Zimmer: Cornerbacks Have To Tackle Against Carolina

You know that Bengals defensive coordinator is about as awesome as awesome gets. I mean, along with his passion that quickly made him a fan favorite, Zimmer simply gets results. His first season as the Bengals coordinator in 2008 translated into a defense that ranked 12th in the NFL, after the defense spent four of the previous five seasons ranked 27th or worse. How does Zimmer improve the defense further still? Oh, he just makes them a respectable fourth ranked defense. That's all. Cake. In fact, saying Zimmer is a favorite in Cincinnati would be a severe understatement. The only Cincinnati sports figures respected more is Joey Votto and God.

But if you want more Zimmer personality, check out Geoff Hobson's latest:

It’s not as bad when defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer first came to Cincinnati and jumped all over the athletically gifted Johnathan Joseph about needing him to tackle on the corner.

But Zimmer still gets in the occasional shot. Like after Thursday’s practice when he glimpsed Joseph walking past him as Zimmer spoke to a couple of reporters. Without missing a beat, Zimmer raised his voice, “The corners have to tackle this week.”

Through two games this year, the Bengals defense ranks 18th in the NFL.