Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo gives his flowers to quarterback Brock Purdy.
Steve Spagnuolo, Brock Purdy (Images via Imago/X)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo applauded San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy ahead of their game in Santa Clara. The Chiefs are headed to the Bay Area to play the 49ers on Sunday in a Super Bowl LVIII rematch.
Spagnuolo, 64, known for his aggressive defensive strategies like the Super Bowl win with the New York Giants in 2008, got the upper hand against Purdy and Co. in February. The Massachusetts native, who’s pursuing his fifth Super Bowl as defensive coordinator, acknowledged the 24-year-old Purdy’s prowess talking to reporters.
Speaking on Thursday in his weekly conference, Spagnuolo admitted being unable to find weaknesses in Purdy. He was impressed by the third-year quarterback even more as he watched Purdy’s films.
Hopefully, we can get the quarterback not to be in timing like he is because I can’t find a weakness in this quarterback. Every time I put the film on, I’m more and more impressed.
Steve Spagnuolo said via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com
Spagnuolo pointed out that playing zone defense against Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan’s offense is “really challenging.” The Chiefs DC attributed the challenges to Purdy’s ability to identify open spaces. Furthermore, he also noted that the San Francisco 49ers receivers are adept at adjusting their routes accordingly.
But I just think their system is built that they really can expose on coverage and yet, I think they’ve got enough skill that, if you don’t have the right man, people covering their men, that that can be challenging, too.
In six games this season, Brock Purdy has completed 65.4 percent of his passes, accumulating 1,629 yards, with nine touchdowns and four interceptions.
Steve Spagnuolo admits the 49ers’ offense gets one’s eyes all over the place
Steve Spagnuolo, who’s curated the best defenses in the NFL according to Shanahan, also showered praise on the 49ers offense. The comments might uplift the 49ers team, who have not been in their best form – losing three games through six weeks.
Spagnuolo admitted that he’s spending more time figuring out the offense and how to move through the 49ers offense. He acknowledged that they have been doing a great job to disrupt the system put in place by the offense. Furthermore, Spagnuolo praised Jordan Mason, who’ll once again step in as Christian McCaffrey misses another game.
There’s a lot of movement up there for a reason; they get your eyes all over the place, they can disrupt support in run systems, and that’s why they do it, they try to soften you up a little bit. We have a good group of guys that have worked well together.
Under Spagnuolo, the Kansas City Chiefs are the fifth-best defense in the league right now. They have not allowed more than one rusher one entire season to amass more than 100 yards. Mason, who’s good to go after the shoulder joint sprain, will have a bigger task at hand.
