The Chiefs' Spagnuolo still has Kyle Shanahan's number
Kansas City blitzed and played man coverage en route to a Super Bowl victory over San Fransisco. In Week 7, the amount of pressures were less, but their dominance in man coverage remained.
Kyle Shanahan started his career 5-1 against the Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Since Super Bowl LIV (‘20), Spags has had Shanahan’s number, winning the last four matchups, including two Super Bowl victories. But the defensive wizard of Arrowhead isn’t the only one who has given the NFL’s most prominent offensive guru issues.
Jim Schwartz has the best record against Shanahan, at 1-9. Brian Flores is also on Shanahan’s kryptonite list. All three defensive coordinators utilize different aspects of their defense to force the 49ers into unfavorable situations.
The one knock on the Shanahan system centers around dropback passing. San Fransisco’s offensive engine lies in the run game. Stop that on early downs (1st/2nd) and get the 49ers into predictable passing downs; the offense tends to struggle.
Each of the three main coordinators that give Shanahan fits do it differently. Jim Schwartz utilized man coverage in his last matchup with Kyle to suffocate the 49ers’ play-action passing game. Multiple Cover 1 tools kept vision on the box in case of a run. When the Browns weren’t sending five defenders on a pressure, Cleveland used the extra defender as a ‘robber’ in the middle of the field, cutting crossers and Digs—the 49ers’ receiving corp struggles versus man, especially against an elite secondary like Cleveland’s.
The Browns also utilized five-man pressures on most of their snaps. Blitzing Shanahan's offenses don’t always work; it's how you do it. Utility pressures are good at attacking protections and runs defenses might face on early downs. Standard off-ball (linebacker) pressures can do the trick when targeted in the right area.
Schwarz’s use of man coverage and pressure stagnated the 49ers' passing game and limited their ability to move the ball effectively on the ground. The combination of the two laid the groundwork for Spagnuolo’s game plan in the Super Bowl. In that game, the Chiefs used more Cover 1 than they had all season en route to another Super Bowl victory against the 49ers.
Minnesota’s Brian Flores uses pressure but opts for zone coverage behind it. One of the main issues with man coverage against run-oriented offenses is vision. With defender's eyes squarely on their receivers (man), it is hard for them to come off and help in the run game. The Browns utilized their dominant front four and five-man utility pressures to wreak havoc on the 49ers’ run game. The Vikings do it differently.
Instead of locking up the outside and taking the chance that defenders won't see the run quickly enough, Flores shifts his defense into primarily zone coverage. Starting last year, the Vikings began using what is referred to as ‘Hot Quarters’ and running predominantly split-field coverages.
The front gapped out (plugged all the holes) in the box and used vision in the backend to break on quick throws to receivers. The split-field alignment also assists in mitigating issues with motion, which is a large part of the 49ers’ offense. Though the Vikings gave up yardage, they didn’t allow the 49ers to move the ball and score consistently.
Like the Browns, Flores used five-man pressures to keep the run game in check. Minnesota primarily attacked the soft B-gaps that can appear in San Fransisco’s protection schemes. The blitz paths Flores used also provided excellent utility pressures against runs. Behind the pressures, Flores used Quarters coverage to cap vertical routes and force Brock Purdy to get through his reads, which resulted in five sacks.
Spags is best known for his five-man pressures with Quarters behind them (Tango). The Chiefs have been living in them since he arrived in Kansas City. Schematically, these blitzes are known as Tango pressures and stem from Spags's time in Philly with legendary DC Jim Johnson. The concept allows the defense to send five to six defenders (depending on formation) at the box yet still play split-field coverage.
Kansas City’s defensive scheme wants to be split-field on most of its snaps. The two-high structure, which has become popular in the NFL, can disguise the defense’s intentions. Like Minnesota, it also helps to counteract the effects of pre-snap motion.
Spags is also one of the best at using coverage rotations post-snap to confuse QBs. When running under Center play-action, quarterbacks have to recalibrate their vision after they give their run fake. Trying to find a Safety while the defense sends pressure can give most NFL quarterbacks fits. That is why the Chiefs’ defense has become one of the best in the league, especially defending the Shanahan offense.
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