The Cincinnati Bengals defense failed star quarterback Joe Burrow this season, but it sounds like the team is doing what it can to make sure that doesn’t happen again next season.
Joe Burrow had perhaps the most dominant and consistent season of his entire career this season, but his team repeatedly fell short on the defensive side of the ball. This season Bengals lost four games in which Burrow and the offense scored 30 or more points, leading the league in that regard. Cincinnati’s offense set a franchise record with 472 points scored by the offense while the defense allowed 434 points.
The defensive performance directly led to the Bengals missing the playoffs, wasting an MVP-caliber season from Burrow. As a result, the team fired previous defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. And it sounds like they now have his replacement.
According to a report from Pete Nakos of On3, Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden is set to leave the team to become the next defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, as long as his formal interview with the team goes well.
“Notre Dame’s Al Golden is expected to interview with Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor in the next 48 hours for the defensive coordinator opening, sources tell On3. The current expectation is Golden will be the Bengals’ next defensive coordinator if all goes as planned,” Nakos wrote for On3.
“A source told On3 on Saturday that Golden has not yet interviewed for the opening as his focus has been on Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff run. But now after the national championship game, the Bengals are going all-in on the 55-year-old defensive coordinator who is their top candidate.”
It will certainly be interesting to see how Golden performs in the role this season, but it’s a positive step for Burrow and the Bengals.
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