Patrick Graham’s Raiders Stats Don’t Tell the Full Story. The Steelers Know It.

The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Patrick Graham as their new defensive coordinator this offseason, and the initial reaction from some fans was basically: Wait, that guy?

It’s easy to see why. The Las Vegas Raiders defense Graham ran last season finished 25th in points allowed, giving up 25.4 per game. They were 14th in yards allowed. Those aren’t numbers that scream “elite hire.” They’re numbers that get you a polite golf clap and a lot of side-eye.

But according to Steelers insider Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, anyone writing off Graham based on that stat sheet is missing the point. DeFabo broke down the tape and explained why context matters way more than the final line.

“When the Steelers hired Graham, it would have been easy to look at some of the basic stats from 2025 and be a bit underwhelmed,” DeFabo wrote. “As these clips show, however, Graham’s reputation as a defensive mind far exceeds those raw numbers. Context is critical. Last year, Graham was sometimes hamstrung by Carroll’s philosophy. The Raiders also spent about $55 million less on defense last year than the Steelers.”

That last part is key. The Steelers have one of the most expensive defenses in the league. The Raiders had one of the cheapest. You can only do so much with a budget roster, especially when the head coach’s scheme doesn’t always line up with what you want to call.

Graham himself made it clear he’s not showing up with a binder full of predetermined plays. “There is no Pat Graham playbook,” he said. “The playbook evolves once I get around the guys.”

That kind of flexibility is exactly why the Steelers went after him. Pittsburgh’s defense has talent at every level, from T.J. Watt to Minkah Fitzpatrick to Cameron Heyward. The issue has been getting the most out of that talent when it matters most, especially in the playoffs. Graham is being asked to fix that.

DeFabo framed it as a double-edged sword. Graham inherits the highest-paid defense in the NFL, which is a blessing. But it also comes with pressure. If the defense doesn’t play up to its paycheck under Mike McCarthy’s first season as head coach, people will ask why.

So yeah, the 2025 Raiders defensive numbers don’t look great. But Graham wasn’t coaching the Raiders defense in 2025. He was coaching a team that spent $55 million less and had to work around a head coach’s system that didn’t always help. Now he gets a loaded roster and a chance to run things his way. That’s a completely different story.