Bengals may've stumbled upon a huge advantage amid all the coaching turnover they just enacted
Before the Cincinnati Bengals could make any meaningful personnel moves to improve the trenches, finding the right coaches to push those units forward was the crucial first step. Enter Scott Peters and Jerry Montgomery, two coaches who share an enthusiasm for the technical side of the game. Peters will be tasked with bettering the unit in […]
Before the Cincinnati Bengals could make any meaningful personnel moves to improve the trenches, finding the right coaches to push those units forward was the crucial first step.
Enter Scott Peters and Jerry Montgomery, two coaches who share an enthusiasm for the technical side of the game. Peters will be tasked with bettering the unit in charge of protecting Joe Burrow while Montgomery is responsible for making sure the defensive line gets the ball back in Burrow's hands.
They also share something else in common that many took notice right away: Very recent co-working experience.
Peters and Montgomery's resumes transcend beyond just last year, but each of them were on the New England Patriots' staff for the 2024 season. They were free to pursue other opportunities once Mike Vrabel took over as head coach this month, and coincidentally found themselves making the same journey from Foxborough to Cincinnati.
It's an interesting coincidence, but what value does it provide? The answer could be found very shortly.
While appearing on In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, Montgomery expanded on his year working across from Peters and how applying that experience towards offseason workouts can lay a proper foundation for the season.
"Yeah I think it's huge," Montgomery said. "One, I respect the heck out of Scott. He does a great job, great technician coach. But more importantly, I think he understands the physicality in which we need to practice, especially in between those lines with the bigs. So the things that we got to get done in practice so they carry over into the game, and that goes in the spring. There's some things you're gonna have to do in the spring that maybe these guys haven't done or not accustomed to, but definitely the way that you practice, you just don't show up on game day and say, hey, you know, we're going to be a physical team. But yet, we don't practice that way. I mean, we definitely between those white lines, offensive and defensive line wise, we'll get a lot done in practice. and being with him is going to help because he also understands that."
There are no two opposing position groups on the same team who become more intimate with one another than the offensive line and defensive line. They set the tone for the entire team in practice, and for the Bengals, they've shared heavy blame for their shortcomings in recent years.
Finding new direction for both units was important, but landing on two coaches who know how to practice against one another without needing acclimation is a huge advantage. Their groups can hit the ground running when offseason work ramps up since they each know their respective process. That's rare when dealing with coaching turnover.
And by all accounts, this wasn't some masterplan by the Bengals. Peters has been on the Bengals' radar since his days coaching alongside Zac Taylor's former head coach Bill Callahan with the Cleveland Browns. Montgomery was an Al Golden hire due to his experience coaching against him when they were both in the NFC North in the late 2010s.
Now they're both here, together again, to ensure the Bengals exit the offseason with physicality on their side.
The Bengals still have plenty of trench players to add this offseason, but the coaches waiting for them will be on the same page when everything is all settled. Cincinnati can't ask for much more than that.
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