The Analytics Hero of the NFL’s opening week very easily could have been a goat. Late in the third quarter on an afternoon full of hope in Cincinnati, the Bengals faced a fourth-and-1 from their 30-yard line, leading 21-7. And Zac Taylor, their 38-year-old head coach, faced a decision that 10 years ago would have been a no-brainer. Any rational coach would have punted. No sensible fan or pundit would have questioned him.
But Taylor coaches in the 2021 NFL, a league that is, slowly but surely, being remodeled by nerds. So he didn’t punt. He went for it.