Well, it looks like some heads are rolling in Cincinnati! The Bengals just cleaned house with their coaching staff, firing defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, offensive line coach Frank Pollack, linebacker coach James Bettcher, and defensive line coach Marion Hobby.
It’s not a huge surprise, to be honest. The Bengals missed the playoffs for the second straight year, and someone had to take the fall. With an MVP-caliber quarterback in Joe Burrow and a triple crown winner in Ja’Marr Chase, the offense clearly wasn’t the problem. That leaves the defense, which, unfortunately, was one of the leakiest in the league.
Anarumo had been the defensive coordinator since 2019, and he earned praise for his creative schemes and ability to slow down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. But the defense’s performance has been slipping in recent years, and this season, they just couldn’t stop anyone.
They were especially bad on third down and in the red zone. Opponents consistently moved the chains and scored touchdowns against them. And those early losses to the Chargers, Ravens, Commanders, and Steelers really came back to bite them.
On the offensive side, Pollack’s offensive line struggled to protect Burrow, who was sacked a whopping 48 times this season. That’s simply not good enough if you want to compete for a championship.
It’s a tough break for these coaches, but it’s clear that the Bengals needed a change. They’ve got the offensive firepower to be a Super Bowl contender, but they need to fix that defense if they want to take the next step.
It’ll be interesting to see who the Bengals bring in to fill these coaching vacancies. They need someone who can come in and make an immediate impact. The pressure is on in Cincinnati, and they need to get this right if they want to make the most of Burrow’s prime years.
