Steve Spagnuolo on How Brock Purdy's Strengths Influence Chiefs' Plan vs. 49ers

The Chiefs will have their hands full trying to slow down Brock Purdy and the 49ers' offense, as Steve Spagnuolo seems acutely aware of the challenge at hand.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Earlier this calendar year, the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LVIII matchup with the San Francisco 49ers came down to the wire. The eventual champions saw firsthand how quarterback Brock Purdy is more than just the system and weapons around him, as the 2022 NFL Draft's 'Mr. Irrelevant' went toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes on the biggest stage.

That performance seems to still be sticking with Kansas City. The club isn't selling Purdy short entering Week 7's regular-season rematch of the Super Bowl. Despite San Francisco's 3-3 start to the year and even with running back Christian McCaffrey out of the lineup, Kyle Shanahan's offense remains potent. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is quite aware of that.

Speaking to the media this week, Spagnuolo explained the challenges of facing Purdy and company. Will Kansas City's man-heavy approach from February be replicated? Perhaps, especially considering how good the 49ers are against zone.

"I think the quarterback's really good against zone and finding those pockets and spaces, and I think the receivers adjust routes to do that," Spagnuolo said. "That makes it really challenging in zone. One of the things you've got to remember is last year was a little different. LJ (L'Jarius Sneed) was here and Trent (McDuffie), we had him in a different spot. We'll see if we can do the same things. I just think their system is built where they can expose zone coverage and yet, I think they've got enough skill that if you don't have the right man people covering their men, that can be challenging too. It's going to start up front [with] stopping the run and hopefully, we can get the quarterback not to be in timing like he is because I can't find a weakness in this quarterback. Every time I put the film on, I'm more and more impressed."

Advanced stats certainly back up Spagnuolo's point. Purdy boasts a healthy EPA per play of just under 0.2 against zone through six games, which is coupled with a negative EPA against man coverage. In the post-Sneed world, Kansas City still loves going to straight-up man coverage and forcing opponents to beat them. Entering Week 7, their 6% usage of Cover 2 man leads the entire sport. Less than five other defenses are within 2% of that mark.

Blitzing, something the Chiefs are doing the fourth-most in the NFL right now, is another thing Purdy does well against. While he has just an 86.6 passer rating against blitzes in 2024 (per Pro Football Focus), that number was a scorching 123.3 last regular season. Spagnuolo knows he might have to dial things back a bit this weekend.

"Yeah, I mean, we're never going to go into the game and not blitz at all because we're fearful of it, but I think we do have to respect the fact that he knows exactly what to do with the football," Spagnuolo said. "To me, the most impressive thing is even if it wasn't getting it out quick on a blitz, he has a unique way of getting away from it. I just showed a play this morning where – I forget what team it is – but they brought quite a few people. He didn't blink, he didn't panic at all and, boom, he was out of there. He might've gained two yards or got the ball away but that's a pretty good weapon for them to have to negate that part of our defense."

Don't get it twisted: Purdy is no Mahomes, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow. The 24-year-old isn't an elite signal-caller and usually won't win a game all by himself. With plenty of dysfunction and inconsistency around him, though, he's managed to rise above it for the most part this season. He's established himself as someone who can drive the bus instead of simply being along for the ride.

Spagnuolo has the ultimate respect for Purdy, which should be reflected in how the Chiefs unleash their game plan on Sunday.

Read More: Patrick Mahomes Can’t Be Stopped by the San Francisco 49ers