While the Kansas City Chiefs are officially looking forward to playing the Denver Broncos in Week 18 on a shortened schedule that features a Saturday kickoff instead of Sunday afternoon after the NFL flexed the game, there were still lingering questions from reporters (and fans) about Week 17. Specifically, answers were sought about the way the team decided to defend the Bengals in a few ways.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo took to the podium to answer questions this week and a big focus was on the ways in which Spags decided to handle a specific scenario in the fourth quarter in which the Bengals converted a third down attempt when they had 27 yards to go. Bengals quarterback threw a pass to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase which was good for a 30-yard gain, erasing the incredible deficit before them to lengthen an eventual scoring drive.
Following the game, fans were irate and analysts were confused as to why the Chiefs chose to send an all-out blitz on the play when the Bengals were backed up so far. Instead of allowing the Bengals to simply take a short gain underneath, the Chiefs gave up the big play by failing to keep enough defenders in coverage, which allowed Chase to continue to serve as an incredible mismatch—a theme throughout Sunday’s loss.
Steve Spagnuolo spoke with Chiefs reporters about the team’s recent loss to the Bengals.
On Wednesday, Spagnuolo attempted to provide perspective when answering the question from ESPN reporter Adam Teicher.
#Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo on the 3rd and 27. pic.twitter.com/4QiQOBw2ph
— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) January 5, 2022
“Hindsight is 20/20, right, Adam?” said Spagnuolo, in the video above. “That’s always the case.
“The thinking is that we were addressing the play as a third-and-six, because they were at the 41-yard-line and any additional yardage there is going to make it a field goal for them. It’s a tie ball game and don’t want to give up a field goal, so we didn’t want to give up the pass. And again, hindsight is 20/20. I think all the guys were all comfortable trying to get them to punt the football on 4th-and-27.”
The Chiefs ended up losing the game on that drive that also featured laughable officiating with the final score being 34-31, a game in which the Chiefs lost their position as the top seed in the AFC.