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Cincinnati
Bengals
What's
Next for the Bengals After
Being Eliminated from 2013 NFL Playoffs?
For
the second consecutive year,
the Cincinnati Bengals went one-and-done in the NFL playoffs, losing,
as they
did last season, to the Houston Texans. The 19-13 loss spells the end
of their
season and the beginning of getting geared up for next year, when the
outcome
will hopefully be much sweeter. Here's what may lay ahead for the
Bengals in
the immediate future.
The
first thing to think—or maybe
even worry—about is the possibility of both or either of defensive
coordinator
Mike Zimmer and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden heading elsewhere as a
head
coach. Gruden's already on the Philadelphia Eagles' short list, and
they should
be inquiring about his interest on Monday, while Zimmer's name has been
bounced
around though not yet connected to any particular team.
Though
Gruden's coaching stock took
a hit in the playoff loss (the Bengals had just 207 total yards of
offense in
the game, converted no third downs and possessed the ball for a mere
21:07), he
could still catch on in Philadelphia or elsewhere, considering the
great
offensive line he's helped build and the relative success he's had in
developing second-year players Andy Dalton and A.J. Green in a short
amount of
time.
Zimmer,
on the defensive side, has
been a genius, especially where the defensive line is concerned. Though
the
Bengals had no sacks in the loss to Houston, they had 51 on the year
heading
into the postseason. He created beasts out of the likes of Geno Atkins,
Michael
Johnson and Vontaze Burfict.
Should
one or both of the
coordinators leave, that could result in coaching shakeups beyond that
should
the departing coach take support staff with him.
For
a defense as established as the
Bengals' that won't be a difficult transition; however, their offense
is
incredibly young, with a number of first- and second-year starters that
would
benefit from continuity at coordinator and another season in the same
system…
Read
the rest of the article at The
Bleacher Report
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