Nebraska football and the art of embracing the Cincinnati Bengals

Remember the heady days of 2018 when Nebraska football fans were all excited about a former Husker quarterback making good as a head coach who could bring honor back to the Cornhusker program?

While the Scott Frost experiment has not worked out in any way shape or form the way hoped it would, it turns out there’s another former Nebraska football quarterback turned head coach who is absolutely making good. Granted, Husker fans will have to root for this particular man from farther away. But bear with me when I tell you that the entire Husker community should be throwing their weight behind the Cincinnati Bengals.

Zac Taylor may not have led the Huskers to a National Title, but he did lead the Bill Callahan boys to an impressive bowl game victory over Michigan. He was one of those rare bright spots in the beginning of the darkest era of Nebraska football. In 2006, he put up one of the more impressive seasons as a quarterback for the Huskers over the last 20 years as he threw for 26 touchdowns to just eight interceptions.

In short, Zac Taylor might not be the hero Husker fans knew they wanted but he might be the hero they need.

Now the head coach of the Bengals, he has done what NU fans thought Scott Frost would do. He took over a moribund franchise that had seen better days, but was hitting rock bottom. After a couple of years of struggling and rebuilding, he found real success in 2021 by taking the Bengals to the playoffs. And then, remarkably to the Super Bowl.

This year, he’s helming a Bengals team that is expected to make another run towards a championship at least. At least to be a perennial playoff team. Wouldn’t it be fun to root for a team that’s legitimately supposed to be good rather than “maybe they’ll surprise.”

The former Nebraska football players tie-in

Zac Taylor isn’t the only former Husker Nebraska fans can root for on the Bengals. There’s also Stanley Morgan Jr., who is down the depth chart a ways as a wide receiver, but he does get plenty of action on special teams.

He’s quite the success story as well, considering his first few years in the NFL, he was fighting to make the Bengals’ practice squad. Now he seems to be someone who is good enough to be a staple on their 53-man roster. He also just happens to have played on the last team that made a bowl game for the Nebraska football program.

And then there’s Cam Taylor-Britt. Sure he’s hurt at the moment, but he’s someone who, when healthy, was expected to be a big contributor to a Bengals defense that is thought to be pretty darn good.

In a season that already seems lost for Husker fans. It’s time to start looking for other things to root for in 2022. As the NFL season kicks off, and the Cincinnati Bengals begin their AFC championship defense, Nebraska football fans could do worse than getting behind Zac Taylor and company.