Al Golden’s Urgency Is Blaring Louder Than My Tomahawk Chop on Fire: Bengals’ Defense Desperately Eyeing a Turnaround

Alright, buckle up and brace your liver, because we’re diving into the wild, wild offseason saga of the Cincinnati Bengals defense — a group that, let’s be honest, has been about as stable as a toddler on a unicycle riding through a hurricane. Enter Al Golden, the new defensive coordinator who strutted in with the expectation of demanding MORE. Like, serious, sweat-dripping, grunt-hurting, “I’m not letting you slack off for one more second” kinda more. And judging by recent offseason workouts, it seems ol’ Al might actually be the drill sergeant this ragtag crew desperately needs.

See, the Bengals defense last season was about as confusing as my ex’s mood swings. They gave up an ear-blistering 414 points, landing them fifth worst in the NFL. That’s right—while Joe Burrow was literally breaking passing records and Ja’Marr Chase was owning the receiving stat sheet like a monarch, the defense was out here behaving like a confused puppy chasing its tail. They allowed touchdowns on nearly 68% of red-zone chances, missed 117 tackles (that’s 117 chances to stop anyone—blown), and finished 25th overall in yards allowed per game. Oh, and get this — they lost four separate games where they scored 30+ points. That is the NFL equivalent of bringing a loaded cannon to a knife fight and still somehow losing.

Now, enter the urgency of Al Golden. When he was hired away from Notre Dame, he promised he’d turn this circus around. And the man means business. Golden wasn’t shy about telling his unit to grind hard during offseason workouts, even if OTAs and minicamps are traditionally less physical and more “touchy-feely.” According to him, these sessions are like the foundation of a massive skyscraper—skip the groundwork, and that tower ain’t standing come September.

“We can push the limits of our core fundamentals,” Golden said, sounding like a coach who’s been around enough to recognize that if you don’t get your basics straight, you’re doomed. He’s cranking up the volume by layering complexity into the defense, trying to get his players comfortable with numerous coverage concepts before training camp. The idea? So these things become automatic, second nature, like brushing your teeth, but with less minty freshness and more bone-jarring tackles.

And here’s where it gets interesting: The Bengals defense might not be the hopeless pit of despair they felt like last season. They still forced 25 turnovers, tied for seventh in the NFL, proving flashes of playmaking magic. To pump that number up, Golden introduced four specific turnover stations in practice, hammering his players on stripping the ball and snagging interceptions. Linebacker Logan Wilson encapsulated it best: “When you’re adding layers to your game like this, it becomes bone-deep, muscle memory. We’ll carry that fire straight into training camp and beyond.”

I can’t even count how many times I’ve screamed at my TV, “TURN THAT DAMN BALL OVER!” so this kind of focus is one of the few flickers of hope in this dark tunnel (which, admittedly, may still end with a rabid raccoon licking the light bulb).

The biggest headline in Golden’s offseason playbook, though? Versatility. Secondary players are cross-training at multiple positions. Cam Taylor-Britt got some serious highlight reel love after snagging an interception while rotating as slot corner — a role even the fiercest chess players might call “complex.” He admits they’re throwing so many disguises at opponents that even the players don’t always know what’s coming next until the last second. That’s some full-on espionage-level defense right there.

“We could be anywhere,” Taylor-Britt said like a kid who just learned he can switch between wizard and rogue mid-battle. For a defense begging for confidence, that kind of unpredictability is exactly the mojo they need.

But of course, not everyone is suiting up yet. The elephant in the room is Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals’ star pass rusher and NFL sack king, currently locked in contract hell and skipping voluntary workouts. Golden stays diplomatic, calling Hendrickson a pro and assuring fans he’ll catch up when the contract mess is sorted. In the meantime, rookie Shemar Stewart and second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr. are stuck in protocol purgatory—participating only in meetings, not practices, because their rookie contracts or participation waivers are unsigned. This trio’s absence is a huge question mark, like an unsolved mystery wrapped in a contract dispute with a side of dysfunction salad.

The bottom line? Golden’s urgency might just be the wake-up call this defense so desperately needs. Cincinnati’s reputation as a defensive laughingstock was cemented over recent years with too many 0-3 starts straining their playoff chances. But with this group grinding away even before pads go on, expect some sparks—maybe a few roars—in 2025.

Will it be enough to offset contractual limbo, missed tackles, and lengthy rebuilding? That remains to be seen. But hey, if you’ve watched Bengals football the past few seasons, you probably know better than to bet against a team when they’re this visibly pissed off and ready to work.

So keep your eyes peeled. The defense might finally be cooking, and Al Golden’s urgent whisper to “Get your ducks in a row” is turning into a full-on baritone bellow that could shake the AFC North to its core.