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Bengals Defense

No takers yet for lost cause coordinator's job

The Bengals have been rounding out their new coaching staff under former Rams assistant Zac Taylor, with the important position of defensive coordinator proving especially difficult. Maybe the challenge of turning around the league's worst defense a year ago is just too daunting for some coaching prospects.

Reportedly, both Jack Del Rio and Dom Capers, both of whom have some pretty good defensive credentials in their background (Ravens, Jaguars, Panthers, Steelers), decided the job wasn't a good fit for them. It might be just as well, since those coaches most recent work wasn't particularly impressive anyway.

Del Rio spent 2015-2017 with the Raiders, while Capers worked in Green Bay from 2009-2017. Neither coached in 2018, and while they might be able to do something with a Bengals defense that ranked last in yards last season -- can't make it worse -- they wouldn't have been great bets to turn things around, either.

In Del Rio's time as head coach of the Raiders, the defenses ranked 22nd, 26th and 23rd in the league. In Capers' last three year in Green Bay before being fired, his defenses ranked 15th, 22nd and 22nd. (Table sorted by 2018 defensive ranking.)

DEFENSE RANKINGS (YARDS ALLOWED), 2015-2018
Team2015201620172018
Baltimore87121
Buffalo1919262
Chicago1315103
Minnesota14314
Jacksonville24625
Pittsburgh211256
Dallas171487
Tennessee1220138
LA Chargers2016159
Detroit18182710
Indianapolis26303011
Houston312012
San Francisco29322413
New Orleans31271714
Carolina621715
Seattle251116
Washington28282117
Green Bay15222218
LA Rams2391919
Arizona52620
New England982921
Denver14322
Philadelphia3013423
NY Giants32103124
NY Jets4112525
Oakland22262326
Tampa Bay10233227
Atlanta1625928
Miami25291629
Cleveland27311430
Kansas City7242831
Cincinnati11171832

There's nowhere to go but up for the Bengals, but they can aim higher then a couple of guys who did their best defensive coaching work a long time ago.

--Andy Richardson

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