[b] Bengals DC Mike Zimmer may be head coach material[/b]

By Paul Dehner Jr. | CBSSports.com December 3, 2012 4:56 pm ET

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[font=verdana][size=1][b]Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer interviewed for two head coaching jobs last year and may have more soon. [/b](AP Images)[/size][/font]

[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/page/CIN/cincinnati-bengals"]Bengals[/url] defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer thought he'd be a head coach by now. His track record insists he probably should be.

He's in his 13th straight year as a defensive coordinator and fifth in the role with Cincinnati. Six times during his tenure as a secondary coach and DC with the Dallas Cowboys his defense finished in the top five. Two of the previous three years in Cincinnati his defense finished in the top 10.

The job he's done with this season's Bengals defense returned Zimmer to the lists of potential head coach candidates. Cincinnati opened with a horrendous start, giving up an average of 417 yards over the season's first three games. They ranked in the bottom quadrant of nearly every defensive category.

Since then, he's flipped the unit into one of the best in football, allowed only two touchdowns in the last four weeks and remarkably rocketed up to the current spot of eighth defensively in the NFL.

This coaching job ranks among the best in his career.

He's made no secret of his desire to become an NFL head coach. This all begs the question, will Zimmer be back next year?

If you're looking for an answer, you can look anywhere but to Zimmer himself.

“Honestly, I don't listen to the stuff anymore,” he said. “I've had it. The honest to God truth, I've had for so many years so many people say this is your year, this, this, this. Then for the end of the year for about three days I am totally depressed because I see this guy get a job, that guy get a job, that guy get a job. It's in my best interest to not think about it, talk about it, just try to do the best job I can because I get disappointed, too.”

This offseason, after interviewing for the open head coaching positions in Tampa Bay and Miami, he was passed over for Greg Schiano and Joe Philbin.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]He's learned the hard way that results on the field don't always equal promotions. Zimmer acknowledges there's work to be done still in Cincinnati as the Bengals take a four-game win streak into the final stretch of the season tied for the final playoff spot.

“I always thought that people wanted coaches that can coach,” Zimmer said. “I think I can coach. Obviously, there's more to go into it, but you say what you want in a coach. Somebody who can get these guys to do what they are supposed to do when they are supposed to do it, play real hard, don't make mistakes.”

Whether or not Zimmer will become a head coach next year remains speculation, but judging by the impressive turnaround made by this defense, his name will be in the conversation yet again.

[i]Follow Paul Dehner Jr. for Bengals updates on [url="http://www.twitter.com/CBSBengals"]Twitter at CBSBengals.[/url][/i][/size][/font][/color]

[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/nfl-rapidreports/21247722/bengals-dc-mike-zimmer-may-be-head-coach-material"]http://www.cbssports...-coach-material[/url]

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Keep in mind Bengals D was buried around 30 early in year. Now Zim turned them around to 8th and trending up.[/background][/font][/color]

[b] [url="http://blogs.bengals.com/2012/12/03/how-good-is-the-bengals-defense/"]How Good Is The Bengals Defense?[/url][/b]

Posted by Dan Hoard on December 3, 2012 – 6:50 pm


[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]Going into last week’s game at San Diego, I figured that if the Bengals beat the Chargers, they would have a one game over Pittsburgh in the wild card race because there was [b]no way[/b] that the Steelers would win in Baltimore without Ben Roethlisberger.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]Admit it, you thought the same thing.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]The Bengals were obviously hoping that would be the case.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]“I saw it come up on the scoreboard during the game when Pittsburgh was down by seven and I was like, ‘It’s going to happen,’ said Carlos Dunlap. “After the game, somebody told me that Pittsburgh won and I was like, ‘What? No way.’ But hey, Pittsburgh is still Pittsburgh no matter who is the quarterback. They still have a bunch of great players around him.”[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]“Pittsburgh has a great defense, and anytime that you have a defense like that you’re going to be in the game,” said Leon Hall.[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]The question is: Do the Bengals have a defense like that?[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3][url="http://danhoard.mlblogs.com/?attachment_id=2123211"][img]http://mlblogsdanhoard.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/rivers-sacked-440x297.jpg?w=440&h=297[/img][/url][/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]It certainly didn’t look like it in September when the Bengals allowed an average of 28 points in their first four games but managed to win three of them thanks to an offense that averaged 33 points in the victories.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]“When we were struggling early on defensively, the offense was able to pick us up and vice versa,” said Hall. “We realize that not everybody is going to play a great game every week, so if somebody is struggling on a certain side of the ball or special teams, somebody else has to pick up the slack. That’s our mentality and really what it takes to be a team.”[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]The defensive repaid the favor in San Diego when the offense sputtered by holding the Chargers to two field goals on offense and no points in the second half.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]“We went in at halftime and everybody was on edge because it wasn’t how they envisioned it going,” said Zimmer. “I had to remind them that the Chargers hadn’t scored an offensive touchdown yet, so let’s just relax and do what we’re supposed to do.”[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]“Ideally, that’s not the type of game that we want from our offense, but we were able to hold it down,” said Carlos Dunlap.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]While the Steelers rank number one in the NFL in total defense, the Bengals steadily have climbed to number eight. During the current four game winning streak, Cincinnati is allowing a mere 279.3 yards per game. To put that into perspective, there are only two teams in the NFL that are allowing fewer than 300 yards of offense per game: Pittsburgh (259.8) and San Francisco (279.6).[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]“We got back to doing some of the things that we’ve done in past years,” said defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. “We were trying to be fancy and stay ahead of the curve and then we basically decided that the stuff that we used to do was pretty good.”[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]“At the end of the year, we want to look back and say that we were in the top five or the top three – really we want to be number one,” said Dunlap. “That’s our goal as a unit.”[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]“Zim talks about it all the time – he doesn’t care where we started, he wants to look at the end of the season and figure out where we are,” said Rey Maualuga. “We have four more games to develop as a unit and make sure that all we do is climb and I think that we can get there.”[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]The Bengals have already proven that they can win a game when their offense isn’t clicking.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]“The defense is playing lights out,” said fullback Chris Pressley. “As long as the offense puts a couple of things together, we feel like they’re going to hold them.”[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]I’d love to hear from you at [email="Dan.Hoard@Bengals.nfl.net"]Dan.Hoard@Bengals.nfl.net[/email][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at [url="http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard"]http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard[/url][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#393939][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]And I’m on Facebook at [url="http://www.facebook.com/dan.hoard.1"]www.facebook.com/dan.hoard.1[/url][/size][/font][/color]

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[quote name='Bengals1181' timestamp='1354575296' post='1188389']

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[color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif][background=rgb(245, 245, 245)]Keep in mind Bengals D was buried around 30 early in year. Now Zim turned them around to 8th and trending up.[/background][/font][/color]
[/quote]

I want other team owners to remember that Zim had them down at 30 and forget about hiring him.

Although I would like to see Zim doing a team press meeting after a game.

Zimmer is horrible head coach material. No one should hire him for that role. He'd be another LeBeau.

Zimmer is cool

I think Zimmer will always have a problem with being too bluntly honest. It dinged him in interviews last year, and probably will again... That said, there are teams who need that in their organization. The question that remains in my eyes is if those organizations understand that's what they need.

I think Marvin should be promoted to gm and Zimmer to hc

[quote name='sois' timestamp='1354585005' post='1188430']
Zimmer is cool
[/quote]

He would cut Graham Harrell.

[quote name='FulcherVulcher33' timestamp='1354586485' post='1188434']
I think Marvin should be promoted to gm and Zimmer to hc
[/quote]

I like Zim as DC. Let him take Gatorade home as much as he wants.

This is par for the time of year. Zimmer and Gruden get pimped up for HC jobs.

[quote name='EnglishBengal' timestamp='1354588161' post='1188437']
This is par for the time of year. Zimmer and Gruden get pimped up for HC jobs.
[/quote]

Let them hire people from the frickin' Texans for a change.

[quote name='Oldcat' timestamp='1354587576' post='1188435']


He would cut Graham Harrell.
[/quote]

Yes, for embarrassing the 1st team D with the scout team O. Their self esteem would be unrecoverably low.

Selfishly I don't want to see him go, but the man deserves a shot and if he gets it I'll be happy for him and root for him, unless it's the Browns.

Anything can happen of course, but in reality, are there really going to be that many vacancies open this offseason?

[quote name='Le Tigre' timestamp='1354627127' post='1188509']
Anything can happen of course, but in reality, are there really going to be that many vacancies open this offseason?
[/quote]

At this point I think the Eagles, Jets, Chargers and Chiefs will be looking for new head coaches.

[quote name='Jason' timestamp='1354627769' post='1188514']
At this point I think the Eagles, Jets, Chargers and Chiefs will be looking for new head coaches.
[/quote]

Not sure about the Jets - they lost their 2 best playmakers on D and O - Revis and Holmes - so Rex may get a pass. I would think that Mike Tannenbaum, the GM, might be looking for a new job, though. They looked like a team on the cusp a few years ago, and now they look old on D, and Sanchez doesn't look like the answer.

I could see Buffalo looking elsewhere possibly, too. I think Chan Gailey is a good offensive coach, but not sure that he's done much in Buffalo as the head coach. And while I think Cleveland is a young team with a bright future, with the new ownership, Pat Shurmur may be gone because he was a Mike Holmgren hire, and he's gone.

[quote name='texbengal' timestamp='1354629634' post='1188523']
Not sure about the Jets - they lost their 2 best playmakers on D and O - Revis and Holmes - so Rex may get a pass. I would think that Mike Tannenbaum, the GM, might be looking for a new job, though. They looked like a team on the cusp a few years ago, and now they look old on D, and Sanchez doesn't look like the answer.

I could see Buffalo looking elsewhere possibly, too. I think Chan Gailey is a good offensive coach, but not sure that he's done much in Buffalo as the head coach. And while I think Cleveland is a young team with a bright future, with the new ownership, Pat Shurmur may be gone because he was a Mike Holmgren hire, and he's gone.
[/quote]

I don't think Buffalo will go there just yet. They still owe Fitzpatrick probably about $13 million in guaranteed money.

[quote name='texbengal' timestamp='1354629634' post='1188523']
Not sure about the Jets - they lost their 2 best playmakers on D and O - Revis and Holmes - so Rex may get a pass. I would think that Mike Tannenbaum, the GM, might be looking for a new job, though. They looked like a team on the cusp a few years ago, and now they look old on D, and Sanchez doesn't look like the answer.

I could see Buffalo looking elsewhere possibly, too. I think Chan Gailey is a good offensive coach, but not sure that he's done much in Buffalo as the head coach. And while I think Cleveland is a young team with a bright future, with the new ownership, Pat Shurmur may be gone because he was a Mike Holmgren hire, and he's gone.
[/quote]

Every thing I'm seeing out of Cleveland is that it's a foregone conclusion Shurmur is gone. Perhaps a strong finish could sway the new owner....

Who amongst the curent assistants (or HC's about to be let go) in the league would you like to see get the job if Zimmer goes? I don't know if there is a guy out there that I like. Maybe Rex Ryan but I dont think the Jets are gonna let him go with 1 bad year.

[quote name='Jamie_B' timestamp='1354633349' post='1188539']
Who amongst the curent assistants (or HC's about to be let go) in the league would you like to see get the job if Zimmer goes? I don't know if there is a guy out there that I like. Maybe Rex Ryan but I dont think the Jets are gonna let him go with 1 bad year.
[/quote]

Rex is a 3-4 guy, isn't he? All our best front 7 players are 4-3 guys. With Coyle gone I don't think there is anyone on our staff I would want as a new DC. Except maybe Marvin.

[quote name='Jason' timestamp='1354634497' post='1188544']
Rex is a 3-4 guy, isn't he? All our best front 7 players are 4-3 guys. With Coyle gone I don't think there is anyone on our staff I would want as a new DC. Except maybe Marvin.
[/quote]

Good point, didnt think about the 3/4 vs the 4/3, and yes I agree I dont want anyone on staff either to take over, I'm not sure who outside I would want.

[quote name='Jamie_B' timestamp='1354634653' post='1188545']
Good point, didnt think about the 3/4 vs the 4/3, and yes I agree I dont want anyone on staff either to take over, I'm not sure who outside I would want.
[/quote]

Gruden to HC, Marvin to DC, Hue to OC.

[quote name='Bengals1181' timestamp='1354635071' post='1188549']
Gruden to HC, Marvin to DC, Hue to OC.



[/quote]

Works for me.

No

[quote name='Jason' timestamp='1354584107' post='1188428']
Zimmer is horrible head coach material. No one should hire him for that role. He'd be another LeBeau.
[/quote]

I think Zimmer's problem is he's the exact opposite of LeBeau. More specifically, after Zimmer lit up Bobby Petrino I remember Mike Lombardi saying most GM's around the NFL would immediately take Zimmer off their potential HC lists due to the way he handled himself. Said it didn't matter a bit if the things Zimmer was saying were true. What mattered more is owners don't want someone that volatile assuming the role of spokesperson of the franchise.