Notes From Training Camp 2025

[*Synric*]

(07-20-2025, 01:30 PM)Joelist Wrote: I liked Lou in some respects but he did have an achilles heel in that his scheme required experienced pros with football smarts to execute it correctly. That was why when Lou finally bowed to reality and simplified the defense the play improved, and it also was his death knell. Golden's whole rep is around coaching players up and making the calls and alignments of his defense digestible by players so they concentrate on play on the field and not trying to understand the scheme.

This is true and not true. 

The Bengals started 2024 in a very simple heavy 5 man defensive line front playing cover 1 man on the back end. After the Panthers game when Cam Taylor Britt, Geno Stone, and the DL were struggling Lou added in alot more Run/Pass blitzing because without a nose tackle and a beat up DL teams were running it down their throat. 

By the end of the year the scheme "simplified" because the Offenses they faced simplified. Raiders, Cowboys, Browns, Bronco, Titans, even the Steelers (even though they got lit up by check downs in thr first game).



Lou Anarumo was the best scheme coach on staff if that was his only job he would be alot better DC and maybe in will be Indy. Here he was a major voice in stacking the draft board and it's felt like he tooks some players without a real plan (Dax Hill, Myles Murphy). I think it also hurt him he never had a second string to his DL.