Bengals New Coach Earns 'Name to Watch' Attention

The Cincinnati Bengals allowed the eighth-most yards in the NFL this past season, so the team decided to make a move and fire defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

So all eyes will be on the new guy.

In a recent article by ESPN's Ben Solak, he puts together a list of things to know ahead of the 2025 regular season. He labels a few players and coaches as "names to watch", and one of the coaches he lists is new Bengals DC Al Golden.

"Imagine last season's Bengals with a league-average defense. That's not just a playoff team. That's a team that could have beaten the Ravens, Bills, Chiefs or any other AFC contender in any playoff environment," Solak wrote. "Could Golden, who just worked with young players for three years at Notre Dame, offer a quick boost to early draft picks like Dax Hill or Myles Murphy by simplifying their roles? I'm not betting on a big leap in the Bengals' defense, but it is at least in the cards."

Anarumo was with the Bengals since 2019, and the team finished in the bottom half of the league in yards allowed every year but one that he was at the helm. Even the year they were not in the bottom half of the NFL, they still allowed the 17th most, just barely in the top half.

Golden will be looking to end that terrible streak and try to get the team's defense to at least get close to evening out with their offense.

The Bengals have had one of the better offenses in the league for years, so if they can improve their defense even slightly, they could be an even scarier team than usual.