49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is all too familiar with Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his evolution.
The two longtime NFL brainiacs have met in two of the last five Super Bowls and might just bear too much industry knowledge for their own good.
In talking to Greg Papa on the latest episode of NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Game Plan,” Shanahan detailed Spagnuolo’s ever-changing schematics and the history the two share.
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“I’ve gone against him for so long, going back to when I was a coordinator in Houston, back in 2008 and '09,” Shanahan recalled to Papa. “So, he’s always had a system, just like I have, but it always evolves, and it gets harder and harder to go against. Going against him in the Super Bowl, to me, was the best that it had been, the best defense that we played last year.”
Spagnuolo recently has had Shanahan’s number. Kansas City’s defensive mastermind has helped limit San Francisco’s fiery offense just enough to net the Chiefs two Vince Lombardi trophies.
One reason the Chiefs excel against the 49ers is because of their continuity. Shanahan believes Spagnuolo has done a great job helping Kansas City in the war room and turning prospects into stars.
“I think their players have been playing together for a long time and you can see that,” Shanahan added to Papa. “They drafted a lot of their players. They kind of groomed them that way. They communicate so well, [and] they’re coached so well at all three levels.”
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The Chiefs are known for their offensive prowess spearheaded by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and coach Andy Reid. But Kansas City’s defense does the dirty work.
Shanahan cited the Chiefs’ defensive versatility as a challenge in Super Bowl LVIII and something to follow in their looming Week 7 matchup at Levi’s Stadium.
“They do a lot of things that tie in all together,” Shanahan told Papa. “So, right when you want to attack one thing, they have the opposite thing that you don’t want to attack. So, they put you in some binds like that that make it hit or miss, and they feature their best players very well.
“And when I say it was the best defense we played last year, it’s definitely the best defense we’ve played this year so far.”
Sunday’s 49ers-Chiefs meeting is primed to be one of the 2024 NFL season’s most thrilling matchups.
If San Francisco is to end its five-game losing streak to Kansas City, Shanahan must go deep into his bag to outsmart the wise Spagnuolo.