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Cincinnati Bengals caput coach Zac Taylor was not happy erstwhile NFL officials stopped play to people Myles Garrett's historical 23rd sack of nan play successful nan team's 20-18 nonaccomplishment to nan Cleveland Browns connected Sunday.
Taylor fumed astatine nan stoppage, which came precocious successful nan 4th fourth pinch conscionable complete 5 minutes remaining, saying aft nan crippled that he was ne'er told crippled officials planned to extremity play if Garrett deed nan people to go nan NFL’s single-season sack leader.
Cleveland Browns protect extremity Myles Garrett (95) sacks Cincinnati Bengals backmost Joe Burrow (9) during nan 4th fourth astatine Paycor Stadium. The play group a caller NFL azygous play sack grounds by Garrett. (Joseph Maiorana/Imagn Images)
"There’s 5 minutes near successful our season. We’re playing for our lives retired present and I was ne'er told that we’re going to extremity nan crippled and successful a captious infinitesimal for illustration that," he told reporters aft nan game. "And nan refs conscionable said that they made a determination that they were going to extremity nan crippled and they said that they tried to do it arsenic quickly arsenic imaginable – I didn’t consciousness that."
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The Bengals had already been officially eliminated past period aft a 24-0 nonaccomplishment to nan Baltimore Ravens successful Week 15. Still, Taylor said nan squad was playing to win.
"We didn’t sub. We’re trying to beryllium connected nan shot and spell and play pinch tempo, and nan umpire conscionable held nan shot truthful that we couldn’t do anything. And I’m yelling astatine Joe [Burrow] to get connected nan ball. We didn’t sub, we’re going and past we couldn’t play."
Taylor said that successful nan gathering pinch refs earlier kickoff, he was "never informed" of their plans.
Myles Garrett of nan Cleveland Browns is carried by teammates aft nan sack during nan 4th fourth of nan crippled against nan Cincinnati Bengals astatine Paycor Stadium connected Jan. 4, 2026 successful Cincinnati, Ohio. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
ZAC TAYLOR SURVIVES COACHING CAROUSEL AS BENGALS COMMIT TO ANOTHER SEASON DESPITE PLAYOFF MISS
"Trying to get an reply was not easy. They conscionable said that they made a determination arsenic a unit to extremity nan crippled if that happened. I conjecture it didn’t matter erstwhile it happened, they were conscionable going to extremity nan crippled and fto it happen.
"I was ne'er informed of that. They didn’t opportunity 1 word."
Garrett came into nan crippled needing 1 sack to surpass nan people of 22.5, shared by New York Giants awesome and Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pittsburgh Steelers prima T.J. Watt successful 2021.
Cincinnati Bengals caput coach Zac Taylor speaks astatine a news convention aft an NFL crippled against nan Cleveland Browns successful Cincinnati, Ohio, connected Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
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With minutes remaining successful nan last crippled of nan season, Garrett saw his opportunity pinch Burrow connected first-and-10 astatine nan Browns’ 45-yard line.
"It was everything I expected. It was truthful tough. I knew they were going to make it difficult," Garrett said. "I don’t deliberation I saw much than 3 singles connected a existent drop-back nan full game. And I conscionable knew that if I did, I person to make that infinitesimal count. And nan emotion couldn’t beryllium better."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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