NEW ORLEANS — This Tremendous Bowl could have stars all around the discipline. From Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce to Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, the sport has loads of star energy.
However a key determine in Sunday’s recreation could find yourself being a 65-year-old from Whitinsville, Mass., who gained’t throw a cross or make a sort out. Steve Spagnuolo is again on the Tremendous Bowl stage, one thing very acquainted for the Chiefs defensive coordinator.
“Spags,” as he’s recognized across the NFL, is searching for his fifth Tremendous Bowl title after profitable one with the Giants and three with the Chiefs.
His mission Sunday is to decelerate Hurts, Barkley and the high-powered Philly offense. If he’s profitable, there’s a very good likelihood the Chiefs might be champions once more.
“Spags is all the things,” Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie mentioned. “He’s the glue to this entire factor … we’re taking part in for coach Spags.”
Spagnuolo joined the Chiefs in 2019 after a second stint with the Giants ended with him because the interim coach in 2017 following Ben McAdoo’s firing. When he got here aboard, Mahomes was simply getting began they usually gained a Tremendous Bowl of their first 12 months collectively. Throughout these first few years, the Chiefs offense led the way in which. However now it’s Spagnulo’s protection that could be a huge motive the Chiefs are going for a three-peat.
Mahomes put up profession lows in passing yards and passing touchdowns, however Spagnuolo’s protection was a gradual pressure. The Chiefs allowed 20 factors or fewer in 12 of their 17 regular-season video games in 2024. They gained all 12 of these video games, and eight of them have been determined by one rating.
“He’s performed an awesome job with the blokes,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid mentioned. “I believe the factor I admire most is the belief the gamers have in him. That signifies that you’re doing a complete lot of issues proper. These guys, you’re not in a position to pull the wool over their eyes, and never for so long as he’s been doing it. They belief his scheme. He’s a very good instructor. They belief him as an individual, they usually know he’s going to strive his greatest to place you in one of the best place in your ability that he presumably can and attempt to spotlight that.”
Spagnuolo’s signature fashion is bringing strain.
It confirmed up once more within the AFC Championship recreation when he introduced a nook blitz on fourth down and compelled Josh Allen to throw an incompletion, sending the Chiefs again to the Tremendous Bowl.
“I believe defensive soccer ought to come from an aggressive standpoint,” Spagnuolo mentioned. “You possibly can’t all the time try this, and fairly truthfully, we’ve had sufficient occasions the place we’ve performed it and it hasn’t been profitable. That occurs, too.
“Once I labored for Jim Johnson again in 1999 with the Philadelphia Eagles, Jim was a giant believer in strain, and we did as a lot as we might. One factor I all the time revered in Jim is even when it didn’t work the primary time, he was all the time prepared to return again with it, as a result of he believed in no matter he put in that week having an opportunity to achieve success. Perhaps I’ve taken that on somewhat bit. Most defensive gamers wish to be concerned in strain and never sit in a base protection. I believe the gamers get pleasure from it, too.”
Chiefs gamers have taken to saying “In Spags we belief.” There are even T-shirts with the saying.
“That entire T-shirt factor is type of humbling,” he mentioned. “I’m attempting to burn all of them. I get somewhat embarrassed each time we speak about it. I belief them as a lot as I believe they belief me. We belief one another. When you don’t have that in the beginning, you’re not going to be very profitable on protection or offense on this recreation.”