FitzGerald has solid track record in 15 seasons in NFL.

The Bengals' hiring of Jeff FitzGerald as linebackers coach on Wednesday gives the club a proven assistant with a reputation for production.  FitzGerald spent the past four years in the same capacity with the division rival Baltimore Ravens and became only the second linebackers coach in NFL history to have four players named to the Pro Bowl in the same season.

Ravens linebackers Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, Terrell Suggs and Adalius Thomas earned Pro Bowl berths in 2006. The elite unit led the Ravens' to No. 1 league rankings in points allowed per game (12.6) and yards allowed per game (264.1).  The 2007 Ravens' defense ranked second in the NFL against the run (79.3) and sixth in overall defense (301.6), while the Bengals were 21st (118.3) and 27th (348.8) in those categories.

Before quarterback Carson Palmer went public with his call for changes on the Bengals coaching staff, he aired his feelings privately with head coach Marvin Lewis.  Emotions ran high before and after the Bengals' 38-25 victory over Miami that wrapped up the club's first losing season (7-9) since 2002.  "Our quarterback communicated to (the media) we weren't satisfied," Lewis said. "As he and I talked the Friday before the Miami game, we're not satisfied. He and I together will do everything we can to fix it, along with everybody else in this building."

Supporting cast:  Lewis knows the Bengals must surround Palmer with more talent.  "As I told (Palmer), 'Put yourself back in position where you can just go play football the way you can play. You win a lot of football games. Just don't lose the game,' " Lewis said. "We got away from that a little bit, where he felt like he had so much on his shoulders that he felt like if he didn't do this or do that, we'd lose the game. You paint yourself into a little bit of a corner, and that's hard to (overcome)."

Coordinator made Cowboys defense shine without stars

Mike Zimmer likely will have to improve the Bengals defense without adding any major players to it.

CINCINNATI -- In 2001, Mike Zimmer developed a reputation as a bright defensive mind by building a stout defense out of players largely lacking reputations. Those Dallas Cowboys featured Darren Woodson, Dat Nguyen, Dexter Coakley and assorted spare parts, but they finished fourth in the NFL in yards allowed.

It was Zimmer's second season as an NFL defensive coordinator, and it solidified a coaching philosophy he carries into his new job as defensive coordinator of the Bengals: Success is about more than schemes and stars.

"They loved playing football," he recalled yesterday. "They didn't care about anything else, and we didn't change much week to week. We did what we did. It taught me that if you can get all the guys playing on the same page, doing the same thing, doing things right -- and they care about football and they care about winning and they care about doing what you want them to do -- then you've got a chance to be pretty good."

Veteran NFL coach Mike Zimmer is the latest man hired to fix the Bengals defense, a feat that has eluded the franchise for most of its existence. He arrives with plenty of experience under his belt and plenty of room for improvement on the field.

The Bengals ranked 27th of 32 teams in yards allowed and 24th in points allowed in 2007. They have ranked among the bottom half of the league in yards allowed in 20 of the past 23 years.

Zimmer was unavailable for comment yesterday. He will be introduced as the team's new defensive coordinator during a news conference today in Paul Brown Stadium.