Arkansas Bengal Posted October 13, 2023 Report Share Posted October 13, 2023 Charlie Goldsmith Cincinnati Enquirer As Cincinnati Bengals veteran safety Mike Thomas watches DJ Turner, Cam Taylor-Britt, Jordan Battle, Dax Hill and the very young Bengals’ secondary, Thomas thinks about defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s years coaching Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard. Anarumo was the Dolphins’ cornerbacks coach in the mid-2010s, and Howard eventually became a four-time Pro Bowler on those teams. When Howard was a rookie in 2016, he was great in one-on-one man coverage, but he didn’t know the defense yet. “Lou was on him so bad,” said Thomas, who was a starting safety on the 2016 Dolphins. “Lou is old school. You’ve got to earn Lou’s trust. Rookies typically don’t get his trust easily. But he has grown over the years as far as allowing them to go through those growing pains. Over the years, I can honestly say that he has gotten better.” Before the second half of last season, Anarumo barely played rookies. In 2019, Preston Brown started over Germaine Pratt until midseason on a rebuilding Bengals team. In 2020, Josh Bynes started over Logan Wilson. In 2021, the Bengals signed three veteran starting cornerbacks instead of building a young secondary through the draft. In 2022, safety Dax Hill shined in the preseason and in training camp as he filled in for Jessie Bates III. Even though Hill did everything right, he averaged just 3.5 snaps per game over the first seven weeks of the season. “That kid will get in when I feel it is the right time,” Anarumo said last year. “The communication, high-level pass-offs during a play when these guys are communicating, these younger guys have no idea what that is all about until they can slowly and surely get into it.” Anarumo’s approach with the Bengals’ rookie class in 2023 has been completely different. Turner was a staple in the Bengals’ third down game plan on defense from the first week of the season. Battle is rotating snaps with veteran Nick Scott and pushing for a starting spot on the Bengals’ defense. A few years ago, Anarumo probably wouldn’t be giving these many chances to young defensive backs. “I’m way more patient,” Anarumo said. “There are certainly things where it’s like, ‘What are we doing?’ That’s just a part of it when you’ve got rookies.” Anarumo’s change in philosophy started last season with Taylor-Britt. In Week 7, Taylor-Britt rotated snaps with veteran Eli Apple. Anarumo was a month removed from promising that he’d never rotate snaps at cornerback or safety. But Taylor-Britt was showing his potential in practice, and he ended up being an impact player during his rookie year. Hill’s playing time also increased during the second half of last season. In the playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, Hill made big plays in coverage on third downs. The Bengals could have kept cornerback Sidney Jones IV or Thomas on the active roster and banked on having that veteran depth. Instead, Turner and Battle got playing time right away as rookies. “Our roster is what it is because we have trust in those (young) guys, and they’ve earned the opportunity to be on the roster and to be on the field,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “With those young guys, you don’t know until you see them out there and throw them into the fire. And because of that, some good things have happened.” Turner and Battle have made mistakes. On Taylor-Britt’s pick six last week against the Arizona Cardinals, Turner left a wide open space on the opposite side of the field due to a miscommunication. In Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens, Battle took too long to recognize the play call and let a run leak out for 12 yards. Thomas tells the Bengals’ young defensive backs, “When Lou is on you, don’t get frustrated. That’s just who he is.” And Anarumo has handled those mistakes from players differently. “Because I’m not their position coach, maybe I can be a little bit more the good cop,” Anarumo said. “There are times where it’s got to be drilled home. We’ve got great assistants. Those guys are on it first so I get to be the good cop more than I was. Ask Mike Thomas.” Part of the reason that Anarumo previously barely played rookie defensive backs was to protect their confidence. Anarumo points out that nobody sees the mistake when a defensive tackle gets out of his gap and gives up a B-gap run. Nobody sees a linebacker shed a block the wrong way. But everyone in the stadium and everyone watching on television can tell when a cornerback or a safety gives up a big play on a pass down the field. Anarumo has seen cornerbacks and safeties get beaten down by their mistakes, and he wanted to protect them by keeping them on the sideline until they were ready. “You gain so much experience with knowledge,” Taylor said. “You can coach it up and show them the clips of (something) happening around the league, or it happened to us in past years. But until you get out there and you have to make that split-second decision or see it for the first time, it's like anything. You continue to experience your own things and you try your best to learn it. But there's no teacher greater than just experiences you have.” Taylor says the Bengals’ young defensive backs are getting better with every rep. As the Bengals try to replace Bates and Vonn Bell, the story of the season on the Bengals’ defense will be how quickly such a young secondary can develop into a standout unit. Because of missed tackles, missed assignments and plays where the Bengals got too aggressive, it’s been a slow start to the season for the defense. The Bengals entered the year with the expectation that they’d have a top-10 or even a top-5 defense. Entering Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Bengals rank 19th in the NFL in points allowed per drive and have the third-worst run defense in the NFL. The Bengals’ defense has a long way to go, but Anarumo is sticking with the young defensive backs. “As a secondary, we’re growing,” Battle said. “There’s room for improvement, and we haven’t made the strides we want to make. Every game, the goal is to be perfect. There are always things to correct. I’m thankful to have guys on this team who understand me.” https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2023/10/12/how-old-school-lou-anarumo-is-adapting-to-a-young-bengals-defense/71154598007/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claptonrocks Posted October 13, 2023 Report Share Posted October 13, 2023 2 hours ago, Arkansas Bengal said: Charlie Goldsmith Cincinnati Enquirer As Cincinnati Bengals veteran safety Mike Thomas watches DJ Turner, Cam Taylor-Britt, Jordan Battle, Dax Hill and the very young Bengals’ secondary, Thomas thinks about defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s years coaching Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard. Anarumo was the Dolphins’ cornerbacks coach in the mid-2010s, and Howard eventually became a four-time Pro Bowler on those teams. When Howard was a rookie in 2016, he was great in one-on-one man coverage, but he didn’t know the defense yet. “Lou was on him so bad,” said Thomas, who was a starting safety on the 2016 Dolphins. “Lou is old school. You’ve got to earn Lou’s trust. Rookies typically don’t get his trust easily. But he has grown over the years as far as allowing them to go through those growing pains. Over the years, I can honestly say that he has gotten better.” Before the second half of last season, Anarumo barely played rookies. In 2019, Preston Brown started over Germaine Pratt until midseason on a rebuilding Bengals team. In 2020, Josh Bynes started over Logan Wilson. In 2021, the Bengals signed three veteran starting cornerbacks instead of building a young secondary through the draft. In 2022, safety Dax Hill shined in the preseason and in training camp as he filled in for Jessie Bates III. Even though Hill did everything right, he averaged just 3.5 snaps per game over the first seven weeks of the season. “That kid will get in when I feel it is the right time,” Anarumo said last year. “The communication, high-level pass-offs during a play when these guys are communicating, these younger guys have no idea what that is all about until they can slowly and surely get into it.” Anarumo’s approach with the Bengals’ rookie class in 2023 has been completely different. Turner was a staple in the Bengals’ third down game plan on defense from the first week of the season. Battle is rotating snaps with veteran Nick Scott and pushing for a starting spot on the Bengals’ defense. A few years ago, Anarumo probably wouldn’t be giving these many chances to young defensive backs. “I’m way more patient,” Anarumo said. “There are certainly things where it’s like, ‘What are we doing?’ That’s just a part of it when you’ve got rookies.” Anarumo’s change in philosophy started last season with Taylor-Britt. In Week 7, Taylor-Britt rotated snaps with veteran Eli Apple. Anarumo was a month removed from promising that he’d never rotate snaps at cornerback or safety. But Taylor-Britt was showing his potential in practice, and he ended up being an impact player during his rookie year. Hill’s playing time also increased during the second half of last season. In the playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, Hill made big plays in coverage on third downs. The Bengals could have kept cornerback Sidney Jones IV or Thomas on the active roster and banked on having that veteran depth. Instead, Turner and Battle got playing time right away as rookies. “Our roster is what it is because we have trust in those (young) guys, and they’ve earned the opportunity to be on the roster and to be on the field,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “With those young guys, you don’t know until you see them out there and throw them into the fire. And because of that, some good things have happened.” Turner and Battle have made mistakes. On Taylor-Britt’s pick six last week against the Arizona Cardinals, Turner left a wide open space on the opposite side of the field due to a miscommunication. In Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens, Battle took too long to recognize the play call and let a run leak out for 12 yards. Thomas tells the Bengals’ young defensive backs, “When Lou is on you, don’t get frustrated. That’s just who he is.” And Anarumo has handled those mistakes from players differently. “Because I’m not their position coach, maybe I can be a little bit more the good cop,” Anarumo said. “There are times where it’s got to be drilled home. We’ve got great assistants. Those guys are on it first so I get to be the good cop more than I was. Ask Mike Thomas.” Part of the reason that Anarumo previously barely played rookie defensive backs was to protect their confidence. Anarumo points out that nobody sees the mistake when a defensive tackle gets out of his gap and gives up a B-gap run. Nobody sees a linebacker shed a block the wrong way. But everyone in the stadium and everyone watching on television can tell when a cornerback or a safety gives up a big play on a pass down the field. Anarumo has seen cornerbacks and safeties get beaten down by their mistakes, and he wanted to protect them by keeping them on the sideline until they were ready. “You gain so much experience with knowledge,” Taylor said. “You can coach it up and show them the clips of (something) happening around the league, or it happened to us in past years. But until you get out there and you have to make that split-second decision or see it for the first time, it's like anything. You continue to experience your own things and you try your best to learn it. But there's no teacher greater than just experiences you have.” Taylor says the Bengals’ young defensive backs are getting better with every rep. As the Bengals try to replace Bates and Vonn Bell, the story of the season on the Bengals’ defense will be how quickly such a young secondary can develop into a standout unit. Because of missed tackles, missed assignments and plays where the Bengals got too aggressive, it’s been a slow start to the season for the defense. The Bengals entered the year with the expectation that they’d have a top-10 or even a top-5 defense. Entering Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Bengals rank 19th in the NFL in points allowed per drive and have the third-worst run defense in the NFL. The Bengals’ defense has a long way to go, but Anarumo is sticking with the young defensive backs. “As a secondary, we’re growing,” Battle said. “There’s room for improvement, and we haven’t made the strides we want to make. Every game, the goal is to be perfect. There are always things to correct. I’m thankful to have guys on this team who understand me.” https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2023/10/12/how-old-school-lou-anarumo-is-adapting-to-a-young-bengals-defense/71154598007/ Great article.. Very innovative Coach that players improve from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatternMaster Posted October 13, 2023 Report Share Posted October 13, 2023 The safety play is very inconsistent and the tackling from the safeties and LBs leave a lot to be desired. If they can sure up those two things then they will be much improved on defense, hopefully as the season progresses they will improve because they have the talent, they just need to execute better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted October 13, 2023 Report Share Posted October 13, 2023 15 minutes ago, PatternMaster said: The safety play is very inconsistent and the tackling from the safeties and LBs leave a lot to be desired. If they can sure up those two things then they will be much improved on defense, hopefully as the season progresses they will improve because they have the talent, they just need to execute better. Wonder how much of this is the Defense trying to do too much to win games because of Joe being limited? Hoping now that Joe is close to 100% that the O starts showing up and showing out like it did last week and the D doesn't have to overdo it and things start looking better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatternMaster Posted October 13, 2023 Report Share Posted October 13, 2023 52 minutes ago, Jamie_B said: Wonder how much of this is the Defense trying to do too much to win games because of Joe being limited? Hoping now that Joe is close to 100% that the O starts showing up and showing out like it did last week and the D doesn't have to overdo it and things start looking better. I think he just gives the team in general more confidence, he's the leader of the team and when's playing at a high level it makes everyone else step their game up. Hopefully they can play that complimentary football that Lap is always preaching about, that's how you win in the NFL. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shebengal Posted October 13, 2023 Report Share Posted October 13, 2023 1 hour ago, Jamie_B said: Wonder how much of this is the Defense trying to do too much to win games because of Joe being limited? Hoping now that Joe is close to 100% that the O starts showing up and showing out like it did last week and the D doesn't have to overdo it and things start looking better. Not to mention that ideally, the defense won't be on the field nearly as much. That should help, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.