LAS VEGAS – Patrick Mahomes and elite offensive play are the first things that come to mind when thinking about Kansas City’s dominant run over the past five seasons.
When a team has one of the most successful quarterbacks of all time on the roster, the other side of the ball is often overlooked, but the Chiefs’ defensive unit is special this year.
Kansas City trailed only the Browns in yards allowed per game (289.8) and was only four points behind the first-place Ravens in points allowed (268). Statistically speaking, the Chiefs were one of the top, if not the best, defenses in the NFL this season.
Members of the team credit their success to Steve Spagnuolo. “Spags,” as they call him, is looking to become the first NFL coordinator to win four Super Bowls on Sunday. He is known for being one of the best in the business at developing and getting the most out of his players.
“Spags has been such a good leader for me since I have been in the NFL. That is who brought me into this league. That is who believed in me, and all the other guys that rally around me also believe in Spags, too,” said cornerback L’Jarius Sneed.
What makes this defense even more impressive is that it is not full of superstars. Chris Jones is a phenomenal defensive lineman who anchors the middle, but other than that, they do not have any household names or perennial Pro Bowlers.
The defense has been great simply because they do not have any holes. Every starter Kansas City has lined up is good. They do their job and are underrated because of the attention Kansas City’s offensive players receive.
If you go down the line position by position, it becomes clear that the defense is highly talented, but they are players who simply have not received the attention they deserve.
“The type of guys we have, those are my brothers; I look up to a lot of them. I learn from all of them each and every day,” said Trent McDuffie. Being able to see this group of guys go through everything and get to where we are now, all the hard work and dedication everyone has put into it, that is what brings me the most joy.”
If Kansas City can pull off winning back-to-back Super Bowls on Sunday, the defense will have been the main reason. The last two times they took home the Lombardi Trophy, it took over 30 points from the offense. This time, around 20 points could be all they need.
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.