The Bengals’ search for a defensive coordinator after the 2024 season led them to a familiar name on the other side of the AFC North. Zac Taylor said this week that Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham was one of the candidates he interviewed before the team settled on Notre Dame’s Al Golden.
Taylor said the process left him with a strong impression of Graham.
“You interview him because you are impressed with the scheme and the problems you face when you go against him,” Taylor said this week to Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson. “When you meet him, incredibly personable … Thought highly of him before. Thought highly of him even more so afterwards.”
Graham, 47, has built a long coaching résumé that started with the New England Patriots, where he was a linebackers coach on the Super Bowl XLIX team that beat Seattle in February of 2015. He has been a defensive coordinator since 2020, first with the New York Giants for two seasons and then with the Raiders for four years, where he worked with Maxx Crosby and that defense in Las Vegas.
His background also ties him to a couple of names relevant to the Bengals. Cincinnati was mentioned in trade rumors involving Crosby earlier in the offseason, and Graham also knows Dexter Lawrence well from his time with the Giants, where Lawrence was in his second and third seasons.
All of that adds another wrinkle to Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh. The 2-0 Bengals are trying to move to 3-0 after another strong defensive outing, while the Steelers will again be built around a defense that has given up just 33 points in two games. Cincinnati has allowed the same total, though seven of those points came on a Joe Burrow pick-six.
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Aaron Rodgers Just Put Bengals Pass Rush In Steelers Spotlight
Cincinnatis 2-0 start has come with the kind of defensive edge that can travel, and it was on display again in the win over Houston. Now the Bengals turn their attention to Pittsburgh, where the matchup is already tilting toward their front seven after the Steelers have stumbled through two games on offense and enter a week that looks like a stress test for their blocking.
Aaron Rodgers added to the intrigue by praising Bengals defensive standout Dexter Lawrence ahead of the matchup, a nod to just how disruptive Cincinnati can be when its pass rush is rolling. For a Steelers line already dealing with pressure, that kind of recognition only sharpens the spotlight on what awaits Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Already Have An Answer To Their Joe Burrow Problem
The Bengals are off to a 2-0 start, and Joe Burrow has been a major reason why the offense has looked so sharp out of the gate. Even with the quarterback doing his part, the bigger picture still points to the same old concern in Cincinnati: keeping him clean long enough for the attack to stay on schedule. The offensive line has held up well so far, which has helped ease some of that burden, but the team has also been looking for ways to make Burrows life a little less hectic on obvious passing downs.
One possible answer is already on the roster in Samaje Perine, whose value goes beyond what he does with the ball in his hands. His reputation as a reliable pass blocker makes him a useful option when the Bengals want to give Burrow extra support against pressure, especially in situations where protection matters most. If Cincinnati leans on him more in those spots, it could be a simple way to protect its quarterback without changing the shape of the offense too much. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Already Look Right About Their Biggest Defensive Gamble
When the Bengals let Trey Hendrickson walk and brought in Boye Mafe on a three-year deal, it was one of the biggest defensive calls of their offseason. Cincinnati wanted a different kind of edge presence, one that could help replace Hendricksons production while also fitting the price tag, and early returns have been hard to miss.
Through two games, Mafe has already flashed the disruptive traits the Bengals were betting on, with a sack, a forced fumble and the most quarterback hurries in the league. Hendrickson has had his moments in Baltimore, but Cincinnati has to feel better about the way its new pass rusher is setting the tone, especially with the contract coming in below what Hendrickson landed with the Ravens. [Read more 🡒]