Steelers' Next Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham's Past Defenses Reveal A Troubling Trend

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have a new defensive coordinator. Insider Gerry Dulac reported that the team is closing in on hiring Patrick Graham from the Las Vegas Raiders. Graham will most likely be the first major hire made by the new Steelers head coach, Mike McCarthy. McCarthy, who's known for his offensive genius, will lean on Graham to lead a Steelers defense that underperformed last season compared to expectations as the NFL's top unit. If the Steelers want to begin their road to playoff success once again, it will have to start with their defense.

During his introductory press conference with the Steelers, McCarthy mentioned the team he won his Super Bowl with while he was the Green Bay Packers head coach. While people think of future first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers when they think of that Packers team, and for good reason, McCarthy reminded us that the team was also the only team McCarthy ever coached with a top five defense. Since McCarthy has a hands-off approach to defense, Graham will play a major role in shaping the Steelers' unit.

NFL insider Aditi Kinkhabwala was on 93.7 The Fan Wednesday and shared her thoughts on Graham.

"Over the last few years, I think his defenses have a tendency to break down in critical moments," Kinkhabwala explained.

A game that stands out when considering Graham's defense's struggles in the closing moments is the Raiders' Week 2 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the 2023 season. The Raiders were 0-1 at the time and dominated the first half, leading 20-0 at halftime. In the second half, the Raiders imploded, blowing a 20-0 halftime lead and losing 29-23. Games like this happened far too often under Graham's defense during his three years with the Raiders. The Steelers' expectations are very different from the Raiders', and the McCarthy hire has signaled that a franchise with over 20-straight winning seasons will be looking to stay competitive, rather than rebuild.

Kinkhabwala also mentioned some positives on Graham, including the fact that he had a unique career with the Raiders. Just as the Steelers have done this offseason with McCarthy, most teams that hire a head coach tend to clean house with the coaching staff. Graham, however, was the anomaly; Graham was originally hired under former Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, then retained under both Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll. Graham being retained under three different coaching staffs shows how highly people around the league think of Graham. Graham will get a chance to prove them right in Pittsburgh.

Steelers Fans Will Expect Results Immediately Next Season

Former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin left some big shoes to fill for the next regime for the Steelers. While Tomlin ended his Steelers tenure 0 and 7 in his last 7 playoff games, 19 straight winning seasons left a certain expectation of being competitive for Steelers fans. Even this past season, with a Steelers team that was widely criticized for its inconsistent play, they rallied together and won the AFC North in thrilling fashion over the rival Baltimore Ravens. 

Growing up in Pittsburgh, McCarthy knows Steelers culture better than almost anyone. This franchise is used to winning and is world-class everywhere. McCarthy, being a Pittsburgh native, will have one of the best stories in the sport if the Steelers are successful. For that to be possible, Graham will have to prove the doubters wrong and find the success that he did not find with the Raiders. He'll have the resources to do so. After all, the Steelers had the highest-paid defense in the NFL last year. Now, it's time for results.

Are you hoping the Steelers make the Graham hire official? Comment below!

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