Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is a two-time Super Bowl champion. And it he wants to win a third ring, he should probably revisit his first Super Bowl victory.
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Spagnuolo was the Giants defensive coordinator when New York upset the previously-unbeaten New England Patriots, 17-14, in Super Bowl XLII.
Spagnuolo called a terrific game with the Giants making Tom Brady uncomfortable in the pocket, sacking the Patriots quarterback five times.
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Spagnuolo faces a similarly-tough task Sunday in Super Bowl LVII, when the Chiefs face Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. NBC Sports NFL insider Peter King thinks the key to a Kansas City win could come down to Spagnuolo’s plan for containing Hurts.
Steve Spagnuolo beat the 18-0 Patriots with an unpredictable pass-rush in the 2007 season. Will he blitz Jalen Hurts in the same way? Hurts, per Next Gen, had the sixth-worst success rate against the blitz this season. His success rate is 47.7 percent against non-blitzes. One thing Hurts has going for him is the best offensive line in football, a line well-suited to defend against great rushers. He’ll need it against Chris Jones and Frank Clark. ... . I think the key to Super Bowl LVII is whether Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones can wreck it, or at least create two or three game-changing plays against the best line he’ll face all year, and perhaps the best he’s faced in his career.
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.
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