KANSAS CITY
Damien Williams Jersey , Mo. (AP) — Steve Spagnuolo spent much of his year out of coaching making the 45-minute drive from his home in Philadelphia to the
headquarters of NFL Films in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.Spagnuolo had finished a
tour as the interim coach of the New York Giants and missed out on the full-time
job after the season. He turned down an assistant coaching offer and decided
instead to spend the season recharging his proverbial batteries while getting a
different perspective on the league.No better place to do that than the
repository for all NFL game film.“I’m glad I did it. There might have been
another year I should have done it,” said Spagnuolo, who was hired a couple
weeks go to be Andy Reid’s defensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs.“I
found it to be both challenging and rewarding,” he explained Wednesday. “The
challenge was missing football, missing the camaraderie of the players and
coaches. The reward was to sit back and see a big picture of the NFL and the
game of football, as opposed to being in these buildings during the season with
blinders on. Just a big-picture view of the league, the game of football.”While
ensconced at NFL Films headquarters, the former St. Louis Rams head coach had
plenty of time to check out the Chiefs, whose Super Bowl run came up short in
the AFC title game.One of the clearest reasons? Their defense, which ranked near
the bottom of the league in almost every statistical category. In fact, it was
the defense that failed to stop the New England Patriots in overtime of the
championship game, preventing Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the rest of
their dynamic offense from even getting onto the field in the extra session.More
than anything else it was that performance that sealed the fate of longtime
defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. He was fired within days of the season ending,
and almost his entire staff was let go, found jobs elsewhere or, in the case of
Emmitt Thomas, simply retired.Now, it is up to Spagnuolo to turn around the
Chiefs’ weak spot.“I don’t really go backward. I’m not going to pass judgment,”
Spagnuolo said. “I think the world of Bob Sutton. Bob and I have known each
other a long time. A change was made — coach Reid made that decision — I’m just
happy I was able to fall into what I think is a great position.”There are
certainly pieces in place for a quick turnaround. There are also some crucial
decisions to be made in short order.Top pass rusher Dee Ford is due to become a
free agent, though the Chiefs are expected to place the franchise tag on him as
they pursue a long-term deal. Defensive tackle Chris Jones is coming off a
breakout season and is eligible to sign an extension, while the albatross
contracts of safety Eric Berry and linebacker Justin Houston must be dealt with
in some fashion. Perhaps they get restructured. Perhaps the two elder statesmen
are released. Either way
Derrick Thomas Jersey , the Chiefs could sorely use the salary cap relief to shore up other areas of the defense.They also have the draft in April, and a
first-round pick for the first time in two years, though they spent nearly all
their picks on defense last season, with modest returns.“This is a process.
There are no quick fixes. There is no magic wand,” Spagnuolo said. “One person
does not assure success, but we’ll do everything to put something
together.”Spagnuolo acknowledged in an interview Wednesday the lure of the
Chiefs, who are well-positioned to chase championships for years. They have one
of the most stable ownerships in the NFL, a highly respected head coach in Reid,
the reigning league MVP in the 23-year-old Mahomes, and plenty of high-powered
talent on offense to keep pace with just about any other team.The biggest piece
missing is a defense that can get off the field when it matters most.Like
overtime of the AFC championship game.“You won’t touch a defensive coach in the
NFL that wouldn’t want to be on a team with, A, a really good head football
coach and, B, a really good quarterback,” Spagnuolo said. “It goes without
saying I’m really excited to be part of an organization that has an elite
quarterback, and quite frankly to work with Andy Reid again, and what he’s all
about and what he’s meant to this franchise and the league as a whole is really,
really special.” JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville’s 2018 season began to
unravel in Kansas City.After a 3-1 start that included a victory against New
England, the Jaguars were more than confident walking into Arrowhead Stadium
last October.There was pregame trash talk , subtle predictions and a belief in
Jacksonville’s locker room that they would be the first to stifle Patrick
Mahomes
http://www.chiefslockerroom.com/authentic-joe-montana-jersey , Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce.Article continues below ...Wrong.The Chiefs scored
on three of their first four possessions, returned an interception for a
touchdown, led 20-0 at halftime and seemingly could have dictated the final
score.Kansas City went on to win 30-14 , sending the Jags into a seven-game
tailspin that ruined their much-hyped season and caused them to make the
ultra-expensive decision to part ways with inconsistent quarterback Blake
Bortles and sign Super Bowl 52 MVP Nick Foles.They’re counting on that offseason
move making a huge difference in the rematch Sunday in Jacksonville.Foles will
make his Jaguars debut against one of his former teams as Jacksonville tries to
prove last year was a fluke. The Chiefs, meanwhile, begin their quest to get
back to the AFC championship game — and beyond.“They got on top of us early, and
we just weren’t able to come back,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. “That game
was last year, and like I said before, the teams are different. We’re a
different team, and even to some respect, I can’t speak for them, but I’m sure
they’ll be a little bit different.“It’s hard to go do what you’ve done the year
before, whether it’s been good or bad. I think we’ve seen that here. So each
year presents a new challenge.”The challenge of slowing down Kansas City remains
the same.The Chiefs led the NFL in scoring last season, averaging 35.3 points,
and ranked third in NFL history. They led the league in yards per play (6.84),
yards per game (425.6) and ended up with the league MVP (Mahomes).They lost at
home in overtime to New England, falling just short of reaching the Super Bowl
for the first time since 1970. With Mahomes, Hill and Kelce intact for another
run, they’re a trendy pick to win it all.“You still have that little nervousness
going into the start of the season, but the same time having that familiarity
and knowing what you want to accomplish is different
Womens Larry Johnson Jersey ,” said Mahomes, who threw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns in 2018. “Last year, you think you know, but you don’t.”As good as
Mahomes was all of last season, his worst game came in the blowout against
Jacksonville. The Jags were the only team to hold him without a TD pass in the
regular season, and Mahomes finished with a career-low 62.7 passer rating.“It
wasn’t good enough,” Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash said.Here are some
other things to know about the opener in Jacksonville:PRO BOWL MATCHUPJaguars
cornerback Jalen Ramsey will shadow Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill in a matchup of
Pro Bowl players.Hill caught four passes for 61 yards in last year’s meeting,
including a 36-yard gain against Ramsey.“Last year doesn’t matter, so please
don’t ask me about last year,” Ramsey said. “It was a totally different
team.”REID & FOLESJaguars quarterback Nick Foles credits Chiefs coach Andy
Reid for helping him regain his love for football.Foles nearly quit following
the 2015 season in St. Louis, but gave it another shot thanks to urging from his
wife and some coaxing from Reid. Reid and Philadelphia drafted Foles in the
third round in 2012. They played one season together with the Eagles and then
reunited in 2016 in Kansas City.“I’m glad he’s playing,” Reid said. “He’s great
for the NFL. He’s a unique guy. He’s a great person, does a lot of things off
the field. He’s a great family guy on top of that and then his play on the field
is also good. … This is the reward here. He has another opportunity to be the
starter, the Game 1 starter for a team.“I can’t tell you I’m going to be pulling
for him, but it’s a nice story up to this point.”HANDLING KELCEThe Jaguars have
had their hands full with All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce in recent years. Kelce
has 10 receptions for 158 yards in wins against Jacksonville in 2016 and
2018.“If you put a smaller body on him, you’re probably going to have some
issues because he is such a big, physical guy,” Jaguars defensive coordinator
Todd Wash said. “We’ve got to put a bigger body on him. Who that might be? I’m
not sure yet. … He’s a tough matchup for us and everybody in the league
really.”
