Bengals season awards: Coach of the Year

The 2019 offseason for the Cincinnati Bengals came with a massive coaching overhaul. While exciting, Zac Taylor’s participation in the Super Bowl with the Rams put the staff really behind, in a number of respects.

Some of the bigger names on the Bengals’ staff left a lot to be desired, but some delivered great results. Cast your vote for the best performance by a Bengals coach and sound off on your reasoning!

Darrin Simmons, special teams: If there was a consistent bright spot for the Bengals this year, it was with Simmons’ unit. Both Darius Phillips and Brandon Wilson made Pro Bowl bids as kickoff return men, while Kevin Huber and Randy Bullock had two of their best seasons on punts and kicks, respectively. Simmons received a promotion this offseason for his work with the special teams crew.

Nick Eason, defensive line: There were some ups and downs on the line, but Eason had to fight through injuries and inexperience. Geno Atkins made his eighth Pro Bowl under his tutelage this year, while Carlos Dunlap had an outstanding end to the year. Sam Hubbard and Carl Lawson also continue to make strides as edge defenders, as a credit to Eason.

Robert Livingston, secondary: Like many of the other coaches, Livingston had to deal with a massive amount of injuries. Phillips, Wilson and Dre Kirkpatrick all ended up on I.R., but others produced. Phillips returned from I.R. to notch three interceptions in the final two games. Meanwhile, Shawn Williams and Jessie Bates III both finished in the top-three in tackles, while the latter finished with three picks on the year for the second consecutive season.

Jemal Singleton, running backs: The running game was deplorable to begin the year, mostly due to poor scheme and a lack of talent up front. But, as was the case in 2018, Cincinnati’s run game saw a late surge in the year. Joe Mixon blazed through the last part of the schedule and finished with his second consecutive 1,000-yard season.

James Casey, tight ends: Cincinnati invested heavily in the position last offseason, re-signing C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Eifert, while also using a second-round pick on Drew Sample. Casey could mine much out of Sample, but Uzomah and Eifert combined for 70 receptions, nearly 600 yards and five touchdowns.