Across the NFL, there aren’t two defensive coordinators whose styles are more different than Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s style and Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s style.
On Sunday, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will face a defensive system that Bradley hasn’t changed much since he was the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl winning “Legion of Boom” defenses. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will face Anarumo’s defense, which has a structure that can change every week.
Three years into his career as an NFL defensive coordinator, Anarumo is building a reputation as a coach who trusts the defense to execute multiple styles.
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“As long as the technique is the same, you can add to the flexibility of the defense,” Anarumo said. “You have to do that to keep people off balance. Each game plan will be different for various reasons, and that’s how we do it.”
Anarumo’s base defense over the last three seasons has featured four defensive linemen on the line of scrimmage, two linebackers and five defensive backs. His defensive blitz often relies on the safeties to create turnovers. And most weeks, Anarumo tries to surprise the opposing offense with a new wrinkle that they hadn’t game planned for.
In Week 1, the Bengals used a three-safety look on third down with Ricardo Allen playing a big role. Anarumo hasn’t used it since. Against the Baltimore Ravens, Anarumo borrowed from the Ravens defensive scheme with a blitz-heavy approach that used cornerbacks and safeties more aggressively in the middle of the field.
That approach hasn’t been used again, either.
In other matchups, Anarumo has had his linebackers play further up the field, used five defensive linemen and rotated where strong safety Vonn Bell lined up on the field. Anarumo has the defensive players practice the techniques behind different schemes all offseason and training camp, so the defense is prepared when he throws a new game plan on the table.
“I haven’t been on a defense where we have this many looks as a defense,” Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie said. “We have 11 guys that can do it. (Anarumo) gives us a lot of trust, not just as players, but as professionals. He gives us the keys, and he trusts you.”
Anarumo said he puts more emphasis than some defensive coordinators on the football intelligence of the players he scouts. If Anarumo makes significant game plan changes during the week and only nine of the 11 players execute it, then the plan won’t work.
Anarumo pays close attention to the questions that players ask him when he scouts them. As he presents a defensive look, Anarumo wants to see if the defensive player he’s scouting thinks like a “problem solver” and considers how every tweak impacts the rest of the defense.
“It all comes down to a guy’s mentality and being able to adjust,” Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton said.
Anarumo has run concepts like Bradley’s defense during his coaching career, and the biggest similarity is how they both rely on their safeties as playmakers. But while Anarumo will change aspects of his scheme on a near-weekly basis, Bradley is known for one structure of defense that he specifically scouts for and coaches toward.
Bradley’s defense starts with the four defensive linemen on the line of scrimmage. He rarely blitzes, but Bradley relies on those four pass rushers to create pressure. Since that role is so important, the Raiders signed standout defensive end Yannick Ngakoue this offseason to form one of the more dynamic edge rusher pairings in the NFL with Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.
“Their scheme is not overly complicated, but they make you earn it,” Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “ When you play a team that plays with the simplicity they do, they know every problem and every play they’re going to see. They get to focus on it and they know every which way you can attack the coverage schemes.”
The distinctive piece of Bradley’s defense is what he does in the secondary. Bradley has always used a Cover-3 defense with three defensive backs over the top of the field. Bradley has safeties he relies on to win matchups down the field, and he uses a conservative formation that’s designed to limit explosive plays.
With three defensive backs backing up the secondary, an offense doesn’t have a window to take shots down the field.
“They really limit the big plays,” Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said. “They understand the scheme that they’re playing in, and you can tell because they keep it so simple. They really don’t have a lot to think about, and they can just focus on playing fast, playing with speed and physicality.”
MARKUS BAILEY BACK AGAIN
On Thursday, the Bengals returned linebacker Markus Bailey from the COVID-19 list. After participating in Zoom meetings this week, Bailey was back at practice on Thursday. He’s expected to play his biggest role of the season this week due to injuries at the linebacker position.
CHIDOBE AWUZIE PLAYING HURT
Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie said that he had been playing through a groin injury throughout the second quarter of the season. During the bye week, Awuzie said he got much closer to 100%.
“I just feel like I have a little more pop to my step,” Awuzie said. “My technique is a little bit more sharp. I’m planning to start this second half of the season on that same foot.”
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