Possibly the Biggest Factor Behind Chiefs Continued Success

The Kansas City Chiefs are at the mountain top again, and as fans give credit to Patrick Mahomes or Andy Reid, more should be handed to Steve Spagnuolo.
Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo during the first half for the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo during the first half for the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The Kansas City Chiefs get high praise surrounding their players. From star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, to new faces, such as Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs depth just seems to be the deepest in the NFL. When looking at weaknesses around this Kansas City juggernaut, it is far from their defense.

Led by Steve Spagnuolo, the Chiefs winning ways may be surrounded around one of the best defensive coordinators in the National Football League. You know what they say, "Defense wins games" and that quote continued to come into play, especially with the Chiefs defensive clinic against the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills averaged 30.9 points per game during the regular season, ranking them just behind the Detroit Lions in an argument of who has the best offense. However, if the Bills did win the argument that they have the best offense, the title of best defense surely belongs to the Chiefs, at least it did when the season was on the line in the AFC Championship Game.

Holding the Bills to 29 points, and having the defense step up in the biggest way when it counted the most, Spagnuolo did not panic. The star defensive coordinator may not get his flowers all the time when working with the Chiefs, but his men on the defensive line surely appreciate the work he does. Star defensive tackle Chris Jones hands Spagnuolo everything he deserves and claims he is the reason why the Chiefs are untouchable in this day and age.

"As long as they continue to let Spags be our DC and not hire him as a head coach, we're going to continue to win," Jones said on ESPN

Joining the franchise in 2019, Spagnuolo and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid have transformed this franchise into a household name across the nation. Everyone has an opinion on the Chiefs. Whether you love them or you hate them, people will continue to talk about them.

"He finds a way to close. That's what Spags does. Whether it's dropping deep and covering a tight end or whether it's sending a quarterback pressure at the end of the game, that's what he's known for, Jones said.

Having conducted interviews with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets for their then vacant head coaching positions, Spagnuolo's fate continues to keep him tied to Kansas City. If teams want to find a way to take down the Kansa City juggernauts, it should be in their best interest to poach Spagnuolo and give him a head coaching job somewhere, because as we have seen for three seasons, the narrative has yet to change.


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