After two losses and zero touchdowns, Ken Zampese is out as the Bengals' offensive coordinator.
As first reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Bengals are firing Zampese on Friday. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Dehner Jr., it'll be quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor who gets the promotion.
The team confirmed the news shortly after.
NEWS: #Bengals announce that quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor will assume offensive coordinator responsibilities effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/oaLcMEeIo1
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 15, 2017
Shortly after, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis released a statement. Here it is, via Dehner Jr.:
"Ken Zampese has done a tremendous job for us for my 15 years here, and I have the utmost respect for Ken as a person and as a coach. But I feel (it's) best for the football team to breathe new life into the offense, and that's why I am making the change. Bill Lazor has great experience in the league and as a coordinator, and I feel Bill can progress our offense the way we need. We have a lot of talent on offense, and we need to keep working to take full advantage of the personnel we have."
Through two games, the 0-2 Bengals have score nine points. So from that sense, it's really not a huge shock to see Lewis dump Zampese. Then again, it's not like the play-calling is the only reason why the Bengals have failed to reach the end zone. The play-calling has been a part of the problem, sure, but so has Andy Dalton missing open receivers. The front office can be blamed for letting talented players like left tackle Andrew Whitworth leave in recent years. And Lewis, himself, can be blamed for letting Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard get carries over Joe Mixon.
Still, this is a results-oriented business and the Bengals weren't producing. It's not like they were going to cut Dalton. So, it's Zampese who goes. Zampese, who's been with the team since 2003, took over as the offensive coordinator last year after Hue Jackson's departure. Last year, the team ranked 13th in yards and 24th in points. Last season's poor results likely played a role in the decision to cut bait.
A.J. Green's frustration with the team's inability to get him the ball likely factored in too.
Frustrated AJ Green says "I feel like I could have made a lot of plays in the game if I were given opportunities" @WLWT#Bengalspic.twitter.com/gne4wqwbXs
— Mark Slaughter (@MarkVSlaughter) September 15, 2017
Before the firing was announced, Lewis didn't exactly speak highly of Zampese.
Lewis on Zampese: "Worked incredibly hard at this. Had a good command of the things we’ve done but we are not getting the results we need."
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) September 15, 2017
Meanwhile, Lazor does bring some experience as an offensive coordinator to the table. It's not the best kind of experience, though. As the offensive coordinator in Miami, his offense ranked 14th in yards and 11th in points in 2014, and 26th in yards and 27th in points in 2015.
Translation: Don't expect the dismissal of Zampese to solve all of the Bengals' issues. This is a team that needs to get more from its play-calling, quarterback, and offensive line. One man likely can't fix all of those problems.