Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden was under immense pressure heading into Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
One could argue that his seat was the hottest of any assistant coach in the NFL due to the expectations around the Bengals heading into the season.
Golden, in his second season with the Bengals as the leader of the defense, has dealt with a hefty amount of criticism since he accepted the job and left Notre Dame in January 2025.
His first season didn’t go as planned − to say the least. The Bengals surrendered 28.9 points per game, which was 30th in the NFL, and at one point were on pace to allow the most points in a season in NFL history. Cincinnati was the league’s worst defense against the run (147 yards per game) and ranked
31st in yards allowed per game (380.9).
It’s important to note that one of the key reasons Taylor opted to keep Golden on his staff was the improvement he saw from the unit in the second half of the season. Cincinnati’s defense played better in the final eight games, but it still wasn’t good enough to contend for a Super Bowl.
And that’s the standard in Cincinnati with Joe Burrow as quarterback.
Defensive players and coaches alike understood the need for improvement in 2026. And although it’s a one-game sample size, Golden’s unit looked vastly improved in the season opener. The Bengals beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-27 with the defense responsible for giving up 20 of the 27 points. Burrow threw a pick-six that contributed to seven points for Tampa.
You can win a lot of games in the NFL giving up 20 points or less.
It was important for Golden and his unit to show that all of the offseason hype around the defense was legit. Golden said if the defense had played badly and the team lost, it would have impacted the morale the unit had been building all offseason.
“There would have been a ballon pop,” Golden said. “I get that part of it. As coaches we sign up for the long haul. We fought. We battled. We did what we had to do. A lot of things we need to correct. It’s exciting to play and host a quality team with the fans the way they were to end the game with the offense holding the ball and converting when they had to. That’s huge for us.”
The Bengals looked like a balanced team on defense. Several players stepped up and made impact plays. Cincinnati forced four turnovers against the Buccaneers after spending months focused on this specific part of the game.
Demetrius Knight, Bryan Cook, Barrett Carter, Boye Mafe, Myles Murphy and T.J. Slaton all contributed with either a fumble or fumble recovery, showing the depth the team has this season.
In addition to the turnovers, the Bengals also registered four sacks and six quarterback hits.
Golden’s unit showed it is capable of winning games. But it’s only Week 1. And the standard of play on this side of the ball must remain at this level for the next 16 weeks to get back to the playoffs.
“This group makes it so much fun to come to work every day,” Golden said. “I can't say that enough, and it's not perfect. Game ones are never perfect; it's always hard. I'm definitely excited about what they're doing.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Al Golden explains how Bengals defense avoided a 'balloon pop' moment
