Don’t underestimate the value of coaching continuity.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor brings back both of his coordinators for the fifth straight season. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan aren't going anywhere for now. After the Arizona Cardinals opted to pick former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their new head coach, that leaves Anarumo in Cincinnati.
Callahan was a candidate for that job and the Indianapolis Colts job as well before those respective teams moved forward in their processes without him. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will have him and quarterback coach Dan Pitcher together again in 2023 just as Burrow has in every year of his career.
With DeMeco Ryans now the head coach of the Houston Texans and Gannon the head coach of the Cardinals, that arguably leaves Anarumo as the top defensive mastermind in the league entering next season. Callahan will have another year to build on the strong MVP caliber success Burrow showed with his receiving weapons like Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Only a very small handful of teams in the NFL have the level of depth and continuity with their coaching staffs in the way the Bengals do. One of those teams, the Chiefs, has formed a formidable rivalry with the Bengals since Burrow arrived in Cincinnati three years ago.
The Chiefs are still favorites to win the Super Bowl next season but the Bengals now move up as the second-highest favored team behind Kansas City according to oddsmakers. Whether or not that was because of Anarumo's return was unknown but that shouldn't be a surprising reason if indeed that's the case.
The Strictly Stripes crew weighs in on the impact that Anarumo's return brings to a Bengals defense that found a way to limit some of the league's most elite players like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Derrick Henry to name a few. They also look at a big coaching hire by one of their divisional rivals and talk about the weight that carries in the AFC North next season.
This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad, Andrew Gillis and Michael Niziolek.
Music: Starfields by Hallman
Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices