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Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has game-planned for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy on the biggest stage, with his defense coming out on top in an overtime Super Bowl LVIII win last season.
Now, he and Kansas City are preparing to face Purdy and San Francisco again in Week 7 on Sunday at Levi's Stadium. And while there is familiarity between the two teams, Spagnuolo knows his defense once again will have its hands full against the third-year 49ers quarterback.
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In speaking to reporters Thursday, Spagnuolo was asked what it would take to slow down the 49ers' offense on Sunday and offered impressive praise for Purdy.
"It's going to start up front and stop in the run and hopefully we can get the quarterback not to be in timing like he is, because I can't find a weakness in this quarterback," Spagnuolo said. "Every time I put the film on, I'm more and more impressed.
Sunday's game will be Purdy's second career start against Spagnuolo's defense but his third overall appearance. In the 49ers' 44-23 loss to Kansas City in Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season, Purdy was called on to replace then-starter Jimmy Garoppolo in garbage time, completing 4-of-9 pass attempts for 66 yards and one interception.
"It's funny, I was watching the [that game] and it was at the end of the game and I think they had taken Garoppolo out and it was Brock Purdy and I had forgotten that and he ran the two-minute drill and kind of got them down there and I think we picked it off at the end but he looked pretty good then. Not like he is now, but I'm really impressed with the quarterback."
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One area of Purdy's game that Spagnuolo is particularly impressed with is how he performs against the blitz. Purdy's elusiveness and scrambling ability have been on display a lot this season, and Spagnuolo knows the Chiefs' defense will have to do its best to keep Purdy in the pocket on Sunday.
"We're never going to go into a game and not blitz at all because we're fearful of it, but I think we do have to respect the fact that he knows exactly what to do with the football," Spagnuolo explained. "To me, the most impressive thing is even if it wasn't getting it out quick on a blitz, he has a unique way of getting away from it.
"I just showed a play this morning where, I forget what team it was, but they brought quite a few people [and] he didn't blink, he didn't panic at all and then boom, he was out of there. He might have gained two yards or got the ball away, but that's a pretty good weapon for them to have to negate that part of our defense."
There is plenty of familiarity between the 49ers and Chiefs, and with that familiarity comes an understanding of the challenge each team presents on both sides of the ball.
Will Purdy and the 49ers' offense be too much of a challenge for Spagnuolo's defense?