Attacking the B-gaps in Protection with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Attacking the B-gaps in Protection with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs have one of the best pressure packages in the NFL, and their coverages behind them amplify it. One area where they consistently attack is the B-gaps, a critical zone in protection schemes.
One of the major concerns for the Chiefs since Patrick Mahomes ascended to the starting QB role has been the need for more defense. Ironically, they have still found a way to be in the AFC Championship six years in a row. After the 2018 season, Andy Reid and the Kansas City brass wanted to change the defensive coordinator position. Out was Bob Sutton, and in was Steve Spagnuolo.
‘Spags’ worked under Reid in Philadelphia in the early 2000s, leaving to become the Giants’ DC in ‘07. The coach would bounce around, taking an unsuccessful turn as the Rams’ Head Coach from ‘09-11, then DC for the Saints (‘12), a secondary position with the Ravens (‘13-’14), then back to the Giants as the DC from ‘15-’17. While in New York, Spags would win his first Super Bowl in the infamous ‘helmet catch’ game against the Patriots. Sitting out in ‘18, Reid’s call gave the coach another chance to call his defense.
The Chiefs would win their first Super Bowl with Mahomes in 2019. That year, the defense would finish seventh in scoring (19.3), a far cry from ‘18, when KC gave up 26.3 points a game. In 2020, that number would dip back into the 20s, and the Chiefs would lose to the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl.
The offense was scoring points, but when they weren’t, the defense, at times, would become a liability. 2021 would see the unit finish 21st in DVOA (FTN), and again, the Chiefs would not win a Super Bowl, losing to the Bengals in the Championship Round. Then, in 2022, the defense started to move toward the middle of the DVOA rankings, enough to get the Chiefs back across the finish line in first place.
The ‘22 draft saw the Chiefs select four starters. The organization finally committed to defense, and it has paid off. Though Kansas City still gave up more than 21 points a game, pundits and fans alike could see the growth in Spagnuolo’s defense. The unit would finish 14th in DVOA.
In ‘23, the scheme blossomed. Spags finally had the players he needed to run his pressure-intensive concepts dominated by split-field coverages. After the regular season, this year's Chiefs defense ranked 7th in DVOA and 5th against the pass. The timing couldn’t have been better, as KC’s offense ‘struggled’ (a relative term) all year. The defense carried the team in Andy Reid’s 11th year in KC.
Spagnuolo runs one of the most unique defenses in the NFL. The Chiefs run the third-highest rate of Cover 2 (19.1%) and the tenth-highest rate of Quarters, according to PFF. Though Spags will run Cover 6 (QQH/HQQ), it is not a significant part of his base schematics. But, when ‘umbrella’ concepts (MOFC/MOFO) are combined, the Chiefs run the highest rate of split-field coverages in the NFL, 2% higher than the Cardinals.
Coverage usage makes Spags unique, but how he implements his split-field coverages behind pressures makes his defenses special. Kansas City has the eighth-highest blitz rate in the NFL at 31.2%. On passing downs, the Chiefs utilize five-man pressures on 60.5% of them. That number is not high compared to the rest of the league, but Spags’ Trap-2 pressures (5MPRS + Cover 2) are what has become a must-watch for teams wanting to blitz but maintain a split-field shell.
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