Back to the NFL Newsfeed

How an NFL Defense Is Built

With the Rams, 49ers, Chargers and Raiders all offering compelling storylines and the promise of the playoffs, 2018 is shaping up to be the most anticipated season ever for pro football in California. The MMQB’s Andy Benoit is diving into those storylines for our special offseason project: California Week. Check back regularly for more.

On a Saturday evening last December, Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther drove downtown after work and picked up Jon Gruden from the Renaissance Cincinnati hotel. Gruden was in town to call Monday’s Bengals-Steelers game for ESPN. The two had known each other for years, and Guenther was friends with Jon’s brother Jay after their three seasons together in Cincinnati.