So far this season, the Cincinnati Bengals' defense has been one of the worst units in the NFL. But, recently, things have begun turning around.
While there's still a lot of concern, Al Golden's unit finally showed a glimmer of hope against the Miami Dolphins. After a weak first half, the Bengals locked down in the second half.
As ESPN's Ben Baby highlighted, the performance from the defense against the Dolphins is a glimpse of hope for Golden's unit in 2026.
Bengals get glimmer of hope defensively amid Dolphins performance
"It reinforces the belief inside the building that their defense has the potential to be improved in 2026," Baby writes. "Miami was on the verge of running roughshod over Cincinnati before coordinator Al Golden's unit buckled down in the second half."
That second-half performance from the Bengals' defense is a huge boost of confidence for the unit going forward. Even though it was Quinn Ewers' first NFL start, the defense still locked the Dolphins down in the second half.
Across four drives from the Dolphins in the third quarter, with the game still close, the Bengals' defense forced four stops of the Dolphins' offense.
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But it wasn't just about forcing punts. Golden's unit recoded two interceptions, one fumble, and a turnover on downs.
The Bengals finally put some quality defense on display this season, and mitigated the fear of no change heading into the 2026 season.
Golden still has some work to do this offseason and in the preseason ahead of the 2026 season, but there is now some hope moving forward.
As Baby writes, "It's a good sign" for the Bengals defense to have this kind of performance. It's not a clear indication that improvement will come in 2026, but it's a sign that things can change for the better looking into the future.
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