Tag: Cincinnati Bengals

Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden during 2025 CFP National Championship Media Day at Georgia World Congress Center, Building A. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Bengals hire Al Golden as defensive coordinator

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Cincinnati Bengals announced the hiring of Al Golden as their new defensive coordinator on Thursday.

Golden, 55, spent the past three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. That stint followed two years as the Bengals’ linebackers coach from 2020-21.

“Al is a very highly regarded coach, and we are excited to welcome him back to the Bengals as defensive coordinator,” Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor said. “He understands football at every level and has had great success as a coordinator, position coach and head coach. Al has a great football mind and will bring a smart, physical, aggressive approach to our defense.”

Golden replaces Lou Anarumo, who was dismissed on Jan. 6. Anarumo had been defensive coordinator of the Bengals since Taylor became head coach in 2019.

Taylor had to wait until the College Football Playoff championship game concluded before being able to talk with Golden. Notre Dame lost 34-23 to Ohio State on Monday night.

Under Golden in 2024, the Fighting Irish defense finished fifth in the nation in points allowed per game (15.5).

The Bengals finished this past season 25th in total defense (348.3 yards per game) and tied for 26th in points allowed (25.5 per game).

–Field Level Media

Dec 28, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a pass for a touchdown against Denver Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian (29) in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Bengals keep playoff hopes alive, survive in OT vs. Broncos

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes to Tee Higgins, including a game-winning scoring strike with 1:07 left in overtime, to give the host Cincinnati Bengals an electrifying 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday.

Cade York could have given Cincinnati (8-8) the win with 2:43 to go in the extra session, but his 33-yard field-goal attempt hit the left upright. The Bengals’ defense buckled down, though, forcing Denver to go three-and-out to get Burrow, Higgins and the rest of the offense back out on the field.

Cincinnati proceeded to go 63 yards in five plays, with Higgins’ 3-yard TD catch giving the Bengals their fourth straight victory. Higgins finished with 11 catches for 131 yards.

Marvin Mims Jr. forced overtime by hauling in a 25-yard score on fourth-and-1 to draw the Broncos (9-7) even at 24 with eight seconds left in regulation. Burrow had put Cincinnati in front by plunging into the end zone from 1 yard out just 1:21 earlier.

Burrow completed 39 of 49 passes for 412 yards and the three touchdowns while Ja’Marr Chase had nine catches for 102 yards and set a single-season franchise record for receptions. He now has 117. Tight end Mike Gesicki played a key role in the Cincinnati passing game, grabbing a season-high 10 catches for 86 yards.

The Bengals kept their playoff hopes alive, but they must beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 while also getting losses from the Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts.

Mims was rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s favorite target, recording 103 yards and a pair of scores on eight receptions. Nix went 24-for-31 passing for 219 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Denver is still in search of a wild-card spot and can lock one down with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 5.

Wil Lutz booted a 30-yard field goal to open the scoring and give the Broncos a 3-0 lead. The first Burrow-to-Higgins TD — a 2-yard connection — put the hosts up 7-3 with 1:49 to go in the first half, and that advantage held until the break.

A 22-yard field goal from York made it 10-3 with 9:07 remaining in the third quarter.

Nix found Courtland Sutton for a 6-yard touchdown to tie things at 10. The teams then traded fourth-quarter TDs, with Higgins snatching a 12-yard scoring pass and Mims ending up on the receiving end of a 51-yard strike.

–Field Level Media

Oct 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Bengals seeking first sweep of rival Browns since 2017

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Cincinnati Bengals will look for a season-best third straight win to keep their faint playoff hopes alive when they host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Both teams had high expectations when the NFL schedule came out in May. But both have endured disappointing seasons, and the game was flexed out of its original Thursday night spot.

The Bengals (6-8) are coming off consecutive road wins at Dallas and Tennessee.

The Browns (3-11) have dropped three straight and are making another quarterback change.

On Wednesday, coach Kevin Stefanski announced Dorian Thompson-Robinson as the new starting quarterback after Jameis Winston was benched during a 21-7 loss to Kansas City last weekend.

“A young player that’s really gotten better in every area,” Stefanski said of Thompson-Robinson. “He’s done a very, very good job of getting up to speed on all the nuance of the position. He’s done a very good job of keeping himself prepared for when a moment comes that he’s being put in there. So he’s really taken the preparation part of this really well.”

Winston threw 13 touchdowns and amassed 2,121 yards through the air. But the former No. 1 overall pick tossed 12 interceptions, including eight in the three-game skid.

Thompson-Robinson started three games as a rookie in 2023. This season, in four games, he is 15 of 34 for 100 yards with three interceptions.

For the Bengals, last Sunday’s 37-27 win over the Titans marked the 400th regular-season win in franchise history and Joe Burrow set a new single-season team record with his 36th touchdown pass.

Ja’Marr Chase remains in contention for the receiver’s triple crown, as he leads the NFL in receptions (102), receiving yards (1,413) and touchdowns (15).

The Bengals created six turnovers Sunday but committed four themselves, while committing a season-high 14 penalties.

“I’m happy we won — I don’t take that lightly,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “There are a lot of really positive things that we highlighted with the team that we did well. We got turnovers, scored off those turnovers. So, there was a lot of really good stuff there. The 14 penalties is not us. We addressed every single one of those. There’s things that we can continue to clean up.”

Cincinnati enters this week with an opportunity to sweep the Browns for the first time since the 2017 season. The Bengals beat the Browns, 21-14, at Cleveland in Week 7, as Burrow threw a pair of TD passes in the third quarter and the defense held the Browns to just 77 net rushing yards.

Through 15 weeks, Burrow leads the NFL in completions (361), passing attempts (527), passing yards (3,977) and TD passes (36). He has passed for at least 250 yards and three touchdowns in each of Cincinnati’s past six games, joining former New England quarterback Tom Brady as the only players in league history to reach those marks in six straight contests.

The Browns continue to deal with bad injury luck, having already lost quarterback Deshaun Watson to a torn Achilles in Cleveland’s first game against Cincinnati on Oct. 20. In last Sunday’s home loss to Kansas City, the Browns lost running back Nick Chubb for the season to a broken foot. Jerome Ford will take his place.

Cleveland cornerback Martin Emerson (concussion) and defensive end Shelby Harris (elbow) did not participate in practice on Wednesday. Wide receivers Jerry Jeudy (knee) and Cedric Tillman (concussion) were limited.

Four Bengals did not practice Wednesday: left tackle Orlando Brown (fibula) and defensive linemen Sam Hubbard (knee), Kris Jenkins (illness) and Sheldon Rankins (illness). Burrow was limited with right wrist and knee injuries.

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II (20) breaks up a deep pass intended for Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) in the third quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The Chargers won 34-27.

Report: Bengals CB DJ Turner II has fractured clavicle

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II could miss the rest of the season with a fractured clavicle, NFL Network reported Monday.

Turner, who took over a starting role in Week 6, is reportedly getting a second opinion after sustaining the injury in Sunday night’s 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Turner, 24, took a hard landing while defending a pass in the second half. He finished the game with a season-high three passes defensed.

A second-round pick in 2023, Turner has recorded 29 tackles and eight passes defensed in 11 games (six starts) this season. He has 79 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery in 28 career games (18 starts).

–Field Level Media

Sep 29, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Erick All Jr. (83) before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Bengals rookie TE Erick All (torn ACL) out for season

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Erick All will miss the remainder of his rookie season with a torn right ACL.

Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Monday that All sustained the knee injury in Sunday’s 41-24 home win against the Las Vegas Raiders.

All, 24, had appeared in all nine games for the Bengals (4-5) with six starts, catching 20 of 22 targets for 158 yards and no touchdowns. He had two receptions for 24 yards against the Raiders.

The Bengals selected All in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Iowa, where he dealt with the same injury last October.

–Field Level Media