Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were just one win away from joining the Miami Dolphins in 1972 as the only team in NFL history to ever play a perfect season in 2008, but they were beaten by the New York Giants. performance deprived in what is considered. one of the biggest upsets of the sport.
Unfortunately for Brady, he will face the same man behind the Giants’ championship defense when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV on Sunday.
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Steve Spagnuolo, 61, has had a long career coaching career in the NFL, but the highlight of his career was in 2008 in his first year as defensive coordinator for the Giants. Under Tom Coughlin, head coach, Spagnuolo orchestrated a defensive strategy that could take down an offense that is still one of the best in league history to this day.
‘Spags’, as he is called by the players he coached, told the NFL Network in 2018 that the key to his success ten years ago was twofold: frustrate Brady by keeping up the pressure and not letting him succeed . 20 meters.
“(Linebacker) Jessie Armstead teases me about this, but I said at one point in the week, ‘Look, no matter if we stop him from throwing it or not, let’s just make sure we hit him, “Spagnuolo said at the time.” He told me that later, “he doesn’t sound good.” He said, “Coach, I’m not so sure I was on board with that.” ‘
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He continued: “But our guys bought it and we hoped – the hope was that we could frustrate him a little bit. That was the first thing. The second thing was, let’s not give up passes over 20 meters.”
Spagnuolo tried his luck as head coach in 2009 when he took the job at the St. Louis Rams accepted. He would go 11-41 before being fired in 2012.
But Spagnuolo would make a comeback in 2019 when he joined the Chiefs as defense coordinator. He worked well with head coach Andy Reid, with whom he worked from 1999 to 2006 for the Philadelphia Eagles.
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The two will lead the team to the franchise’s second Super Bowl title, making Spagnuolo the only attacking or defensive coordinator in league history to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.
Spagnuolo has the recipe for success. Brady is a methodical player who can be easily thrown off by constant pressure or hits. He is also known for deep passes and will fire it if he gets the chance.
The Chiefs are no stranger to the Super Bowl scene, but they will have to play smart if they want to repeat greatness.