Colts and Falcons prepare to take full advantage of the Bengals blaming the wrong guy

Maybe Lou Anarumo was not the problem? The Cincinnati Bengals failed to qualify for the AFC playoffs in back-to-back seasons. This comes in the wake of letting Jessie Bates III walk in free agency two years ago, seeing offensive coordinator Brian Callahan leave for the Tennessee Titans job and Joe Burrow missing the second half of the 2023 NFL season. But sure, let's blame Anarumo first!

This was a guy who was the runner-up to getting the Arizona Cardinals job that went to former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon two offseasons ago. Anarumo has been all over the place in his coaching career. While the opportunity to be an NFL head coach may have come and gone, he should be a defensive coordinator on any number of NFL staffs for next season.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, "Ex-Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will go to Indy tonight and interview with the Colts tomorrow, then interview with the Falcons on Thursday ... He's also on the DC list of a few HC candidates, so interest in a respected coach is heating up." The Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons need to replace Gus Bradley and Jimmy Lake, respectively.

Coaching matters, and that is a reason why the Bengals may not make the playoffs again next year.

It will be interesting to see what new NFL team Anarumo decides to work for next football season.

Lou Anarumo should have his choice of NFL defensive coordinator jobs

When you move on from someone that is so well-respected in an industry, do not be shocked when they have plenty of suitors on the open market. While there could be better jobs out there beyond the Colts and Falcons, there are reasons why to take both jobs. These are decent teams with young quarterbacks trying to take the leap back up into the conversation. There is also this with the Falcons.

One of the best players he coached for years in Cincinnati is the star of the Atlanta defense in Jessie Bates III. Anarumo's ability to coach up that side of the ball resulted in the Bengals' first trip to the Super Bowl in well over a generation three years ago. As far as the Colts are concerned, there is still a lot to like about Shane Steichen as a head coach. It may come down to what front office he trusts.

Overall, the Bengals scapegoating is only going to hurt Joe Burrow's Cincinnati career, as well as lessen the shelf life of Zac Taylor being their head coach. This is a franchise that has drafted well, one that has hit on a few key players in free agency. However, their inherent frugality is what will ultimately always hold them back. For better or worse, Jim Irsay and Arthur Blank are never afraid to pay up.

Once we see who fills out all the head-coaching vacancies will we know what job Anarumo will take.