CINCINNATI — A free-flowing defense has been turning heads at Cincinnati Bengals training camp in the opening weeks. Defensive end Joseph Ossai was all smiles discussing his phase of the game.

Ossai noted to our Elise Jesse this past weekend that Al Golden has helped unlock a new confidence for the group.

The defense has made multiple notable plays (especially in the red zone) against what should be one of the league’s best offenses.

“We’re just playing fast,” Ossai declared. “With the way he installs it and allows us to run the defense if we’re running something completely wrong, as long as we’re flying to it and we’re all on the same page, we’re good, you know? He tells us all the time ‘It’s just our defense,’ whatever we call, if we call something and we see something and we check to it, we have the keys to do that, but in order to get the keys to do that, we have to [execute], and that’s what he’s challenged us with in the spring.

“He challenged us to really learn the playbook. So as long as we learn it and we know it inside and out, he would give us those keys to be able to check in and check out of things and really run the defense ourselves. And that’s what you see us just playing fast, us recognizing stuff and being able to get in and out of things.”

Defense is inherently volatile, especially in the NFL, where a new coordinator and just a sprinkling of fresh names have been enough in the past to provide a nice positive jolt.

No one expects Cincinnati to hold teams to 17 points per game or close to it this fall, but a rise from the 25th-best scoring defense to somewhere in the 17-20th range is far from crazy. Confidence, communication, and playing together are all key factors in that rise.

Ossai has plenty of reason to rise with it, playing on a one-year deal in Cincinnati.