Chiefs hire Steve Spagnuolo as new defensive coordinator

[TLO]

The #Chiefs are hiring Steve Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator, sources say. The former #Giants DC and interim HC/#Rams HC began his NFL coaching career as an #Eagles assistant under Andy Reid. Now rejoins Big Red in KC.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 24, 2019

[warrior]

Good post

[Chargem]

Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19

I’d be curious of how he lined up their front 4 on most passing downs. Did Snacks Harrison play a bunch or just early downs? Because it could be an indicator of how they may use Nnadi

I'd probably have to watch it again to be sure, but Snacks played 47 of 74 total snaps and the first 2nd and 10 I found he was in.

EDIT: I'm talking about the Giants at Dallas 2017 game here, the film room piece had lots of random clips from different games to illustrate concepts that I don't even know what year they were taken from.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Chargem

On gamepass there's a 20 minute "film session" with Spags where he talks about the various zone coverages, I just watched it.

I don't think he's an amazing DC, but just hearing him say things like "if corners are your strength then you can play coverage XYZ more" or "we want to hide the fact that we are playing cover 3 from the QB pre snap, because if the QB knows what you are playing he can always beat it" makes me think he will be way better for the Chiefs than Bob Sutton.

Definitely. I came away with a couple of things from that video:

1) Not only will we have a plan, but we'll have a backup plan and probably several variations on a theme going in to each game. I don't know about creativity, but we WILL have strategy, and sound strategy at that.

2) Communication. From the way he works the board explaining concepts to the way he addresses players on game day in the heat of battle, Spags has a very balanced and assuring confidence of the non egotistical variety that I believe will work great here. Unlike Buttons, he's going to coach these guys up, get them motivated, AND stay engaged with them on the sideline.

[Chief Northman]

Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Hate

Definitely. I came away with a couple of things from that video:

1) Not only will we have a plan, but we'll have a backup plan and probably several variations on a theme going in to each game. I don't know about creativity, but we WILL have strategy, and sound strategy at that.

2) Communication. From the way he works the board explaining concepts to the way he addresses players on game day in the heat of battle, Spags has a very balanced and assuring confidence of the non egotistical variety that I believe will work great here. Unlike Buttons, he's going to coach these guys up, get them motivated, AND stay engaged with them on the sideline.

Completely agree with #2.

How often did we see Sutton talking to/coaching up players on the sideline? Spagnuolo builds relationships and that is why a majority of his players go to the wall for him.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Chief Northman

- Time out of the league. Spagnuolo will not forget how to coach, but I am curious if he used his year out of the league to sharpen the saw, or rather, take a break. Is he hungry? Or is he just happy to be employed again? I think working with a contender with the league MVP should be motivation enough.

I read something earlier where Spags has met with some college coaches like Urban Meyer to learn about defending the spread offense since it's working its way into the NFL. I don't know how much of that he did or what else he did but at least it sounds like he didn't spend the year in his easy chair in front of the TV.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by philfree

I think that the mentality of average is good enough is a losing mentality. We better try and build the best D we can and hope it's good enough to make the big stops at the big moments.

Well....duh? It's like like anyone is opposed to having a top 10 defense. But a top 16 is more than good enough to win the Superbowl. I don't think anyone would be mad if our defense was #5 or anything like that. We're just being realistic.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Chief Northman

Completely agree with #2.

How often did we see Sutton talking to/coaching up players on the sideline? Spagnuolo builds relationships and that is why a majority of his players go to the wall for him.

I couldn't BELIEVE what Houston said about Sutton when he was trying to compliment him on a play call. When you start adding up 1000 little things like that, it's no wonder this defense was so completely lost and with no identity whatsoever.

If I were a D-Coord, I would look at the Chiefs and Arrowhead in particular as the creme de la' creme of NFL defensive coaching gigs. If you can put together and coach up an effective unit, you are going to have a LOT of success here defensively. The symbiosis between a killer defense and the home stadium is a living, breathing entity that no other franchise in the NFL can match when all of the elements are perfectly aligned.
That's why I got so pissed when I would read people posting nonsense about "defense not being that important" in todays high numbers passing game. And people thinking that Mahomes was going to successfully TD pass eleventy billion times to a Super Bowl victory this season. And in the end, what did it all come down to in regulation? A sloppy, undisciplined defense with no properly channeled aggression and no identity that couldn't get a stop on a fading, 4th quarter Tom Brady. Marty's WORST unit would have iced that game.

So we've made the change and we may struggle a bit with the scheme change initially. But in the end, we're going to be a hell of a lot better than we may think right now.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Frosty

I read something earlier where Spags has met with some college coaches like Urban Meyer to learn about defending the spread offense since it's working its way into the NFL. I don't know how much of that he did or what else he did but at least it sounds like he didn't spend the year in his easy chair in front of the TV.

No shit. And I would LOVE to see him take the same approach on defense as Reid has on offense in terms of bringing in a defensive spread analyst, and any other assets that he may need to make sure that we're staying current and moving forward.

[Hammock Parties]

Anthony Barr is a free agent. He would wreck shit at SAM.

http://www.espn.com/blog/nfcnorth/po...dictate-itself

[Chargem]

Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Hate

I couldn't BELIEVE what Houston said about Sutton when he was trying to compliment him on a play call. When you start adding up 1000 little things like that, it's no wonder this defense was so completely lost and with no identity whatsoever.

What did Houston say about Sutton?

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Anthony Barr is a free agent. He would wreck shit at SAM.

http://www.espn.com/blog/nfcnorth/po...dictate-itself

They're going to have an overhaul in general, Barr is probably out, they have 4 highly drafted CB's to the point that there is a serious rumor Xavier Rhodes is on the block and can be had reasonably cause they want to dump the money.

[WhiteWhale]

The fact that Rob Ryan was a huge improvement over him with the Saints is a bit alarming.

Cos I don't think much of Rob Ryan. He is the lesser of the Ryans brothers.

[Mecca]

That Saints thing was part of bountygate and all that, really hard to judge there.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Chargem

What did Houston say about Sutton?

Houston went over to Bob to compliment him on a play call, and Bob just stood there shaking and staring off in to space as if Houston wasn't even there. He wasn't engaged in any other action, he was just...lost. Out of it.

Originally Posted by WhiteWhale

The fact that Rob Ryan was a huge improvement over him with the Saints is a bit alarming.

Cos I don't think much of Rob Ryan. He is the lesser of the Ryans brothers.

True, but there are a LOT of variables that come in to play with the Saints situation as well as the other "down years" that Spags has had.

Me? I'm electing to focus on those two rings the man possesses. Piss on Rob Ryan.

[chinaski]

Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Hate

Houston went over to Bob to compliment him on a play call, and Bob just stood there shaking and staring off in to space as if Houston wasn't even there. He wasn't engaged in any other action, he was just...lost. Out of it.

I thought that was Chris Jones? Maybe the same thing happened to him, but I saw a mic'd up thing with Chris Jones where he attempted to compliment Sutton, and Bob just looked like a frail old man that absolutely did not belong on a football field. You know, when you are an amped up football player you might get a little physical with your celebrations, Bob looked terrified. I'm serious. He looked like totally frightened. Weird actually.