You've just got to treat it week by week. Any game is winnable. You've just got to go and do it."
MIKE GESICKI
Tight end
You had seven catches for 73 yards. Tell us a little about your day ...
"I was just trying to make the most of some opportunities out there. (It was a) poor way to end it putting the ball on the ground like that (in the fourth quarter). It's just (time to go) back to work. I do appreciate the opportunities to go out there and make plays from Joe (Burrow) and the coaches. That was good."
Tee Higgins was inactive today. He's 6-5 and you're 6-6. Was that part of the idea for you to be top target today?
"It was going to be a collective effort. Not one person is going to replace what Tee does for the offense and the player that he is, so it was a collective thing. I think everybody deserves credit in that because there were a lot of different personnel and people doing different stuff (with a) lot of communication in the huddle. Everybody deserves a lot of credit for that."
You guys had two really long drives for touchdowns. Nothing came easy today, did it?
"No. That's a good team. That's a good defense. We were able to make some plays, but unfortunately not enough."
You guys had a lot of success on third down today. What was the key that allowed for that to happen?
"The long one — that was all Joe, just extending the play and letting guys get open. As a defense, you can only cover for so long, so guys were able to get uncovered and make plays. I think a lot of that's (a credit) to the coaching staff, (quarterbacks coach) Brad (Kraghthorpe) and those guys, (Bengals head coach) Zac Taylor and Pitch (offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher) upstairs, doing the third-down stuff, designing a lot of good concepts, understanding what the defense is going to show us and attacking it. They really deserve all the credit on that, and we go out and do the easy part, (which is) make plays."
MIKE HILTON
Cornerback
What is it like to be 0-4 at home this year?
"It's difficult. One place you want to win is at your home (stadium), and we haven't done that at all this year. It's been four tough losses, and we've got to find ways to win games."
In the second half, they moved the ball up and down the field. What changed for you guys or them to allow for that to happen?
"Nothing. They called an explosive play, they caught us in the right coverage — like the touchdown to (DeVonta Smith) ... we were in the quarters concept and he made a great play on a great ball. We've just got to find ways as a DB to make that play. We really did what we wanted to — we contained them on the run until late, and they made explosive plays at the right time."
What do you think the biggest thing is for this defense moving forward?
"Just find ways to get off the field. I mean, third-and-16, we've got to get off the field someway, somehow. It should not be a conversion on a third-and-10-plus. We're better than that, and we've got to be better than that for us to have any shot. We just didn't play well today."
What do you think today's result says about you guys as a team and your ability to dig out of this hole?
"We can play with anybody. We've just got to find ways to close the games out. We went into halftime, we liked where we were, and knew we were going to come out in the second half and be able to compete, but we didn't make plays when we needed to. We didn't' get off the field when we needed to, and it came back and bit us in the (rear)."
One core of this team is the ability to beat really good teams, and this year you're 0-4 against teams that are likely playoff bound. Is that especially frustrating for a guy whose had good experiences here?
"For sure. There's nothing such as morale victories. This game is, 'What have you done for me lately?', and we haven't done enough, especially against those playoff-quality teams. We've just got to find ways to win games. There's no rhyme or reason to it — we've just got to close games out."
Do you think there's a fine line between sticking together but upping the level of accountability when you're 3-5?
"I mean, that doesn't change from (being) 3-5 to starting the season 0-0. We should all hold each other accountable. Like I've said, we've just got to find ways to win games. We've lost a lot of games by one possession besides this one. This was just one we've got to take on the chin, and get ready for Las Vegas next week."
CAM TAYLOR-BRITT
Cornerback
Can you explain the emotions you're feeling right now at 0-4 at home this season?
"Honestly, it's everywhere. We know the team that we have (and) we know what we can do. We just didn't come out and do it today as a team."
It was 10-3 late in the first half with you in the lead. It seemed like things were going your way, and then from there Philadelphia was pretty dominant. What did they show you offensively?
"That run game, man — we knew what we were getting ourselves into coming into this game, and with Saquon (Barkley), it's a run-heavy offense. You've also got to watch out for the QB draws. If he sees it's not open, he'll take off, and that's a first down. So you've got to get off the field on third down at the end of the day."
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are pretty potent receiving combo, but it seemed like you guys bottled them up for much of the game, and then they made some big catches for big third-down conversions in the second half ...
"Yeah, that was our main thing on the outside — just containing those two, me doing my job and following (Brown) around. We ran a zone coverage and he ended up getting a seven route — but other than that, I don't think he did too much. As far as on the other side (of the field), we tried to contain (Smith) as well, putting a body on a body, trying to get pressure, but we've got to get there."
How big of a blow was the deep touchdown to DeVonta Smith?
"Huge, man, huge. Just coming out the half — double-dipping right before the half — that can't happen. We've got to play winning football."
The defense has played well the last few weeks — was today a step backward?
"Yeah, most definitely. Tackling-wise, (it was) a step backward. Last week, we had to tackle (Cleveland Browns running back Nick) Chubb and (he and Barkley) are great running backs, so we've just got to put 11 hats on the ball."
Why can't teams stop the "Brotherly Shove", a.k.a. the "tush push"?
"We did pretty well for a little minute, but you run that four or five plays in a row and you get a little closer every time. I feel like that's one of those plays that's been invented, and you've got to invent something else to stop it."
CHASE BROWN
Running back
The end result may not have been what you wanted, but how cool was it to play against your brother Sydney?
"It's a cool experience. Seeing him on the other side of the field in an opposing jersey was weird, but definitely a moment I won't forget."
The moment where you two hugged pregame looked like a special embrace ...
"Yeah. (It was a) good thing. I got to spend some time with him last night. We just caught up and it was just like old times. (It was) definitely a cool moment."
The game started great as the offense had a credible drive to begin with and you guys couldn't sustain it. Why do you think that was the case?
"We've just got to be more consistent. I think there were of a ton of moments in that game where we could have done better, and that's what we're going to see on film. We're going to learn from it and get better."
It seems like the running game has had its moments this season, but hasn't been consistently reliable .... is that an accurate depiction in your view?
"Definitely. It's something that we can get better at, I think."
You guys had only 20 total rushing attempts as a team. Have you had conversations as a group about balancing out the running game?
"Balancing it out? Yeah, we try and spread it out the best we can, but we're a pass-first offense, and some of our biggest playmakers are in the receiver room. That's where we try and get the ball (going)."
Can you articulate the frustration level the team is experiencing right now, struggling to get that first home win?
"I mean, you guys know what it is. We want that win really bad. There's a ton of work that goes into these weeks, so leaving with a loss is tough."
Zac Taylor said he believes this team can keep fighting and claw out of this. Do you agree?
"I'm with him all the way through. We've just got to keep on working."
