Shanahan details Chiefs DC Spagnuolo’s defensive evolution originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Kyle Shanahan, 49ers coach knows Kansas City all too well Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and its evolution.
The two longtime NFL masterminds have met in two of the last five Super Bowls and might simply have too much industry knowledge for their own good.
While chatting with Greg Papa on the latest episode of NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Game Plan,” Shanahan detailed Spagnuolo’s ever-changing schemes and the history the two share.
“I’ve been against him for so long, going back to when I was coordinator in Houston, 2008 and 2009,” Shanahan recalled to Papa. “So he’s always had a system, just like me, but it’s always evolving and it’s getting harder and harder to go against it. For me, facing him in the Super Bowl was the best, the best defense we played last year.
Spagnuolo recently had Shanahan’s number. Kansas City’s defensive mastermind helped limit San Francisco’s spirited offense just enough to score the Chiefs two Vince Lombardi trophies.
One of the reasons the Chiefs excel against the 49ers is their continuity. Shanahan thinks Spagnuolo has done a great job helping Kansas City in the war room and turning prospects into stars.
“I think their players have been playing together for a long time and you can see it,” Shanahan added to Papa. “They drafted a lot of their players. They kind of looked after them that way. They communicate so well and are coached so well at all three levels.
The Chiefs are known for their offensive prowess led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and coach Andy Reid. But Kansas City’s defense does the dirty work.
Shanahan cited the Chiefs’ defensive versatility as a challenge in Super Bowl LVIII and something to follow in their upcoming Week 7 game at Levi’s Stadium.
“They do a lot of things that all fit together,” Shanahan told Papa. “So when you want to attack one thing, they have the opposite thing that you don’t want to attack. So they put you in situations like that that make everything random, and they showcase their best players very well.
“And when I say it’s the best defense we played last year, it’s definitely the best defense we’ve played this year so far.”
Sunday’s 49ers-Chiefs matchup is shaping up to be one of the most exciting matchups of the 2024 NFL season.
If San Francisco wants to end its five-game losing streak against Kansas City, Shanahan needs to dig deep in his bag to outwit the wise Spagnuolo.
