Tag: Bryan Cook

Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo expects DB Mike Edwards to step in for Bryan Cook

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo expects safety Mike Edwards to step in for injured starter Bryan Cook.

The injury to starting safety Bryan Cook during last Sunday night’s loss to the Green Bay Packers has forced an adjustment to the Kansas City Chiefs defense. The secondary depth will be challenged for the rest of the season as the unit hopes to maintain its dominance this year.

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has made plenty of good calls for his group throughout the season, leading to victories. Losing a starter isn’t new, but as the team prepares for life without Cook, they will have the veteran presence of Mike Edwards in relief. During Thursday’s press conference, Spagnuolo addressed his thoughts on Edwards and his impact moving forward.

“I think we’re really fortunate to have Mike Edwards because Michael will be the guy who will fill in there for Bryan (Cook),” Spagnuolo said. “Mike’s a cerebral guy who has picked up the defense really well. You guys see, he’s been rotated in there a little bit more. And that’s, that’s a compliment to him. So, hopefully, we don’t skip a beat from the standpoint of how we function with the chemistry, and we got kind of trust in Mike to do that.”

Spagnuolo will expect the same intensity as Edwards, who has stepped in to make significant plays in the past as the Chiefs look to get back into the win column this Sunday.

Chiefs Check-in: K.C. battling through key injuries

Check out all the top #Chiefs stories and more on today’s edition of Chiefs check-in:

Chiefs Check-in is our online newsletter at Chiefs Wire, running Monday-Friday mornings. Subscribe to get more Chiefs news delivered to your inbox every day.

It’s gut-check time for the Kansas City Chiefs. They have lost three of their last five games and are dealing with some injuries to key starters. If they want the road to the Super Bowl to roll through Kansas City during the postseason yet again, there is little to no room for error throughout the final five weeks of the season.

Here are the top stories on this edition of Chiefs Check-in for the morning of Wednesday, December 6:

Chiefs DB Bryan Cook may have avoided a severe ankle injury in Week 13

#Chiefs DB Bryan Cook’s ankle injury may not be as severe as initially feared, according to reports that surfaced on Monday,

The Kansas City Chiefs were beaten physically on the scoreboard last Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers, with essential players going down with injuries. A specific injury that caused plenty of concern was in the defensive secondary regarding starting safety Bryan Cook.

Cook went down with a lower leg issue, which was later revealed to be an ankle injury that had to have him carted off at Lambeau Field. According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Monday, X-rays returned negative on Cook’s ankle, seemingly avoiding a much more severe injury. During his Monday Zoom press conference with reporters, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid couldn’t confirm Fowler’s report but provided some insight on the situation.

“He’s had work done on that ankle before, and so that’s kind of what they’re going through right now,” said Reid. “Before anything’s put out there, I don’t want to give you anything either way on that because I don’t know. Because of the work that he’s had done on that ankle, so I’m gonna just save that for later until I can give the facts.”

This season, Cook had 35 tackles, one interception, two pass deflections, and two fumble recoveries.

Chiefs DB Bryan Cook carted off field vs. Packers

#Chiefs DB Bryan Cook was carted off the field during the second half of Kansas City’s Week 13 matchup against the #Packers.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ secondary was dealt a crushing blow on Sunday Night Football in a matchup against the Green Bay Packers when starting safety Bryan Cook was carted off the field in the third quarter. His status is questionable.

Cook suffered a lower-body injury on what seemed to be a routine play on Green Bay’s first drive of the second half. The game has been defined by injuries to Chiefs starters after linebacker Drue Tranquill and offensive lineman Donovan Smith exited the game in the first half.

Veteran safety Mike Edwards entered the game after Cook’s injury and will play next to veteran Justin Reid on the back end of Kansas City’s defense

With so many contributors on the sideline, a second-half comeback seems unlikely, but as long as Patrick Mahomes remains under center, the Chiefs have a chance to make something special happen.

Expect Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo to make some serious adjustments to compensate for the immense losses Kansas City has suffered in this game.

Why the Kansas City Chiefs are now leading with Steve Spagnuolo’s defense

The Chiefs come into their Super Bowl rematch with the Eagles trending on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. Here’s how things have changed.

The Kansas City Chiefs come into their Monday Night Football matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles in a very different place than they were when these two teams last played in Super Bowl LVII. That game was a frantic fight to the finish, and a 38-35 game in Kansas City’s favor.

The successful game flow very much fit what the 2022 Chiefs were. That was a team that finished first in Offensive DVOA, and 14th in Defensive DVOA. The plan with this team was always, have the defense be good enough, and the offense will take care of the rest.

Now, things have changed. Decidedly. The 2023 Chiefs rank sixth in Offensive DVOA, and fourth in Defensive DVOA, and when you watch Kansas City’s offense… well, it ain’t all that.

The Chiefs’ deep passing game has fallen apart. How can they fix it?

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, now in his fifth season with the team, now has the defense he’s always wanted — and any other defensive coordinator would envy. We saw flashes of it late in the 2022 season, when everything started to come together with a lot of young talent, and it’s been amplified through the 2023 season’s first 10 weeks. This unit has allowed the NFL’s fourth-fewest yards and the second-fewest points, and that’s what you want.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” Greg (of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup) and Doug (of Touchdown Wire) get into why this Chiefs defense isn’t just the force multiplier for the defending NFL champs — but the kind of defense that can throw some serious stuff at any offense it faces.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/m9Hj2IsBIyWJbpfq_FJ8/1700151181780_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0ibnU0dXEycnNqZnp1ZXNsems1ZmdlNGRnb2ZwdW1zcnkiIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMyNSI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar” right here:

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/Diq_1osBA9ifkkHMjIFC/1700116497519_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0iaXJ1eGN4enJuNXp1ZXFqem5mdGd3MjJpanZ2ZXNyc2QiIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMyNSI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

You can also subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Now, let’s detail why this defense is so dynamic right now.

LOOK: Chiefs DB Joshua Williams’ comical expression during insane Bryan Cook TD

To say that #Chiefs DB Joshua Williams was surprised when Mike Edwards lateraled to Bryan Cook in Week 9 would be an understatement.

Fans weren’t the only people whose eyes bugged out during Bryan Cook’s insane touchdown in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 9 matchup against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Defensive back Joshua Williams can be seen with a comical expression on his face in a picture of the play that occurred in the second quarter of Kansas City’s international matchup in Frankfurt, Germany.

To say he looked surprised would be an understatement:

Williams didn’t touch the ball but was right in the thick of the action when Mike Edwards lateraled to Cook after recovering a fumble forced by Trent McDuffie. Cook would take the ball more than 50 yards to paydirt to give Kansas City a 21-point lead with mere seconds remaining before halftime.

Pictures like this are a great way to see plays from the perspective of the players who participated in them, and Chiefs Kingdom can certainly relate to the intense emotion displayed by Williams in this shot.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

WATCH: Chiefs players, Mitch Holthus react to Bryan Cook’s defensive TD vs. Dolphins

Check out this clip that features Mitch Holthus’ outstanding call of #Chiefs safety Bryan Cook’s iconic touchdown against the #Dolphins in Week 9:

Bryan Cook’s runback touchdown against the Miami Dolphins may go down as one of the most remarkable plays in Kansas City Chiefs history. When he received the now-iconic lateral from fellow safety Mike Edwards late in the second quarter of Kansas City’s Week 9 matchup against Miami in Frankfurt, Germany, he wasted no time getting to the boundary and turning on the jets to take the ball to the end zone for seven points.

Legendary broadcaster Mitch Holthus called the play for listeners on the radio, and his iconic second-by-second breakdown of the touchdown made the rounds on social media on Tuesday as Chiefs fans basked in Kansas City’s victory.

The clip included reactions from Chiefs players on the sideline, too, which were just as priceless as Holthus’ outstanding call on the radio.

If ever there was a play that could come to define Kansas City’s 2023 campaign, this incredible touchdown should be considered the leading candidate.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Chiefs DB Bryan Cook reached impressive top speed during fumble return vs. Dolphins

#Chiefs DB Bryan Cook was clocked running faster than 20 miles per hour during his fumble return touchdown against the #Dolphins in Week 9.

Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Bryan Cook showed off some serious wheels during his touchdown scamper against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9, and reached an impressive top speed, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

During the insane play that featured a Tyreek Hill fumble, Mike Edwards recovery and lateral to Cook, the second-year safety managed to run 21.31 miles per hour to paydirt to give Kansas City a 21-point lead.

The play occurred with just seconds remaining in the first half and ended up being a decisive factor in the Chiefs’ 21-14 win. If Cook hadn’t run like the wind on the return, Kansas City may have been unable to seize victory from the clutches of the Dolphins, who made a serious comeback in the second and third quarters.

Cook is becoming an unsung hero for the Chiefs’ defense, and figures to play a key role for the unit as Kansas City makes its push for the top seed in the AFC playoff picture.

Chiefs S Mike Edwards explains decision to lateral ball on fumble recovery vs. Dolphins

Chiefs S Mike Edwards explains his decision to lateral the ball on fumble recovery

The Kansas City Chiefs had plenty of big moments in their 21-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany. The defense stood tall for most of the game, especially during a turning point play in the first half.

The scoop fumble return for a touchdown from safety Bryan Cook extended the lead to three scores and was set up by the punch out from Trent McDuffie. The scoop part, however, was by Mike Edwards, who had the presence of mind to lateral the ball back to Cook to run 59 yards for the score. Edwards spoke about the fantastic takeaway and decision to lateral during the run-back in his postgame press conference.

“So once I got it, I felt Tyreek (Hill) on my ankle,” He explained. “So I was about to get tackled. And I was like, Nah, we gotta get this home, we got to do something else. So I looked back, and I seen my boy BC (Bryan Cook). And I was like, I trust him. You gotta have trust to do some stuff like that, but I trusted him. I just pushed it back, and he did the rest.”

The highlight play is not standard in the league, as coaches typically would prefer the defenders in a turnover scenario not to put the ball at risk. Edwards comedically addressed whether or not this was an authorized action.

“Yeah, we got a touchdown out of it,” said Edwards with a smile. “It better be good.”

The score at the end of the half stalled a promising drive and served as the difference in the game as the Chiefs held on by a touchdown.

WATCH: Chiefs DBs McDuffie, Edwards, Cook combine for insane TD vs. Dolphins in Week 9

Chiefs DBs Trent McDuffie, Mike Edwards, and Bryan Cook combined for this insane touchdown against the Dolphins in Week 9.

The Kansas City Chiefs scored an insane defensive touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9 when defensive backs Trent McDuffie and Bryan Cook combined for a long run back following a Tyreek Hill fumble in Frankfurt, Germany.

The play occurred when Miami was trying to drive downfield to score its first points of the highly anticipated international matchup. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa flipped a short pass out to Hill on the outside, and when McDuffie forced a fumble after making a form tackle, Mike Edwards made a recovery and craziness ensued.

Edwards was nearly tackled before flipping the ball to Cook, who took the ball all the way to the Dolphins’ end zone on the other end of the field.

This improbable turn of events gave Kansas City a three-touchdown lead heading into halftime, and while Miami is set to receive the second-half kick, a Dolphins comeback seems unlikely given the Chiefs’ defensive excellence.