Patrick Mahomes deserves every accolade for leading the Chiefs on the field. He can make every throw, and this year he has also taken on the task of becoming RB1 (much to the chagrin of many Chiefs fans). If one were to speculate who has been the Robin to Mahomes’ Batman, Travis Kelce or Andy Reid certainly come to mind. But the more I think about it, another candidate has proven that he deserves to be in the discussion.
Perhaps the second-most pivotal person in the Chiefs dynasty has been defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. The offense gets a lot of attention, but Spagnuolo’s unit is what put this team over the hump, beginning all the way back in 2019 when he took over a defense that had been at the bottom of the barrel. Through key acquisitions and shrewd drafting of players that fit his exact needs, the 65-year-old Spagnuolo has crafted a defense for the ages.
On Sunday, Spagnuolo proved why against an offensive heavyweight in the Detroit Lions.
Steve Spagnuolo found a way to stop the Lions from doing what they do, just like always.
The Lions entered Arrowhead on a tear, having scored a whopping 52, 38, 34, and 37 points in their last four games. Veteran Jared Goff leads the league in touchdown passes and has possibly the league’s best WR/TE/RB trio in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs. The elusive Gibbs is also one of the league’s most dependable and productive rushers. His backup, David Montgomery, has the most rushing yards in the NFL among players who don’t lead their own team in rushing yards. This is a unit that takes good care of the football and takes whatever you give them defensively. They can move the ball in chunks, and they can grind you to death.
As the game began, the Lions made their game plan clear. Dan Campbell elected to take the ball after winning the opening coin toss, daring the Arrowhead crowd to spend their energy on the defense from the get-go. The Lions methodically drove 71 yards in almost ten minutes, calling an impressive ten designed runs while Goff was a perfect 4-for-4 passing. With 1st-and-goal from the 8-yard line, the Lions handed off to Gibbs three straight times in an effort to pound the ball into the end zone, but Spagnuolo’s defense stiffened. The Lions kicked a field goal to take a 3–0 lead. Holding the Lions to a field goal was a clutch stop, but even in that moment, it appeared the Chiefs’ run defense would be in for a long night.
Fast forward to the third quarter. Down 20–10, the Lions forced the only Matt Araiza punt of the night and took over at their own 19 with 3:34 left in the quarter. From there, Goff went to work. The Lions knifed through the Chiefs’ defense in eight plays, with Goff completing 8-for-8 passes to five different players on the drive, which ended with a remarkable one-handed touchdown catch by LaPorta in the back of the end zone.
Now, let’s take those two drives and put them away. Just set them aside.
Outside of those two drives, Spagnuolo absolutely flummoxed the Lions’ offense. The Chiefs held the Lions to just six first downs on their other drives during this game. And Spagnuolo’s unit just got better as the game went on. Detroit’s last first down of the game came on the last play of the third quarter. You read that right.
The Lions managed exactly zero first downs in the fourth quarter.
Spagnuolo’s adjustments put the Lions’ offense in a blender. Detroit’s super-powered running game managed just six rushing yards in the second half. Down by ten early in the fourth quarter, Detroit took over. Gibbs was pulled down by Nick Bolton for a loss of three yards. Chamarri Conner forced St. Brown to fumble out of bounds after a short completion. Charles Omenihu cleaned up the drive with a sack when Goff was pressured to step up in the pocket. Even on the Lions’ last-gasp drive, down 13 with less than three minutes on the clock, Spagnuolo continued to turn up the heat. After a 9-yard completion to LaPorta, Goff forced three consecutive incompletions, and the game was over.
This wasn’t the first time Spags has smothered a vaunted opponent with a masterful game plan, and it won’t be the last. Sunday night’s result proved that this Chiefs defense plays so well as a unit that they can keep the team in any game.
