The defensive issues that contributed to the Cincinnati Bengals missing the playoffs led to major changes on Monday, when four assistants were fired — three on that side of the ball.

The story of the 2024 Cincinnati Bengals was a rare one. It's unusual to see a quarterback play at an MVP level, like Joe Burrow did, and his team miss the playoffs. Someone had to pay the price, and it was clear that would be.

Failure to make the playoffs in a season of top-tier individual performances meant drastic changes needed to be made.

DC Lou Anarumo took the fall for the team's disappointing 2024 season, but the onus now falls squarely on the head coach.

Zac Taylor understands the disappointment from Cincinnati Bengals fans. The year started with Super Bowl expectations and ended without a trip to the playoffs. Quarterback Joe Burrow, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and defensive end Trey Hendrickson all went on to have their best professional campaigns this year.

The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t likely to fire head coach Zac Taylor after his team missed the playoffs for the second straight season. But there are some compelling reasons for and against the idea after what has been a wild ride of ups and downs for the franchise since his arrival in 2019.