It may be time for a breath of fresh air.
There is plenty of blame to go around for the fact the playoffs will start this weekend without the Cincinnati Bengals. There are three phases to the game, and only one of them met or exceeded expectations—the offense.
So why is it that only Lou Anarumo fell on the sword on “Black Monday?”
Darrin Simmons has been with the Bengals since the 2003 season as the special teams coordinator and was promoted to Zac Taylor’s assistant head coach in 2020. Special teams were a disaster for the Bengals in 2024 and should share some of the blame for the fact Joe Burrow will be watching the playoffs from home.
There was a missed extra point against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, and the Bengals lost by one. There was a missed field goal in overtime against the Ravens. Either one of these could potentially have sent the Bengals to the playoffs.
This year wasn’t the only issue either. The Bengals have struggled to find a consistent punter since Kevin Huber retired. They appear to have one now in undrafted free agent Ryan Rehkow, but that means they wasted a draft pick on Brad Robbins in 2023.
In reality, many franchises would fire everyone other than the offensive coaches after an MVP-caliber season from a quarterback and a Triple Crown-winning wide receiver failed to get a team into the postseason. Taylor will likely be on the hot seat heading into the 2025 season, but there’s no mention of Simmons. As long as we’re holding coordinators accountable, shouldn’t he share in that blame?
Evan McPherson regressed in 2024, hitting only 50% of his field goal attempts over 40 yards. He used to be automatic from 50. He was the 38th-ranked kicker in 2024, and Cade York was ranked 41st, per PFF. That’s pretty awful, considering there are only 32 teams.
It’s crazy to think a game played between hulking men wearing armor can be decided by a kick from the team’s smallest player, but it happens every week in every season.
The 2024 season was Simmons’ 22nd with the Bengals, which is 10 years longer than any other special teams coordinator in the league. He deserves a share of the blame for the disaster that was this season, so it may be time for the Bengals to move on.
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