Al Golden promised the Cincinnati Bengals' pressure package would expand in his second season as defensive coordinator.
Two games in, that forecast looks conservative.
The Bengals produced 41 pressures in Sunday's 20-6 win over the Houston Texans, according to PFF data shared by The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr.
. Cincinnati averaged only 12.6 pressures per game over the previous six seasons, and its prior high during that span was 33.How about this from the raw @PFF data: The #Bengals racked up 41 pressures against Houston on Sunday.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) September 21, 2026
FORTY-ONE.
Their average pressures per game over the last six years: 12.6
Previous high over that span: 33.
Even against C.J. Stroud's 59 dropbacks, the total is staggering.
Cincinnati sacked Stroud four times, matching
its Week 1 output, and kept Houston out of the end zone. The Texans finished 5-of-17 on third down and 0-of-4 on fourth down.
Golden telegraphed the change at the NFL combine in February.
He said 2025 featured the least pressure and fewest line stunts he had used "in forever," in part because young linebackers Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. were still growing into their responsibilities.
"For me, that will be the floor now, not the ceiling," Golden said in February, via Bengals.com.
The offseason additions of Dexter Lawrence II, Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe and rookie Cashius Howell handed Golden the personnel to follow through.
After eight sacks and two wins, the new-look front has turned his warning into the Bengals' early-season identity.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Golden was right about Bengals defense after stunning pressure total
