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

[O.city]

Ok that's what I thought.

Makes sense. With the rookies and such to play the way they are and do that. The issue with it is the red zone D IMO.

If you were better there, hold teams to FG's, you're fine.

[CoMoChief]

Nothing else matters unless the Chiefs are able to get to Burrow and Allen.

If the defense can't. The Chiefs are gonna have a hard time winning vs those teams. That's just the way it works. Both of those teams matchup with KC very well and rise to the occasion when it matters.

The bad part about being top dog is you constantly have a target on your back. You're more likely to get everyone else's A game.

Playing both of those teams have playoff feel and implications attached and for some reason the Chiefs dont play with nearly enough sense of urgency, they get destroyed in the trenches vs both these teams.

Both of these teams have better defenses than KC and that's usually what the difference is. Tyreek Hill no longer here to bail KC out with a HR play that can shift momentum in games when KC offense goes stale. KC needs to get much better on 1st and 2nd downs to make 2nd n short. They're the best in NFL in 3rd down conv, they're breaking norms in this area, eventually its going to come back to haunt them in Jan. Need to run the ball more. I hope Reid decides to go a lil bit different direction of game plan once Jan starts. I think the Chiefs need to run to open up the offense. Run more offtackles, sweeps, screens. This OL is much more suited for a running game.

I think people also need to keep in mind is that the Chiefs are technically in the middle of a "small" rebuild. They're 10-3 in a rebuilding yr. It's hard to notice because we're damn lucky to have Reid Mahomes and Kelce. Their greatness can overshadow/band aid much of the bad stuff. Veach has done a poor job on the front 7 the entire time he's been GM here, although Gay and Bolton do show flashes of greatness, still need work on coverage.

But things do need a fixing or else Chiefs will be knocked out of the playoffs from 1 of the 2 teams mentioned above. And I'm not sure TEN loses to KC earlier in season had Tannehill been playing that night. That was a gift in itself.

Spags is a stubborn mule and personally not a fan of his but hes not the bigger problem. It's just personnel. Next offseason I hope the Chiefs use their draft picks and cap space to beefen up the defense. Need to resign Sneed and obtain a stud CB somehow. A good safety. But mainly need DL/pass rush help. Addition by subtraction when Clark leaves.

[Molitoth]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Nothing else matters unless the Chiefs are able to get to Burrow and Allen.

If the defense can't. The Chiefs are gonna have a hard time winning vs those teams. That's just the way it works. Both of those teams matchup with KC very well and rise to the occasion when it matters.

The bad part about being top dog is you constantly have a target on your back. You're more likely to get everyone else's A game.

Playing both of those teams have playoff feel and implications attached and for some reason the Chiefs dont play with nearly enough sense of urgency, they get destroyed in the trenches vs both these teams.

Both of these teams have better defenses than KC and that's usually what the difference is. Tyreek Hill no longer here to bail KC out with a HR play that can shift momentum in games when KC offense goes stale. KC needs to get much better on 1st and 2nd downs to make 2nd n short. They're the best in NFL in 3rd down conv, they're breaking norms in this area, eventually its going to come back to haunt them in Jan. Need to run the ball more. I hope Reid decides to go a lil bit different direction of game plan once Jan starts. I think the Chiefs need to run to open up the offense. Run more offtackles, sweeps, screens. This OL is much more suited for a running game.

I think people also need to keep in mind is that the Chiefs are technically in the middle of a "small" rebuild. They're 10-3 in a rebuilding yr. It's hard to notice because we're damn lucky to have Reid Mahomes and Kelce. Their greatness can overshadow/band aid much of the bad stuff. Veach has done a poor job on the front 7 the entire time he's been GM here, although Gay and Bolton do show flashes of greatness, still need work on coverage.

But things do need a fixing or else Chiefs will be knocked out of the playoffs from 1 of the 2 teams mentioned above. And I'm not sure TEN loses to KC earlier in season had Tannehill been playing that night. That was a gift in itself.

Spags is a stubborn mule and personally not a fan of his but hes not the bigger problem. It's just personnel. Next offseason I hope the Chiefs use their draft picks and cap space to beefen up the defense. Need to resign Sneed and obtain a stud CB somehow. A good safety. But mainly need DL/pass rush help. Addition by subtraction when Clark leaves.

Probably one of the best CoMo posts to have ever graced the planet.

I agree with everything outside of "Veach has done a poor job on the front 7"

I would say the front 4.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

There is more to the football field than what you see on the broadcast. All 22 shows the Chiefs drop a lot and take the deep ball away.

Spags is splitting the difference this season, between blitzing and dropping deep. There's a reason the Chiefs are among league leaders in big plays given up.

when a third of your sacks is blitzers, no, I don't think so. If you're blitzing, it's a numbers game in coverage.

What being among the league leaders in big plays given up as well as sacks with 1/3 being from blitzers tells me is that we live by the blitz and die by the blitz.

It's probably the best choice, honestly; hope you get some stops and the opposition gets desperate because you have Mahomes, who's going to put up 30.

If we could get home with 4, it'd all be a lot easier and we might never lose a game.

[chiefzilla1501]

Also keep in mind that it’s not like burrows and Allens are going to pop up every year. We’re in a unique time where we have two really good QBs on rookie contracts matched with solid coaching staffs. The bengals timing is especially ideal because unlike the chiefs they were stockpiling cheap top 10 talent for years. They’re gonna have to get paid eventually.

So the timing of our mini rebuild is actually pretty good. We are rebuilding when they are their strongest but they’re going to slip over time as these guys get paid.

Keep in mind that for several decades there were really just a few QBs that dominated. In spite of that with them at their peak strongest and us in a rebuild we can still beat them. That makes me feel really confident in our future

[Pasta Little Brioni]

I'm tired of hearing about "rebuilding year" absolutely ****ing tired of it. NFL teams have turnover...deal with it

Ehremagawd we're starting a few roooookies!!! Oh noooooooo

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Also keep in mind that it’s not like burrows and Allens are going to pop up every year. We’re in a unique time where we have two really good QBs on rookie contracts matched with solid coaching staffs. The bengals timing is especially ideal because unlike the chiefs they were stockpiling cheap top 10 talent for years. They’re gonna have to get paid eventually.

So the timing of our mini rebuild is actually pretty good. We are rebuilding when they are their strongest but they’re going to slip over time as these guys get paid.

Keep in mind that for several decades there were really just a few QBs that dominated. In spite of that with them at their peak strongest and us in a rebuild we can still beat them. That makes me feel really confident in our future

The institutional advantages I was talking about the other week.

[Lilmrp117]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

LOLWHUT?!

I have zero idea what games you're watching. We blitz like mad. Like crazy. INSANE. We leave our rookie secondary one on one CONSTANTLY. Jailbreak blitzes, 5 rush, 6 rush, zone blitzes, you name it. Kitchen ****ing sink, man.

We almost NEVER just sit back in two deep and take away the deep ball. The only time I remember doing that with any regularity was the first half of the Bengals game. And after a half of getting burnt with it, we went back to blitzing like mad.

I really don't understand this football take at all.

I don't agree spags blitzes like mad. He's known for exotic blitzes but the amount of blitzes have not been as high this year. I also don't agree with direkshun that he has been obsessed with preventing the big play either. I think he's been in the middle. I hate to say that I agree with direkshun but I would like to see more blitzing than what he's been doing rather than let other teams chew clock. If they're going to get burned, might as well do it quicker and get more possessions for mahomes and the o. And maybe every once in a while, the blitz creates a turnover.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

You mean he's mixing up schemes and coverages, but players are missing too many tackles is the defense sucking because not enough blitz?

Fire the tackling coach....

[Pepe Silvia]

Originally Posted by Pasta Little Brother

You mean he's mixing up schemes and coverages, but players are missing too many tackles is the defense sucking because not enough blitz?

Fire the tackling coach....

Bad tackling will keep happening despite the coach, the defensive players are going to make business decisions.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by O.city

I think the defense is fine, if the offense would quit turning the ball over

Yeah. The offense was responsible for the momentum change in the last 2 games.

4 defensive drives before the Kelce fumble in Cincy: Punt, downs, FG, FG.

4 offensive drives before Kelce fumble: TD, kneel for half, TD, TD.

If Kelce doesn’t fumble the ball we likely score a TD which would have put us up 11 with probably about 8 or so mins left in the game.

Same thing in Denver. Offensive turnovers gave Denver momentum

[Megatron96]

Someone check for me: The two AFC playoff teams we played scored how many points?

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Someone check for me: The two AFC playoff teams we played scored how many points?

Haven't we played at least three and maybe four?

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

Haven't we played at least three and maybe four?

Well yeah, this is true. I was thinking just BUF and CIN. The two we actually have to worry about

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Well yeah. I was thinking just BUF and CIN. The two we actually have to worry about

Uhh, we kind of need to worry about TEN too. They have by far been the best team at stymieing this offense.