Cincy Jungle
Though he’s not willing to be “painted into a corner.”
The Cincinnati Bengals fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo following the team’s elimination from playoff contention. Despite Joe Burrow’s MVP-worthy season and Ja’Marr Chase’s Triple Crown, the Bengals finished with a 9-8 record, and the defense was terrible throughout the vast majority of the season.
Now, the Bengals have brought back Al Golden to lead the defense, but that defense may look similar to Anarumo’s.
Golden will stick with the 4-3 base defense and the 4-2 nickel scheme Anarumo ran, he revealed during his introductory press conference. The Bengals have run with a 4-3 through multiple defensive coordinators and head coaches. Anarumo’s 4-3, however, heavily featured Mike Hilton in the slot.
Hilton’s not your typical slot corner. He’s a linebacker stuck in a defensive back’s body. He’s also a free agent. The Bengals are in the AFC North, which means they not only have to face Lamar Jackson twice a year, but they have to go through Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen to get to the Super Bowl.
Facing off against the best quarterbacks in the league, even when you have one of the best quarterbacks, requires a solid pass defense. If 2024 taught the Bengals anything, it was that lesson. If Golden plans to stick with the 4-2 with a slot corner, who better than Hilton?
