Chiefs defensive coordinator has chance to make history

While Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs hope to win a second straight Super Bowl on Sunday, another repeat could be in store.

And it might be even more impressive than what the Chiefs might pull off.

It isn’t often that a defensive coordinator can make the claim that he came up with two gameplans to beat Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, in the Super Bowl. But Steve Spagnuolo is on the doorstep of being able to say exactly that.

Fourteen years ago Spagnuolo was the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants when they upset the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. At the time, the Patriots were the highest-scoring offense in NFL history.

Spagnuolo and the Giants put the clamps on them with a defensive masterpiece. The pass rush by their four defensive linemen, coupled with the crafty play at the second and third levels, slowed down Brady just enough for the Giants to pull off a 17-14 upset.

Now the defensive coordinator of the Chiefs, Spagnuolo has the luxury of working with a prolific offense led by Mahomes and Andy Reid that can outscore any other offense in the NFL.

Nevertheless, slowing down Brady and all of his Tampa Bay weapons will be a key to the Chiefs’ quest to repeat. Spagnuolo will be front and center, and if he can pull it off a second time it will be a historic moment.

To do that, Spagnuolo will need to stay ahead of Brady in the mental game within the game.

“He’s a step ahead of everything,” Spagnuolo said. “Every film clip you put on, he’s putting their guys in the right position. That’s always the challenge when go against what I call a cerebral quarterback.”

One of the keys, according to Spagnuolo, is making sure the Chiefs disguise what they are doing in a way that creates doubt in Brady’s mind. That means showing him one thing when they are intending to do another.

“We’re going to have to be really good on the back end not to show him things or, as we say, don’t let him read our mail,” Spagnuolo said. “Because if he can read our mail, he knows exactly what to do.”

Don’t expect Spagnuolo to dial up the same looks he did with the Giants. Or, for that matter, what the Chiefs did earlier this season in a 27-24 win over Tampa Bay.

“Every game is different. And the game has changed a little bit since we played back in 2007. The quarterback we’re playing is the same. He’s still every bit as good. … I just think we have to be on-point coverage wise and see what we can get from our guys out of the four-man rush.”

The brilliant game plan Spagnuolo drew up to beat the Patriots helped land him the head coaching job with the St. Louis Rams, although a dearth of talent and uncertainty at the quarterback position doomed him there.

Reid, in need of a defensive upgrade after falling just short of the Super Bowl two years ago, said it was a “no-brainer” to hire Spagnuolo as his defensive coordinator. The improved defense helped Kansas City win the Super Bowl last year and has them on the doorstep of a repeat against this season.

Doing so could mean another head coaching opportunity for the 61-year-old Spagnuolo.

“I would love that challenge again,” he said. “I think anybody who is involved in this business has a lot of pride, would like the challenge of that again.”

If not, he’s fine with that too.

“Having answered that question, I do believe I have the best job in America, and if the head coaching thing never works out, I’m OK with that.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.