Over the past few seasons, not many teams have been able to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, but the Cincinnati Bengals are one that succeeded in 2022 when they went on to the Super Bowl.
Lou Anarumo, who is in his fifth season with the Bengals as the defensive coordinator, talked with Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle before the Chiefs match up against the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11.
Anarumo described what it’s like as a defense to go up against Patrick Mahomes, saying it’s very tough to slow him down.
“I mean, he’s too great to say that you’re going to fluster a guy like that for an entire game,” Anarumo said to Silver. “You just have to be able to make the key stops at the right time, and then if he gives you an opportunity with a takeaway, you can’t mess it up; you have to catch (the ball). But he’s Derek Jeter; he’s Tom Brady; he’s Michael Jordan. He’s ‘The Guy.’ And here he is in the Super Bowl — again.”
When the Bengals beat Mahomes, he threw for 275 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, the Bengals winning 27-24, so those two interceptions were extremely pivotal.
“We certainly didn’t mess him up the whole game. We just did enough. And then when the opportunities presented themselves we were able to take advantage. But he is great.”
