Bengals’ decision to fire DC Lou Anarumo after playoff snub doesn’t sit well with fans – “He was not the problem”

The Cincinnati Bengals fired their defensive coordinator, Offensive line coach, linebackers coach, and defensive line coach after the team's disappointing run this season.

Bengals’ decision to fire DC Lou Anarumo after playoff snub doesn’t sit well with fans – “He was not the problem”

Lou Anarumo (via Bleacher Report)

The Cincinnati Bengals got off to a rough start this season with three straight losses but despite multiple setbacks, a stellar season by Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase set them at a 9-8 record to end the season and put them in a position to make the playoffs. However, the odds were not in Cincinnati’s favor and they have now been knocked out of playoff contention.

The Bengals’ defense is widely regarded as the reason for the team’s downfall this season and unsurprisingly, the organization did not waste any time in firing Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo. This comes six seasons after he was appointed to this position as part of Zac Taylor’s original staff when he joined Cincinnati in 2019.

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This season, the Cincinnati Bengals defense ranked amongst the bottom 5 of the NFL. On average, this defense gave up 348.3 yards per game and was ineffective in stopping the run game and the pass rush. Due to a disappointing outing by the D, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase put up career-high numbers but it was all in vain.

Lou Anarumo turned things around towards the final stretch of the season

In the final five weeks of the season, Cincinnati’s defense and offense managed to get in tune with one another. The offense continued to be great whereas the defense managed to get its act straight and went on to rank fifth in the NFL in opposing scoring defense but it was a case of too little, too late.

Cincinnati Bengals have made a major staff overhaul
James Bettcher, Marion Hobby, and Frank Pollack were fired by the Bengals (Image Credits: via Open Source)

Besides Lou Anarumo, the Bengals parted ways with O-line coach Frank Pollack, linebacker James Bettcher, and Defensive line coach Marion Hobby. Cincinnati is doing a major revamp in its coaching ranks. Fans were not too keen on the team’s decision to fire the Defensive coordinator as he was given a poor set of cards to work with. Here’s how they reacted to it via X:

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Fortunately, Lou Anarumo will be sought after by other NFL teams. He is a capable coach if handed the right amount of talent. Cincinnati was no longer the place for him to be and even though things began to look up for the team toward the end, the team had run out of patience.

Related: Robert Griffin III accuses Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs of intentionally tanking against Broncos to avoid Joe Burrow in playoffs