CINCINNATI (WXIX) - For the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense, there are going to be a lot of things that will go wrong over the course of the year.
“We’re probably going to face a lot of adversity on Sunday,” Al Golden said. “That’s just the nature of this game.”
This isn’t going to be a top defense in the league. Questions at defensive tackle, cornerback and safety will carry into the season. The defense is counting on Shemar Stewart and Demetrius Knight Jr. to play at a high level, and they will certainly have their rookie moments. The defense is going to be aggressive to try to force turnovers, and there will also be plays where the defense misses.
The best case scenario is that the Bengals’ young defense gets better as the year goes on, develops and is in a position to win the Bengals a few games down the stretch. But the defense has to get there first.
It can’t fly off the rails like it did last season.
“Everyone on this defense has been through something,” BJ Hill said. “Going through something doesn’t define you. It’s how you bounce back. I believe we have a lot of tough guys on this defense. It’s about being on the same page. Communicating. Making sure we all point as one. If we do that, the sky is the limit for us.”
The culture of the 2024 Bengals’ defense wasn’t strong enough.
There was too much division between the old guard that started on the 2021 and 2022 teams with the wave of young players. Former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo didn’t empower the young players successfully enough. For the most part, none of the picks from the 2022, 2023 and 2024 NFL Draft classes took a big enough step forward over the course of the season.
As a result, there were major changes made during the offseason. Anarumo was fired, and most the veterans weren’t brought back.
“Last year, I don’t think we were as tight as we are now as a group,” Geno Stone said. “We’ve bought in together. A lot of us were here last year and went through what we went through. We had that feeling. We don’t want that same feeling going through another sloppy year. We want to get off to a fast start and set the tone for this year.”
There were two defining moments for the 2024 Bengals’ defense.
On the road against the Ravens in November, the defense looked so bad in the second half that players were calling each other out for their effort and want-to. The next week, against the Chargers, the frustration made its way onto the field as Germaine Pratt animatedly yelled at Cam Taylor-Britt and as Trey Hendrickson shouted at the sideline while Zac Taylor tried to calm him down.
The 2024 Bengals’ defense handled adversity very poorly.
“When things do go left, we’ve got to stay together,” Josh Newton said. “Call out the truth. Be truthful to each other and move on. The next play is coming. You can’t get stuck on one play. Also, you don’t want to give up anything, especially by not being disciplined and doing our jobs. If we’re disciplined and are communicating the right way, we’ll minimize stuff like that.”
The worst part was the body language after the defense allowed a big play. Guys shrugged, waved their arms around, clapped in the face of their teammates or dropped their heads.
More than anything, that has to change in 2025.
“It’s about poise,” Golden said. “It’s about respect. It’s not about losing your mind and yelling at each other and yelling at players and all of that. It’s about that relationship and that respect that we’ve built over the last six months and being a problem solver. Don’t create conflict, be a problem-solver.”
The Bengals’ defense will make mistakes, especially early in the season as it gels together. More than half of the defense has never had a full season as a starter with the Bengals. Just about everyone has an area of their game that they need to clean up. The defensive linemen need better pass rush plans, the linebackers have to get downhill more aggressively and attack the ball, the corners have to be more consistent with their technique when the ball is in the air and the safeties have to be better communicators.
All of those details won’t be ironed out by Week 1. The Bengals need to be able to respond after someone makes a mistake.
“Give them a path out,” Golden said. “That’s really a big part of our philosophy. It’s about empowering players and giving them a path to success. If something’s not working, we might have to change course right away. That’s fine.”
This goes hand-in-hand with the concept of the Bengals streamlining their approach on defense this season.
“Defense is not complicated,” Stone said. “Just go out there, make one call and play together. Al (Golden) has been saying that it’s our defense. If we’re on the same page making sure that everyone is right, then we’ll be fine.”
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