(7 hours ago)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Ohio State embarrassed Al Golden’s defense.  Interview someone else!

He had the second-best defense scoring defense going into that game. It's not his fault that OSU is a level above the rest of college football!




He held Georgia to 10 points, A&M, who was second in scoring, to 13, Navy and Army, ranked 9th and 13th in scoring, to 14 points each, and was 11th(?) in yards allowed.

He's a great signing!

(10 hours ago)rfaulk34 Wrote: The vast majority of defensive players are considered how good they are because of the scheme they're playing in. A blanket statement of "try hard(er)" isn't going to do it. Everyone can't just do anything by simply trying harder. Athleticism is more helpful as well as being smart (football IQ). Dismissing scheme is a sure fire way of becoming a worse defense. 

11 starters on defense X 32 teams = 352 guys. Add in their subs. Easily 600+ guys who get significant minutes on different defenses across the league. How many of those guys make All Pro and All Star? The vast majority of them need to be told where to be and when to be there. 

Banket statements never work. You need a mix of good players and good schemes. 

Zac Baun was a backup pass rusher in NO and an All Pro Stand up linebacker in Philly in less than a year. Player fit matters as much as anything

(7 hours ago)BFritz21 Wrote: He had the second-best defense scoring defense going into that game. It's not his fault that OSU is a level above the rest of college football!




He held Georgia to 10 points, A&M, who was second in scoring, to 13, Navy and Army, ranked 9th and 13th in scoring, to 14 points each, and was 11th(?) in yards allowed.

He's a great signing!

Great stuff Brad, makes me feel good about Al Golden.

(7 hours ago)Au165 Wrote: Zac Baun was a backup pass rusher in NO and an All Pro Stand up linebacker in Philly in less than a year. Player fit matters as much as anything

Another great example of why scheme and how a player fits are huge.

(7 hours ago)BFritz21 Wrote: He had the second-best defense scoring defense going into that game. It's not his fault that OSU is a level above the rest of college football!




He held Georgia to 10 points, A&M, who was second in scoring, to 13, Navy and Army, ranked 9th and 13th in scoring, to 14 points each, and was 11th(?) in yards allowed.

He's a great signing!

Yeah the announcers said at their defense was a lot of 3 star types so that says a lot about what Golden did this year regardless of one play.  

I wonder how that plays into drafting ND players? If it's within a few slots are you more willing to take one due to chemistry or less likely to knowing that Golden made them look better?

(7 hours ago)phil413 Wrote: Yeah the announcers said at their defense was a lot of 3 star types so that says a lot about what Golden did this year regardless of one play.  

I wonder how that plays into drafting ND players? If it's within a few slots are you more willing to take one due to chemistry or less likely to knowing that Golden made them look better?

One player I really like on that Notre Dame Defense is Xavier Watts FS. He could be our Jesse Bates replacement possibly and would 
most likely be a 2nd or 3rd round pick for us.

This CBS News story only one hour old. CBS says everybody was just waiting for Ohio State vs Notre Dame Championship Game to be over. So Golden who was a D Coach for Bengals before is returning as D Coordinator. CBS Sports sounds pretty official that this is a done deal now.

(6 hours ago)kevin Wrote: This CBS News story only one hour old.   CBS says everybody was just waiting for Ohio State vs Notre Dame Championship Game to be over.   So Golden who was a D Coach for Bengals before is returning as D Coordinator.  CBS Sports sounds pretty official that this is a done deal now.

I see this has been moved quickly to the New DC Hired with question mark....CBS says you can take off the question mark.  It is indeed Golden. 

#Bengals exec Trey Brown landing a second interview in NY is an important development to follow.

Brown has tracked for bigger jobs for a few years now, but his presence is invaluable inside the #Bengals already small personnel department.

Major impact in critical offseason.

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) January 22, 2025

(6 hours ago)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: One player I really like on that Notre Dame Defense is Xavier Watts FS. He could be our Jesse Bates replacement possibly and would 
most likely be a 2nd or 3rd round pick for us.

He stood out to me in the National Title game and I really liked watching him play. Love the way he plays downhill and is always trying to make plays, 

If he fell to us in the 2nd round, I'd be sprinting to the podium, and reuniting him with Golden will only make him better.

(6 hours ago)kevin Wrote: This CBS News story only one hour old.   CBS says everybody was just waiting for Ohio State vs Notre Dame Championship Game to be over.   So Golden who was a D Coach for Bengals before is returning as D Coordinator.  CBS Sports sounds pretty official that this is a done deal now.

It's an ESPN  headline. So, yes, it does sound pretty official, even if it's the elusive "sources told."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43523787/sources-notre-dame-al-golden-returns-bengals-dc

(6 hours ago)Nepa Wrote: It's an ESPN  headline. So, yes, it does sound pretty official, even if it's the elusive "sources told."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43523787/sources-notre-dame-al-golden-returns-bengals-dc

That would make both CBS and ESPN saying Bengals just hired Golden. 

(6 hours ago)Synric Wrote:

#Bengals exec Trey Brown landing a second interview in NY is an important development to follow.

Brown has tracked for bigger jobs for a few years now, but his presence is invaluable inside the #Bengals already small personnel department.

Major impact in critical offseason.

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) January 22, 2025

I wouldnt worry about this. I think that part of the organization needs new faces

(6 hours ago)Frank Booth Wrote: I wouldnt worry about this. I think that part of the organization needs new faces

Plus I believe we would get a 3rd rd pick this year and next if he is hired as the GM.

https://www.bengals.com/news/reports-al-golden-to-be-named-bengals-defensive-coordinator

(6 hours ago)Frank Booth Wrote: I wouldnt worry about this. I think that part of the organization needs new faces

The two third round picks we would get in return may make me worry less.

Welcome Al Golden and good luck in Indy Lou Anarumo.

(6 hours ago)kevin Wrote: I see this has been moved quickly to the New DC Hired with question mark....CBS says you can take off the question mark.  It is indeed Golden. 

Until the team announces it, it hasn't officially happened. Meanwhile, we already have this large thread with all of the talk about it, no need to burn up server space with multiple threads on the same topic.

(7 hours ago)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Happy the search is over and I think Al Golden will be an upgrade over Lou. The question is how much of an upgrade and also who he
brings in for DL coach which is the position coach I am most interested in now.

I believe we need to upgrade the pass rush fairly significantly and/or improve our secondary vastly to use his ND defense but I have faith the man is smart enough to make his own decisions.  I like the hire.

(7 hours ago)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Great stuff Brad, makes me feel good about Al Golden.


Another great example of why scheme and how a player fits are huge.

if a player does not have the physical skills and smarts...regardless of the scheme...he will fail...and I would imagine that the majority of players selected in the draft are chosen for their physical abilities, effort and smarts...rather than a particular scheme that a team is using that year..and I got some news for you ....schemes are changed up numerous times during the course of a game..I hope Golden works out ...but when he played a team like Ohio State..on the national stage...a team with superior athletes...goldens scheme looked pathetic

(6 hours ago)ERIC1 Wrote:   if a player does not have the physical skills and smarts...regardless of the scheme...he will fail...and I would imagine that the majority of players selected in the draft are chosen for their physical abilities, effort and smarts...rather than a particular scheme that a team is using that year..and I got some news for you ....schemes are changed up numerous times during the course of a game..I hope Golden works out ...but when he played a team like Ohio State..on the national stage...a team with superior athletes...goldens scheme looked pathetic

Hmmm, your thinking does not work that simple, Michigan beat OSU with less talent