'He's an Expert Pass Pro Technician' - NFL World Reacts to Bengals New O-Line Coach Scott Peters

Plenty of fans are skeptical of Scott Peters, but coaches, players and offensive line experts all approve of the Bengals' newest position coach.

Cleveland Browns assistant offensive line coach Scott Peters works with center Ethan Pocic during training camp on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022 in Berea. / Phil Masturzo / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cincinnati Bengals and Zac Taylor went back to the Bill Callahan coaching tree for their third attempt at finding the right offensive line coach.

Scott Peters, a former NFL offensive lineman himself, started his NFL coaching career with Callahan as a consultant, then assistant, before he became New England's offensive line coach in 2024.

Peters' connections to Taylor and the Bengals organization run deep, and in retrospect it's easy to piece together why he was the pick. Taylor is closely connected with his college head coach in Callahan, and most of Peters' NFL experience was as a Callahan assistant. He comes highly recommended by former Bengals offensive line coach (and later, consultant) Jim McNally, who has long been a fan of Peters' expertise, specifically about pass blocking. Those endorsements likely held significant weight for Taylor.

In McNally's case, he's been a long-time Peters fan. In 2015 at a coaching clinic, he said "If you think you know everything about pass blocking and punching, you don't. This is the best in the world. And it's hard for me to say that, I'm biting off a lot here. This f---ing guy is the best." After the hire was announced, McNally expressed more praise.

SCOTT PETERS WILL MAKE THE BENGALS GREAT AGAIN. MARK MY WORDS. HE IS A HANDS ON, SMART, UP DATED WITH THE LATEST TECHS ON PASS AND RUN AND WILL DEVELOPE YOUNG GUYS TO THEIR MAX. HE IS THE TOP NEW OL COACH IN THE NFL WAY BEYOND ALL EXPECTATIONS.

— Jim “Mouse” McNally (@CoachMcNallyOL) January 20, 2025

Public approval didn't stop there. Willie Anderson wrote on Monday that the "Bengals hired a really good Oline coach in Peters!" Offensive line guru Brandon Thorn was also bullish on the Scott Peters hire for New England last year. Thorn's Twitter profile, like McNally's, is littered with praise for Peters.

This is a cool hire. Peters has been the understudy for Callahan for a long time and brings a unique background/approach to the game. Definitely deserving to get his own room. https://t.co/2kXLUdQVLF

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) February 7, 2024

Skeptical fans pointed to the Patriots' poor performance in 2024, which improved after Drake Maye took over as their starting quarterback. And, while the results weren't there in New England, the Cleveland Browns offensive line performed significantly worse in 2024 after Callahan and Peters departed.

Once the Pats turned to Drake Maye, things got better. From week 6 on, they produced a better pressure rate and knockdown rate with way less talent than the Bengals.

They were also 5th in explosive run rate during this time and 13th in QB hit rate (Bengals were 31st). https://t.co/8ktjBdaSxf

— Andrew Russell (@Andrew_Russell7) January 20, 2025

Another question will be Peters' ability as a talent evaluator. He doesn't have a long track record in this area, but will be required to provide significant input into the evaluation and acquisition process in Cincinnati. New England's offensive line draft picks in 2024, Caedan Wallace and Layden Robinson, were seen as two of the worst reaches in the entire class. We don't know how much input he had in those picks, but the Bengals obviously need to get it right as they look to upgrade at the guard position this offseason.

Patriots 2024 Offensive Line Draft Picks / Joe Goodberry

Others have expressed concern that Frank Pollack was also a Callahan disciple, asking why Peters will have success where Pollack didn't. It's fair to wonder how a second-year offensive line coach will perform in a new environment, where the wide zone scheme Callahan is best known for won't be a focal point.

But when I asked a league source about Peters, they dismissed concerns about the Patriots' tumultuous year, and expressed confidence in his ability to match scheme to personnel.

"They had the worst OL talent in the league," one source said. "He's an expert pass pro technician. He's well versed in run scheme—will fit it to the personnel. Awesome guy, takes no sh--, but players will enjoy his demeanor. He's super detailed."

The source also expects differences between Peters and Pollack from a technique perspective, and thinks Peters will relate and connect to players differently.

Technical prowess is at the forefront of the optimist's case for Peters. Experts familiar with him who are praising the hire focused on Peters advanced technique development, which is noteworthy because blocking technique has seen so little innovation. It's what got him his chance at coaching in the NFL, where players have told us offensive line coaches are more concerned with scheme and gameplanning than teaching technique.

Now he'll bring that approach to the Bengals.

With only one year of experience running an offensive line room in the NFL, it's probably fair to say that hiring Peters is a move to target an "up and comer."

As with any major coaching hire, it's impossible to predict the fit until we see results on the field. He'll need to do a better job than Pollack with player development and marrying the run game to the strenghts of the passing offense.

But today, as the news is fresh, every bit of feedback I've received from former players, coaches, and offensive line experts is excited about Peters' future.

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