From our count, there are not any pure offensive or defensive coordinators in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — nor does the Hall of Fame consider coordinators. But Steve Spagnuolo is making a case to rectify that issue.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive coordinator won his fourth Super Bowl ring on Sunday in Las Vegas — his third with the Chiefs after putting forth a masterful display to stymie the San Francisco 49ers.
It made him the most decorated coordinator in NFL history with four Super Bowl titles, putting him in even more exclusive company as he was the only coordinator to ever win titles with multiple teams.
Spagnuolo was the mastermind behind the New York Giants defense in 2007 that derailed the 18-0 New England Patriots pursuit of perfection, holding Tom Brady and one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history to just 14 points and 274 yards of total offense.
He oversaw a top-10 defense in 2019 when he helped break the Chiefs’ 50-year Super Bowl drought. In Super Bowl LVIV, his defense yielded 20 points to the San Francisco 49ers.
Last year, his defense clamped down in Super Bowl LVII, holding the Philadelphia Eagles to just 11 second-half points, allowing Patrick Mahomes to overturn a 10-point halftime deficit to win 38-35.
This past Sunday, however, was a performance comparable to Super Bowl XLII with the Giants as he neutralized a high-powered offense that featured Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk to just 22 points.
Challenging quarterback Brock Purdy with an abundance of pressures (51.2% of the young quarterback’s snaps), Kittle had just four receiving yards while Samuel and Aiyuk combined for just six receptions. It was just the third time in 48 games that Aiyuk and Samuel did not combine to post 100 yards.
McCaffrey got his, accruing 160 yards from scrimmage, but his opening touchdown came off a wild trick play. But he also fumbled away the Niners’ opening possession from the Chiefs’ 27-yard line to help set Kansas City’s defensive tone.
San Francisco saw the red zone just twice in Super Bowl LVIII and went 3-for-12 on third downs. The pressures that Spagnuolo sent were key with Chris Jones playing the hero twice as his pressures in the face of Purdy helped keep two Niners touchdowns — most notably in overtime when he forced the San Francisco quarterback to throw prematurely and wildly over an open Jauan Jennings. It forced the 49ers to kick a field goal, setting up Kansas City’s game-winning touchdown.
The crowning moment was a just reward for Spagnuolo’s unit, who shut down three of football’s best quarterbacks and offenses just to get to the Super Bowl. They held the Miami Dolphins and their No. 2 pass offense in the NFL to just seven points in the Wild Card Round.
Kansas City then shut the Buffalo Bills out in the fourth quarter to steal a Divisional Round win in Buffalo, 27-24. As an encore, they took care of NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game by yielding just 10 points.
“We really believe in… Spags and the coaches he has in place,” Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill said (h/t Associated Press). “There are times in football, whether it’s high school or college or the professional level, where you’re just not sure about the game plan, and that hasn’t happened this year. When we go into a game, we’re like, ‘This is going to work.’”
At this point, it’s no coincidence that teams with Spagnuolo heading the defense come up with performances like this when it matters most. Hopefully, the powers that be in Canton, OH are paying attention.
