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Cincinnati Bengals

Zimmer: D needs improving

By C. Trent Rosecrans, CNATI.com Posted February 16, 2010 1:57 AM ET

The Bengals already locked up their biggest free agent this off-season, inking defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to a three-year contract.

Zimmer has been credited with turning the Bengals' defense from a liability to a strength, but while he's gone through the tape of the team's 2009 season, Zimmer said the job isn't done yet. While watching the tape, the defense was solid, but it can be better, Zimmer said.

"There are 25 other defenses in the league that would love to be looking at our film," Zimmer said. "But at the same time, how do we go to the next level without screwing up the foundation. ... (In 2010) we'll be playing much better offensive teams. We can't stay the same, and be 10-6 with the ability of the offenses we play."

Last season the Bengals tried to get by on the running game and defense, but Zimmer said that may not be enough going forward. The playoffs were full of explosive offenses, including two in the Super Bowl. The Jets made a run with a run and defense basis, but majority of the other teams in the playoffs advanced with offense.

"We talked about as coaches, I brought up, this is the first time in the NFL that there are 10 quarterbacks that threw for 4,000 yards (seven in the playoffs) and two were in the Super Bowl," Zimmer said. "I don't see that trend going backwards. You talk about playing the run and stopping the run, it's almost getting to the point where you have to be really good in the passing game. You can never have enough corners, another pass rushers, I call them cover players and pressure players. I saw a lot more offenses being in shotgun on first down, I didn't see that three or four years ago. When teams like New England and Indianapolis have had success throwing the ball, everyone follows. San Diego, they couldn't run the ball well, and they won a ton of games."

That's why despite the Bengals currently having arguably the best cornerback tandem in the league in Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall, the team is still looking at adding another cornerback.

"(Offenses) are going three and four wideouts, and you have tight ends like (Kellen) Winslow, (Todd) Heap, (Keith) Miller, that can really isolate. You've got to have four cornerbacks," Zimmer said." Then if you get a guy hurt, you're down. Those guys have to play a lot, they have to special teams guys. (Bill) Parcells wanted to have six corners on campus, one on the practice squad and five others. Those guys get nicked and you have to have backups."

The safety position has also evolved, in part because of the spread of the spread offenses. Zimmer for the first time he's been in football, the evolution of the game has been forced by the change at the lower levels and influencing the pro game, instead of top-down imitation. That's happened, he said, because fullbacks and blocking tight ends just aren't being produced.

The Bengals lost both of their starting safties for much of the season -- Roy Williams was limited to four games because of a forearm injury, while Chris Crocker missed three games and saw limited action in two others because of an ankle injury.

The team also lost defensive end Antwan Odom to a ruptured Achilles tendon early in the sixth game of the season. At the time, he was among the NFL's leaders in sacks with eight - and still led the team in sacks. Defensive tackle Domata Peko missed five games and linebacker Rey Maualuga broke his ankle in the next-to-last game of the regular season.

"For whatever reason, and I don't know what the case is, I've only been here two years, but there's been a tradition of injuries here, guys that go on IR, a year ago it was much worse," Zimmer said. "We got hit pretty good. It was broken legs, broken arms, things that happen in football. We've got to improve our depth, we have a ton of young guys that played a ton, which will help."

Of the team's starters, only Williams and defensive tackle Tank Johnson are unrestricted free agents.

"We're not going to have 15 new guys and we have to re-invent every little thing," Zimmer said. "Our players have a real good understanding of what we're trying to do. Going into the third year, how can we go from where we're at right now and get better -- without neglecting where we really good at? How can we become more difficult for offenses?

"How can we be more disruptive to the offense. If you watch this team, the coaches, they're pretty good, they're solid, they're going to be fundamentally sound. They're not exotic, you're not going to see too many crazy things, how can we be a little more exotic without sacrificing what we do well."

* Zimmer was asked about Maualuga, the rookie linebacker, who recently pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and reportedly will check into a treatment center.

"Maualuga, if he keeps his nose clean, he'll be a good player," Zimmer said. "He's tough, smart."

Zimmer acknowledged there has been some consideration to moving Maualuga back inside to middle linebacker from the Sam linebacker spot he played as a rookie.

"We've had discussions on that, I think he's a football player. He played really good where he was," Zimmer said. "Do we mess up, put him in the middle, Dhani (Jones) outside, and how does that hurt us one way or another? There's a lot of variables. Do we make these changes and hope we're better, or do we stay status quo. We'll work him some there. It's not just about him, but him. Can we count on him?"

Categories: Cincinnati Bengals, Featured Stories

Tags: Chris Crocker, Dhani Jones, Domata Peko, Johnathan Joseph, Leon Hall, Mike Zimmer, Rey Maualuga, Roy Williams, Tank Johnson