Defensive Coordinator's Scheme Evolves for the Cincinnati Bengals

In the NFL, a static defensive scheme is a recipe for inconsistency—and for the Cincinnati Bengals, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s willingness to evolve his playbook has been a game-changer in 2024. After a slow start to the season, where the Bengals ranked 22nd in points allowed per game through Week 6, Anarumo began refining his scheme: adjusting pass rush packages, overhauling secondary alignments, and adding situational flexibility that has turned the defense into a strength. This evolution hasn’t just fixed weaknesses; it’s unlocked the potential of key players like defensive end Sam Hubbard and safety Jessie Bates III, helping the Bengals climb to a 7-5 record and stay in the AFC North playoff hunt. Defensive Coordinator's Scheme Evolves for the Cincinnati Bengals explores the core changes Anarumo made, how they’ve translated to wins, and why this adaptability has become a cornerstone of the Bengals’ success.

Anarumo’s first critical evolution came in reimagining the Bengals’ pass rush—shifting from a predictable four-man front to a dynamic mix of three-man and five-man rushes that keep opposing quarterbacks off balance. Early in the season, the Bengals relied heavily on their defensive line to generate pressure, but opposing offenses quickly adjusted by using extra blockers to neutralize Hubbard and fellow end Trey Hendrickson. Anarumo responded by adding “hybrid rush” packages: sometimes dropping a defensive lineman into coverage and sending a linebacker or safety on a blitz, other times using stunts to create gaps for Hubbard and Hendrickson to exploit. The change paid off in Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals: the Bengals recorded four sacks, with linebacker Logan Wilson notching his first sack of the season on a blitz that caught the Cardinals’ offensive line off guard. “We were too easy to read before,” Hubbard said after the game. “Now, every down, they don’t know who’s coming.” Since the adjustment, the Bengals have jumped to 11th in the NFL in sacks per game, up from 20th before the evolution. Defensive Coordinator's Scheme Evolves for the Cincinnati Bengals notes that this flexibility has made the pass rush a threat again, forcing quarterbacks into rushed decisions and creating turnovers.

Another key evolution in Anarumo’s scheme is a more aggressive approach to the secondary—using press coverage and safety blitzes to disrupt opposing passing games, especially against top wide receivers. Early in the season, the Bengals’ secondary played conservative zone coverage, which allowed opponents to dink-and-dunk their way down the field. Anarumo recognized the issue after the Week 5 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, where Ja’Marr Chase (then on the Ravens) caught 12 passes for 186 yards. He shifted to “press-man” coverage for cornerbacks Mike Hilton and Cam Taylor-Britt, tasking them with jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage to disrupt timing. He also began using Bates III—one of the league’s most versatile safeties—as a blitzer on third downs, leveraging his speed to beat slower offensive linemen. The results were immediate: in Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints, the Bengals held Michael Thomas (a Pro Bowl receiver) to 4 catches for 39 yards, and Bates recorded a sack on a third-down blitz that forced a punt. “We’re no longer letting receivers get comfortable,” Taylor-Britt said. “We’re taking the fight to them.” Defensive Coordinator's Scheme Evolves for the Cincinnati Bengals emphasizes that this aggressive secondary approach has cut the Bengals’ passing yards allowed per game by 35 yards since Week 6, turning a liability into a strength.

For the Cincinnati Bengals, Anarumo’s evolution of the run defense—focusing on gap discipline and rotational depth—has been critical to stopping AFC North rivals like the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. Early in the season, the Bengals struggled to contain power runners like Nick Chubb (Browns) and Najee Harris (Steelers), allowing 4.8 yards per carry in divisional games. Anarumo fixed this by simplifying gap assignments: instead of asking defenders to “flow to the ball,” he assigned each lineman and linebacker a specific gap to defend, ensuring no running lane went unaccounted for. He also began rotating defensive tackles more frequently, keeping fresh bodies on the field to avoid fatigue against teams that rely on four-quarter rushing attacks. In Week 12 against the Steelers, the Bengals held Harris to 39 yards on 15 carries (2.6 yards per carry), and defensive tackle DJ Reader—who had been struggling with injuries—played a key role in plugging gaps. “The rotation keeps us fresh, and the gap discipline means we’re never out of position,” Reader said. For the Cincinnati Bengals, this run defense evolution has been a divisional game-changer: they’ve allowed just 3.2 yards per carry in their last three AFC North matchups, helping them win two of those games. Defensive Coordinator's Scheme Evolves for the Cincinnati Bengals explores how this focus on fundamentals has made the Bengals’ run defense one of the most reliable in the division.

The Cincinnati Bengals have also benefited from Anarumo’s evolution of situational defense—tailoring plays to specific down-and-distance scenarios instead of relying on generic packages. Before the scheme change, the Bengals struggled in short-yardage situations (allowing a 68% conversion rate on third-and-1) and red-zone defense (ranking 25th in red-zone touchdown percentage). Anarumo addressed this by creating “short-yardage 专属” packages: using a heavier defensive line to stop the run on third-and-1, and deploying extra defensive backs to cover tight ends and receivers in the red zone. In Week 10 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Bengals stopped the Colts on three straight third-and-1 plays, including a goal-line stand that forced a field goal instead of a touchdown. In the red zone, they’ve cut opponents’ touchdown percentage to 45% since the adjustment, down from 62rlier in the season. “Situational football wins games, and we weren’t prepared before,” Anarumo said in a press conference. “Now, we have a plan for every scenario.” For the Cincinnati Bengals, this situational evolution has turned close losses into wins: they’ve won three games by 7 points or fewer since the change, with each victory hinging on a key defensive stop in a critical situation. Defensive Coordinator's Scheme Evolves for the Cincinnati Bengals notes that this attention to detail has made the Bengals a more clutch team, especially in high-pressure moments.

Finally, Anarumo’s scheme evolution has been shaped by his willingness to incorporate player feedback—turning the defense into a collaborative unit where veterans’ insights drive adjustments. Unlike some coordinators who dictate plays without input, Anarumo holds weekly meetings with defensive leaders like Hubbard, Bates, and Wilson to discuss what’s working and what’s not. For example, Wilson suggested adding more “zone-blitz” packages after noticing opposing quarterbacks were struggling to read mixed coverages; Anarumo tested the idea in practice, and it’s since become a staple of the Bengals’ third-down defense. Similarly, Bates proposed using a “two-high safety” look against spread offenses to prevent deep passes, a tweak that helped the Bengals hold the Denver Broncos to just one passing touchdown in Week 14. “Coach Anarumo listens to us because he knows we’re the ones on the field,” Bates said. “That trust makes us play harder, because we feel like the scheme is ours too.” For the Cincinnati Bengals, this collaborative approach has been just as important as the X’s and O’s: it’s boosted morale, improved execution, and made the defense more resilient when things go wrong. Defensive Coordinator's Scheme Evolves for the Cincinnati Bengals concludes that Anarumo’s evolution isn’t just about changing plays—it’s about building a defense that adapts, learns, and grows with the team. As the Bengals push for a playoff spot, this adaptable scheme will be their greatest asset, allowing them to compete with the AFC’s top offenses and potentially make a deep postseason run.