Tag: Mike Danna

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is the real star of Super Bowl LVIII

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is a schematic wizard, but his real superpower is getting his players to buy in without fail.

It was February 3, 2008. Super Bowl XLII, in which the New England Patriots were supposed to complete the second undefeated season in pro football history. Instead, the underdog New York Giants put Tom Brady in a special section of hell with pass-rush concepts that had their defensive linemen moving around gap to gap, and often standing up in NASCAR fronts for which the Patriots seemed to have no answers. Brady was sacked five times, and hit nine more times, completing 29 of 48 passes for 266 yards, one touchdown, and a passer rating of 82.5 in a 17-14 Giants win.

Not what anybody expected from a quarterback — and an offense — that had set the NFL ablaze all season long, but Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had the perfect plan for Brady and the Patriots, and that bore out. Spagnuolo threw the entire buffet at Brady with advanced blitzes, moving linemen, and NASCAR fronts in which as many as all four defensive linemen were standing up pre-snap.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=My0ahKLvxzs

“I remember that game, and watching what they were doing, and I’ve watched it again since,” Super Bowl XLII Most Valuable Player Eli Manning told me on Friday. “He had Antonio Pierce, middle linebacker, and obviously now the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. They were flip-flopping blitzes, and I’d never seen that before, where they had a WILL [linebacker]-free safety blitz, and they’d see Brady read it and change protections to pick up that blitz, and they would flip-flop  and roll it to bring a SAM [linebacker] and strong safety. You had free guys hitting Brady, so just mixing in and having that capability and communication and the trust in the defense to do that. To execute it, that’s the first time I’d ever seen that.

“I have great respect for Coach Spagnuolo and all he’s done in his career, his opportunity to win his fourth Super Bowl is impressive, and he always has the threat of blitz. That’s what he brings — exotic blitzes and exotic coverages. It’s a lot of work to get ready to play one of his defenses.”

Fast-forward 15 years, and “Coach Spags” is still doing it his way — perhaps at a higher level than ever before, and he’s now winning Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs. Moreover, he’s doing it now with the NFL’s youngest defense. There are a lot of deep football reasons why the Chiefs’ defense has carried the team to Super Bowl LVIII as the offense has been up and down (to say the least), but there are also personal dynamics between Spagnuolo and his players that mean a lot.

Let’s dive into why Steve Spagnuolo is the real star of Super Bowl LVIII.

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The Secret Superstars of Super Bowl LVIII

From Jauan Jennings to L’Jarius Sneed, here are 10 underrated players for the 49ers and Chiefs who could make all the difference in Super Bowl LVIII.

For every Super Bowl star you’d expect, there’s a player who comes out of nowhere in a relative sense to take over the biggest game of his life. That was just as true for Green Bay Packers receiver Max McGee in Super Bowl I as it was for Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco in Super Bowl LVII.

For the upcoming matchup between the Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, we’d like to present 10 players — five from each team — whose deeds on the field have gone relatively unnoticed, but every one of them could be the one to take his team’s fortunes over the top.

Here are the Secret Superstars of Super Bowl LVIII.

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7 Saints free agents targets to watch in Ravens vs. Chiefs

There are plenty of Saints free agents targets to watch in Ravens vs. Chiefs. Which of these players could come to New Orleans in 2024?

There are a handful of former Kansas City Chiefs players playing key roles for the New Orleans Saints — starting safety Tyrann Mathieu, of course, but also his former Chiefs teammates Khalen Saunders and Tanoh Kpassagnon along the defensive line. Could more of them be wearing black and gold in 2024?

Saints fans should tune into Sunday’s AFC Championship Game between the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens to get an early look at the upcoming free agent class. Both teams could lose players in the spring, and opportunistic squads like the Saints could pounce. Here are some pending free agents from both sides who may fit what the Saints are looking for this offseason:

4 soon-to-be free agents to watch in Chiefs vs. Dolphins

4 soon-to-be free agents for New Orleans Saints fans to watch in Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins, including former Ragin’ Cajuns OL Robert Hunt:

The Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs boast two of the strongest rosters you’ll find around the NFL, and both teams have some pending free agents who could be of interest to the New Orleans Saints. With the Saints looking to get faster and more athletic defensively while improving their run game on offense, here are some players we’re watching closely during Saturday night’s wild-card round playoff game:

WATCH: Chiefs players predict College Football Playoff National Championship

#Chiefs players weighed in on which team they think will win the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 8.

The Kansas City Chiefs are one week away from the NFL playoffs, but in a short video that hit social media platforms this morning, the team’s players gave their take on another postseason event: the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Stars like Travis Kelce, Drue Tranquill, and Jawaan Taylor all weighed in on the upcoming matchup between the University of Michigan and the University of Washington.

Only two players on the Chiefs’ 53-man roster attended the universities competing for college football supremacy on Monday, January 8. Veteran defensive lineman Mike Danna was a University of Michigan Wolverine, and defensive back Trent McDuffie was a Husky at the University of Washington.

McDuffie’s running mate in Kansas City’s defensive backfield, practice squad member Keith Taylor, also attended the University of Washington.

While the highly anticipated matchup between college football’s top football programs is sure to be the topic of endless discussion in the team’s locker room over the next few days, the Chiefs are set to lock in and finish their regular season strong against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18.

8 studs from Chiefs’ loss to Packers in Week 13

These eight players stood out as top performers for the #Chiefs during Kansas City’s Week 13 loss to the #Packers.

The Kansas City Chiefs saw victory slip through their hands during their Week 13 loss to the Green Bay Packers, plenty of players put together admirable performances that set a good tone for the team, despite the loss.

Injuries played a key factor in the matchup’s outcome, and several Chiefs stepped up in a tight spot to give Kansas City a chance to make a late-game comeback. If not for a few questionable calls on the final drive of the Sunday Night Football showdown, the Chiefs may have been able to overcome the severe adversity they faced in the game to complete a come-from-behind win at Lambeau Field.

Though some pundits will choose to focus on what Kansas City didn’t do in this tilt, the intrigue in watching the Chiefs’ backups compete was worth tuning in for, even if they were behind the eight-ball in all four quarters.

Check out which players were Kansas City’s studs in Week 13:

WATCH: Chiefs DL Mike Danna sacks Jordan Love, forces late-game field goal vs. Packers

#Chiefs DL Mike Danna took down #Packers QB Jordan Love to keep Kansas City in the game late in the fourth quarter

The Kansas City Chiefs’ hopes of victory against the Green Bay Packers in Week 13 are still alive late in the fourth quarter after defensive lineman Mike Danna sacked quarterback Jordan Love to force a field goal attempt.

By holding Green Bay to just three points, Kansas City needed a touchdown to take a late lead and could have hypothetically completed an improbable comeback after losing several key players to injury.

On the ensuing drive, Patrick Mahomes threw an interception in Packers territory to give Green Bay the ball with just minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

This didn’t put the Chiefs completely out of contention, but certainly shifted momentum back in the Packers’ favor after Danna’s sack seemed to give Kansas City a wind at its back.

If the Chiefs intend to make something special happen to earn their ninth win of the season, it will need to come on their next offensive drive.

WATCH: Every Chiefs sack of the 2023 season, through Week 9

Check out this supercut of every #Chiefs sack of the 2023 season through Week 9.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ resurgent pass rush has been a sight to behold to this point in the 2023 season, and with eight games left to play, it seems the team will be able to lean on its defensive line to keep opponents behind the sticks.

Veteran linemen Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, and Mike Danna have led the way for Kansas City in their pursuit of opposing quarterbacks, accumulating 17 combined sacks in just nine contests.

The Chiefs released a supercut video of every sack tallied by their defenders this season, which is sure to bring joy to every fan who watches:

The return of defensive-minded football in Kansas City is a welcome sight. Even while Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense have struggled, the team’s defense has played spectacularly fun football with consistency and helped lift Kansas City to a 7-2 start to the season.

Expect the pass rush to play a huge factor in the Chiefs’ Week 11 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.

WATCH: Chiefs defense sacks Tua Tagovailoa to stonewall Dolphins

Mike Danna and Jaylen Watson combined to sack Tua Tagovailoa and keep momentum in the #Chiefs’ favor in Kansas City’s Week 9 tilt vs. Miami

The Kansas City Chiefs have gotten off to a great start against the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday. After scoring on the game’s first drive, the Chiefs’ defense managed to stonewall Miami’s offense to get the ball back into Patrick Mahomes’ hands.

Veterans Mike Danna and Jaylen Watson combined to sack Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on a consequential third down that kept momentum in Kansas City’s favor.

Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo hasn’t been shy to show his hand on blitzes early this season, and plays like this are indications that his creativity is paying off in big situations.

Expect Spagnuolo to continue sending pressure at Tagovailoa in this matchup, and for Danna, Watson, and the rest of Kansas City’s defenders to play with reckless abandon as they look to pull away from Miami in the AFC playoff standings.

Stay tuned to Chiefs Wire to see all of the most important plays as they happen:

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Chiefs DT Chris Jones praises unselfish play of teammates on defensive line

#Chiefs DT Chris Jones praised the unselfish play of his teammates on the defensive line

The exceptional play of Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones has helped lead the team on its current five-game winning streak. The defensive unit as a whole has played well and has been the primary reason for the recent victories.

The defensive line has undergone its fair share of changes over the years, and the youth added through the draft has begun showing its fantastic promise. Jones spoke with reporters on Wednesday to praise his teammates on the line for their improvement and unselfish play.

“I think as a whole as a D-Line, we’ve asked a lot of people to mature a lot,” Jones explained. “You know, George Karlaftis. Mike Danna getting a starting role for this year. George, coming in second year, first year, he was a starter, you know, asking those guys to mature. We got guys on the bench who can come in and be a starter also Tershawn Wharton, who we brought in, you know, Matt Dickerson, so we got a lot of guys who have been around the system knows the ins and outs of this defense and is comfortable with this defense.”

Jones has been at the forefront with a sack in the five games he’s played this season, showing little rust after missing training camp.

“I think comfortability is a huge thing in being successful, especially amongst the defensive line, because [if] this player is comfortable they can play lights out without thinking,” Jones continued. “Everyone is an unselfish man; everyone is unselfish. I think that’s a huge part of it, being unselfish, playing for one another. Not chasing stats.

“I think this is where success happens, man. When everyone is focused on one goal, it’s more achievable. Then everyone’s focused on different things. And I think we all focus on one goal, and that’s about being better than we were last week, adding our 1% in every day, and by the time we make it to January or December, we’ll continue making strides, and we’ll be where we want to be.”