Bengals report card through first quarter of the 2022 season

Lou Anarumo

How I feel about Anarumo is the exact opposite of how I feel for Taylor. You should absolutely be satisfied with how this man has been able to coach this defense and keep us in games.

The thing Anarumo and this defense as a whole are best at is adjustments. We saw it last year in the two games against Patrick Mahomes where they were able to adjust to their high-flying offense, and we even saw it this year in Week 2 against Dallas, where they were able to hold the Cowboys to just six points after they scored two touchdowns to start the game.

The way the defense is able to bounce back after giving up big plays is something else that's refreshing to see. They don't just lie down and die like the Bengals' defenses of old used to do, they make stops and get off the field to give the offense a shot. Just this past week it felt like the Dolphins were going to score three or four touchdowns, however, they clamped up and held them to field goals.

That's been the big theme these last two seasons -- Bend but don't break. They may allow them into the red zone, but don't think opposing offenses are gonna get an easy touchdown just because of it. They apply pressure, force incompletions, and make tackles in the backfield.

With how up and down everything has been, I'm extremely impressed with how the defense has played through four games this year, and a lot of that is thanks to Anarumo. Easy A.

Let's hear your grades for the Bengals through four games!