Skip to content 
The matchup is officially set: Sean McVay vs Zac Taylor, Los Angeles Rams vs Cincinnati Bengals. Two of the most explosive offenses in the league will go face-to-face for the ultimate glory; a chance to take the Vince Lombardi trophy home.
Sean McVay vs Zac Taylor comparison
At first glance, one could argue that the Rams have everything in their favor to get the job done. Fans looking where to watch Super Bowl LVI can just head to SoFi Stadium and that’s it, while the Bengals faithful will have a tougher time finding seats.
The Rams have the upper hand in experience and most of their players have already been there. However, both Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford will be first-time Super Bowl QBs, which is also a factor. But, who’s got the coaching edge in this clash? Who’s more likely to get the job done? Let’s talk about that.
Background
At the ripe age of 36 years old, Sean McVay is already a veteran in this league. Entering the NFL as an offensive assistant for Jon Gruden, his first gig came in 2008 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was later a WR coach for the Florida Tuskers of the USFL before working his way up in the Washington Redskins organization.
McVay started off as an offensive assistant for Mike Shanahan in 2020, then became the tight ends coach, and eventually Offensive Coordinator. His impressive job got him the Los Angeles Rams HC gig in 2017.
Zac Taylor had a somewhat similar path to his first NFL job. He started off at Texas A&M as a graduate assistant before becoming a quarterback’s coach and Offensive Coordinator for the Miami Dolphins.
Then, he went back to college to be Cincinnati’s OC as well. Taylor later brought the best out of Jared Goff during his brief tenure as the Rams’ QB coach. That job gave him the chance to replace Marvin Lewis in charge of the Bengals.
Style
Throughout his first couple of years in the league, Zac Taylor has proven to be gutsy, aggressive, and a risk-taker. Often unafraid to go for it on fourth-and-short, Taylor brought a major culture change to a team that was often too afraid for its own good.
The Bengals were wise to hold on to him during the early struggles of his career. And while he may be a little behind in the Sean McVay vs Zac Taylor debate, he’s done more than enough to merit being considered one of the best offensive-minded coaches in the league.
Sean McVay, on the other hand, has been everything we’ve said about Taylor but ten times more. One of the most aggressive coaches in the league, he often gets too fancy for his own good. Even so, he’ll always trust his players to get the job done and will never hesitate to take a big risk.
McVay has also been a master at holding on to leads in the second half. Before this year’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, he had never lost a game in which he was leading after the first thirty minutes of play. Even so, some still question whether he has what it takes to win big games.
Record
At the end of the day, most people will make their Super Bowl LVI predictions based solely on one thing: Their record. And when it comes to comparing Sean McVay vs Zac Taylor, it’s clear that the first has a huge edge over the latter in that regard.
Since his appointment as Los Angeles Rams head coach, McVay has posted a 55–26 (.679) record in the regular season. He’s also gone 6-3 in the playoffs, including a couple of trips to the Super Bowl. Per his career, he’s 61–29 (.678 winning percentage).
Taylor, on the other hand, didn’t find much success in his first couple of years with the Cincinnati Bengals. Thus far, he’s logged a 16–32–1 (.337) record in the regular season, but he’s 3–0 (1.000) in the playoffs and 19–32–1 (.375) overall.
To be fair, the Bengals were a rebuilding team for most of Taylor’s tenure, and he did lose Joe Burrow for nearly half of his rookie season. So, maybe we shouldn’t read too much into it as he’s just getting started.
