Originally posted by 9ers4eva:
Originally posted by Sanfran_chrisco:
interesting snippet.
In this case, the score stayed 10–3 because of how the defense was turning a corner, thanks to a couple adjustments the Chiefs' wizard of a defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, implemented right around the break. It was necessary, quite simply, because Brock Purdy was better than Spagnuolo may have anticipated coming in.
"The zones, I just think their wideouts and quarterback are so good at their timing routes, and Brock Purdy is really good," Spagnuolo said "He knew when we were in certain things, and he found seams."
So Spagnuolo put his trust in corners Trent McDuffie, L'Jarius Sneed, Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams, and went very man-heavy in the second half and overtime. He also decided, after he and Kyle Shanahan had played a cat-and-mouse game with personnel packages in the first half, that he'd leave his nickel defense out there against the Niners' base offense—which put Spags's defensive line on the spot to win its matchups.
He also came up with a couple specific tweaks. The Chiefs didn't get to all of them, but one was a man pressure that set the tone out of the half. It came right after Mahomes's interception, with Leo Chenal coming free to pressure Purdy into a throwaway. And the simple freedom he had to do it explains not just who he is, but who his players are.
"We threw in two or three new things, one of them we never got to," Spagnuolo said. "The other two were key. Leo [Chenal] was involved in one of them, a very early play in the second half, Leo got through and made him throw it really quick. Typically, I'll say let's not run something we haven't practiced. This group, you can do that. If it's something that we did three weeks ago and you say, 'Hey guys, can we do it?' They're all for it."
One guy sees something isn't working and adjusts. Other guy keeps doing the same thing even after it's clear the other team is adjusting.
Wilkes seemed to fall into his old habits. Pressure with a soft shell, against the worst possible QB to play that way against. I'm just not a fan of that scheme if and he doesn't seem to be able to adjust his philosophy when something isn't working.