Zac Taylor wants more from Bengals following dramatic win over Steelers

The Cincinnati Bengals recorded a first NFL victory since Week 2 when they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 33-31 on Thursday Night Football (October 16).  

The divisional victory was secured late on at Paycor Stadium, as Evan McPherson's game-winning field-goal came with just seven seconds remaining.

Aaron Rodgers nearly taking back the lead for the Steelers with a last-gasp Hail Mary attempt emphasised how close and thrilling the game was.

Among the stars for the Bengals in the Week 7 win was new quarterback Joe Flacco, who threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns despite only signing with the team a few days prior.

The Bengals are keen to pick up as many wins as possible with star quarterback Joe Burrow out for a lengthy period with a turf toe injury.

The hope is that the team is still in playoff contention whenever the 28-year-old returns to the field.

While beating a good Steelers team and improving to 3-4 for the year is a welcome sign for the Bengals, it is a slight worry that all of the team's victories have been by four or less points.

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Bengals head coach keen to improve overall performances

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is aware of his team's struggles with closing out games more comfortably and not establishing large enough leads in wins so far.

"All three of our wins have been find-a-way-to-win games," the 42-year-old said on Wednesday (October 22).

"They haven't been we race out and we hold the 14-point lead, which I'd love to do at some point."

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However, the Taylor believes there are still some positives to take from his team's three victories this season.

"There's an element it's good that we've had to find ways to win, and we've got to build off of that. That's a good quality to have, that you've seen yourself do that at the end of the game," he explained.

"Now we've got to focus on building a lead early, playing really solid, and putting teams to bed and winning by a larger margin," the Bengals head coach added.

The AFC North outfit have the perfect opportunity to follow-up on Taylor's comments and put on a dominant display, as the team hosts the winless New York Jets next in Week 8 (October 26).

Cincinnati Bengals news and related links

• AFC Trade Deadline: One position and player each team should be targeting

• When will Joe Burrow return? Turf toe recovery timeline, return date for Bengals star QB

• NFL head coach critical of Browns GM's decision to trade Joe Flacco to Bengals