The majority of headlines surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals heading into the upcoming season revolves around the defense after they fielded one of the worst defensive units in the NFL last year. And that’s why performances from the starters in the first two preseason games raised a significant amount of concern from pundits and fans.
Defensive coordinator Al Golden was quick to defend his players when asked questions about why he’s optimistic despite some shaky performances in the exhibition games.
Golden said the focus right now is not showing too much of the Bengals’ defensive scheme for competitive reasons.
“Any blame on that (defense performance) goes absolutely on my shoulders,” Golden said on Aug. 21. “That’s a decision that that we made in conjunction with Zac and just trying to limit anybody’s purview in terms of what we’re doing. From that standpoint, what we have to do better in every phase of the game is, we need to tackle better. We need to take the ball away. We need to be situationally aware. All those little things are really what the standard is in terms of what we’re trying to get done in these games, but not necessarily trying to out-scheme somebody.”
Bengals defensive performances in NFL preseason
The Bengals got gashed in the run game with the defensive starters on Aug. 18 night when they faced the Commanders. Washington rushed for 17.7 yards per carry on six runs against the starting defense − that can’t happen during the regular season.
In the first preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bengals’ starters played a full quarter. They allowed 10 points and a lot of what transpired on the field resembled what you saw from the defense last season. The Bengals were without several key players on defense in defensive tackle BJ Hill, defensive end Trey Hendrickson, cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt and Dax Hill, which is notable.
To see gaping holes in the defense with Eagles’ wide receivers running wide open was a cause for concern because too much happened last season. And repeated tackling issues from veterans showed up on tape more than one would like to see at this point.
Al Golden explains Bengals defense vs. offense
The good news is that preseason outcomes don’t matter – these are the reps Cincinnati’s starters need to prepare to face the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 7 to open the season.
Golden plans to put his new defensive scheme on display for the entire NFL to see in Cleveland. Cincinnati’s starters won’t play in the final preseason game so what Golden and Co. saw from the unit in the first two games will be all the tape they have to watch – in addition to practice – when finalizing the depth chart.
And that’s what leaves Golden feeling exceptionally confident about his group with the regular season just a few weeks away.
“I see it every day,” Golden said. “And I see it against a really good offense every day. That’s all I need to know. Look, I’m like you … I worry about every facet of the defense. So, if we don’t fit a run well, that’s a concern. If we didn’t tackle well, that’s a concern. But at the same time, I want to make sure that they know every day the standard is won or lost out here in terms of operating the way we want to operate. I think the guys have made a lot of progress with that.
