CINCINNATI (WXIX) - After the Cincinnati Bengals hired defensive coordinator Al Golden and placed their hopes for turning around an entire defense into his hands, Golden could have just dropped the Notre Dame defensive playbook onto the table, hired the defensive coaches that he knew best and stayed in his comfort zone.

Golden did the opposite.

He put together a coaching staff that has some very different backgrounds. Then, instead of trying to translate a specific system from another place, Golden opened up the floor for conversations and debates among the entire defensive coaching staff.

“I’m doing something wrong if they don’t feel like every day they can come in and offer something that can make us better,” Golden said. “When you look at the 2025 defense, there’s going to be a piece

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