What Went Wrong For Lou Anarumo In Cincinati?
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The Indianapolis Colts announced last week that former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo had been hired as the new defensive coordinator in Indianapolis.
The move brings a highly respected defensive mind to West 56th Street, one that many say will utilize more looks and be more aggressive than former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley did. There are however, concerns about just how much of an improvement Anarumo will get out of the Colts defense; after all, the Bengals decided to fire him for a reason. The simple fact is, the Bengals defense was not good in 2024, and in fact may have been the primary reason the Bengals missed the playoffs.
So what exactly went wrong for Anarumo in Cincinati?
During the Monday edition of The Ride With JMV, Lance McAlister of 700WLW in Cincinati joined the show, and gave his thoughts on that very question.
“I think what happened was inevitable. I think he became a victim of circumstances; the reality is when you having Joe Burrow [putting] up MVP-type numbers, and Jamar Chase wins the triple crown, and Trey Hendrickson leads the league in sacks, and you miss the playoffs, somebody’s got to take the fall for that. I know that sounds very scapegoat-ish like, but there was an element of Lou becoming a scapegoat to some extent for this team…Let’s remember, you go back three years ago, he was one of the hottest commodities there was among defensive coordinators, he was coming off the Super Bowl appearance and then an AFC Championship Game. He had befuddled Patrick Mahomes, he had befuddled Josh Allen, and then Jessie Bates left in free agency, and then D.J Reader left in free agency, and I think a lot of fans looked around and said ‘Well what the hell do you want Lou Anarumo to do if you took two of his core pieces, two of his leaders?’ And I think that’s very fair; they took a talent drain on that side of the ball!”
Listen to JMV’s full conversation with Lance McAlister down below as well as wherever you get your podcasts, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
