Five worst Week 8 performances: Epic collapse pushes Bengals closer to massive change

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor

The Bengals lost to the previously winless New York Jets, 39-38, in a game they had no business dropping. Taylor was arguably the biggest culprit.

Cincinnati led by 14 with under 10 minutes remaining, but some questionable decisions by the seventh-year head coach allowed the Jets to pull off the thrilling comeback. One possession after the Bengals gashed the Jets on the ground for 50 yards (10 yards per carry), Taylor called three consecutive passes in a six-point game, and quarterback Joe Flacco threw two incompletions while also taking a sack to go three-and-out on a series that only took one minute and two seconds off the clock. New York scored the go-ahead touchdown on the ensuing drive.

And while he doesn't coach the defense, Taylor also deserves heat for the team's performance on that side of the ball with his hand-picked hire for defensive coordinator this offseason, Al Golden, continuing to disappoint. Cincinnati allowed 502 yards, the most by the Jets since gaining 511 yards (also against the Bengals) on Oct. 31, 2021.

Taylor has coasted through the past few seasons on the strength of his AFC championship 2021 season, but that can only save his job for so long. If Cincinnati falls out of contention before quarterback Joe Burrow (calf) returns, it might finally be time to make a change.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel

Shedeur Sanders can't be any worse, can he? Gabriel, making his fourth career start, hardly looked like a future franchise quarterback in a 32-13 loss at the surging New England Patriots (6-2). He finished 21-of-35 for 156 yards (4.5 yards per attempt), two touchdowns and two interceptions as the Browns dropped to 2-6.

Gabriel made a poor decision on his first interception, failing to recognize linebacker Robert Spillane in coverage, and the veteran defender jumped in front of the pass intended for tight end David Njoku and returned the ball to Cleveland's 6-yard line.

He also had what might be the worst safety of the season, throwing to absolutely no one from his own end zone when he had time to move around the pocket and either scramble or find a receiver to target.

The Browns selected Gabriel two rounds ahead of Sanders, but it's difficult imagining the gap between the two being that wide. If Gabriel continues making the least out of his opportunity, it wouldn't hurt to give the 2025 fifth-rounder a try.

Dallas Cowboys defense

The Cowboys continue to be a mess on defense. In a 44-24 loss to the Denver Broncos (6-2), Dallas couldn't stop the run or pass, with running backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey combining for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Second-year quarterback Bo Nix chipped in with four passing touchdowns, tied for a career high.

Dallas wasn't good enough on offense to mask the decencies, as quarterback Dak Prescott had arguably his worst game of the season, throwing two interceptions and only leading three scoring drives before being pulled in the fourth for backup Joe Mixon with the game out of reach. But the Cowboys shouldn't have to rely solely on their offense to win games. It would help if the defense picked up the slack at some point.