The Cincinnati Bengals made a big move.
They parted ways with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, which was far from a surprise, all things considered.
Even so, NFL insider Benjamin Allbright still believes they made a mistake.
He took to X to claim that the Bengals might be the only team to regret firing any of their coaches this season.
I don’t think too many teams will regret the firings that they’ve made today. The one exception might be the Bengals.
The problem there wasn’t coaching, it was personnel.
Lou Anarumo hasn’t forgotten how to coach and the work he did down the stretch to piecemeal that defense…
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) January 6, 2025
He believes Anarumo’s job of bringing the defense together down the stretch was impressive, arguing that it all involved the team’s personnel.
He might have a valid point.
Nevertheless, it’s hard to argue that, besides Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals’ defense did everything to set this team back.
If it weren’t for that unit, the Bengals would likely be a playoff team by now.
The team ranked No. 25 in points allowed per game and average yards conceded per game.
They even lost multiple games in which the offense scored 30 or more points.
Of course, Anarumo did what he could with the hand he was given, and he’s a solid defensive coordinator by all means, but something had to change.
Then again, perhaps the team should’ve looked at Zac Taylor instead.
The Bengals got off to a slow start to the season again, which has been a trend since Taylor took over.
They can’t afford to play catch-up constantly, and while he did lead them to the Super Bowl years ago, perhaps the defensive coordinator wasn’t the only one to blame for this disappointing season.
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