PLAYER OF THE DAY

DC Al Golden

"Go-ooo-d!"

That's an expression starting to spread through the Bengals defense as training camp begins to bark into the dog days.

It's believed to have germinated from exultations of cornerbacks coach Charles Burks. It has then crept into the lexicon from the imitations of guys like safety Jordan Battle, who chirped, "That's go-oood, Al!" when defensive coordinator Al Golden was handed the Frank Broyles Award Sunday before the defense broke into its position meetings after practice.

It was a rather remarkable moment at Paycor Stadium.

Golden, who coached the Bengals linebackers in the Super Bowl before heading the next day to Notre Dame, is back. He won The Broyles as the nation’s best assistant coach for last season's work in leading the Fighting Irish to rule almost every defensive category ever thought up by Knute Rockne.

As he stood in front of his new defense Sunday, Golden dedicated the trophy to Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and his national runners-up. After dismissing them, Golden asked rookie defensive tackle Howard Cross III, his stalwart from South Bend, to join the photo taken with the trophy and Broyles' family.

That no doubt struck a chord with Betsy Broyles Arnold, who watched football with her dad when legendary Arkansas head coach Frank Broyles turned the dining room into a film room during her high school years. She knows her football coaches. She saw it first back in February in Hot Springs, Ark., at the event Golden was named the winner.

"He reminds me of my dad in some ways," Arnold said. "He's kind. Just the way he carries himself. His character. Overwhelmingly nice to anybody. Taking an interest in what you're saying."

On the 30th anniversary of the award, the Broyles Foundation found itself in the pros Sunday in order to track down Golden so he could heft the 70-pound trophy and start looking for a place to display it. David Bazzel, who created the award with the late Broyles' go-ahead, gave it to Golden with the challenge of winning this season's NFL Assistant Coach of the Year.

When Golden took the trophy, he wanted to thank anyone who has ever called him, "Coach."

"Next to being called, 'Dad,'" said Golden, it's the best.

After winning a national title during his run at Arkansas, where he turned the Razorbacks into a Southwest Conference perennial power, Broyles joined ABC's Keith Jackson to become the soundtrack of college football in the '70 and '80s.

Yet Broyles is best known not for his coaching tree, but for his sprawling forest of 25 assistants who became head men on a list that begins with Pro Football Hall-of-Famers Joe Gibbs and Jimmy Johnson.

When Broyles would get the praise for one of his seven SWC titles, or maybe even hear a raise was afoot, Molly Harrell, his granddaughter, recalls the stories where he would say, "Give it to my assistants."

"Then he would say, "Give me three years and I'll help you get your dream job.' Some were career assistants and some wanted to move on, and so he really appreciated the value of all assistants."

Golden has moved on, but The Broyles has not. It's staying in Bengaldom.

"What makes the Broyles award so special is that the five finalists come into Hot Springs and we become such fans of theirs and their careers," Harrell said. "They're Bengals fans now. They're going to be watching the Bengals defense, and that's what is really great to us."

Harrell is already married to a Bengals fan, an LSU guy. The year Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase led the Tigers to the national title, Joe Brady, their offensive coordinator. won the 2019 Broyles.

Arnold, ever the coach's daughter, only watched Burrow throw at Sunday's practice.

"We didn't want to bother him," she said.

Arnold and Harrell, with 40 years combined in the fields of multi-generational and Alzheimer's caregiving, run the Broyles Foundation that pledges to make Broyles' dream come true after he lost his wife to Alzheimer's:

No caregiver support should ever become a financial burden.

When Broyles died of the same disease a dozen years later in 2017, mother and daughter doubled down. In her closing remarks to the team Sunday, Harrell mentioned the foundation briefly, and offered its help.

"The hardest thing we had to deal with," she told them, "is just talking to someone. If you know someone who needs help, get them in touch with us."

On the day The Broyles found another home, Golden asked the senior Bengal in the room to break it down and end the meeting.

"Family on three," linebacker Logan Wilson said.

PLAY OF THE DAY

LT Orlando Brown Jr.

With Sunday morning's thermometer mulling the 90s, the Bengals' first offense went 99 yards on a hot, sweaty, grinding, sweet 16-play drive that Brown, an incumbent captain, says may go beyond a metaphor for the season.

"It's very important to who we are and what we do and what our standard is," Brown said.

Go back to third-and-two around midfield. Burrow handed it to running back Chase Brown, and he tucked himself behind his left tackle as Orlando Brown walled off first-round pick Shemar Stewart on the edge. "Follow me!!" Orlando Brown screamed as the sticks moved. Or maybe something like that in a bit more colorful language.

"I fitted him up and we were able to get the first down," Orlando Brown said. "At that point in the day, that's kind of what those drives are. Especially when you're backed up. And we overcame a little adversity from time to time."

Burrow overcame a series that began on a minus running play when nose tackle T.J. Slaton Jr. penetrated behind the line. They were also working without their top tight end (Mike Gesicki) and two of their four top wide receivers, with Tee Higgins getting a break after individuals and a first-down drill and Jermaine Burton out day-to-day with an unspecified injury.

But Chase Brown (two) and Samaje Perine (one) popped big runs on what appeared to be a diverse range of plays. Brown chewed up a bunch on a draw and Perine banged a quick hitter up the middle.

And, of course, with Burrow's back flat against the Second Street bushes on the first third down of the drive, All-Pro receiver Ja'Marr Chase went deep down the seam to keep it alive.

But it is Orlando Brown's emotion on short-yardage that gives you a sense of how passionate they are about controlling the line of scrimmage in those key spots. Brown can certainly feel it.

"I think we've got the proper mindset. Guys are working their ass off to get better," Brown said. "I sense the urgency from the players and coaches. To me, that's the biggest difference."

QUOTE OF THE DAY

After the Bengals' offense continues to get great production from any tight end they put in the passing game, backup quarterback Jake Browning was asked if even the website guy could catch two balls at tight end in a Move-The-Ball Drill:

"I'd rather play with 10."

SLANTS AND SCREENS

The 99-yard drive ended on one of Burrow's patented scramble drills for a touchdown pass from the 6. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher didn't like the free runner, but Burrow has a flair for making it all better. Chase Brown did the textbook thing by running across the end zone toward Burrow …

The Bengals have flashed double-blocking tight ends in the run game on some short-yardage, but Pitcher says when they go 12 (two tight ends), he's got confidence that Noah Fant, a dangerous receiver, can block well enough to be on the field …

Pitcher says they're still trying to work out assignments in the O-line room. That's why, for the second straight day, rookie Jalen Rivers took snaps with the twos at right guard after playing No. 2 left tackle in Philly, and Cody Ford went No. 2 at tackle after playing the preseason opener as the No. 2 right guard.

"We're still very much n the discovery process," Pitcher said. "Cody did a good job in that role (swing tackle) last year. We scored a lot of points with Cody out there. He has value in that role. We have not decided that yet." …

Pitcher likes how his starting guards played on Thursday night. He said, except for a play or two, the veteran Lucas Patrick held up well at right guard, and says Patrick has practiced well …

Dylan Fairchild, the second-rounder at left guard, drew raves for being "aggressive,' as well as "technically sound." Pitcher was impressed that on his first third down (Burrow's laser out to Chase), he and Orlando Brown passed off a twist …

If it looks like wide receiver Charlie Jones has caught on in his third camp, he has.

"Chuck's probably had his best sustained period of play with us," Pitcher said …

Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt is back. Since sitting out last week, he's practiced the last two days, and Sunday made a terrific knockdown of a Burrow pass in a battle royale with Chase on the sidelines ...