The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to bounce back from last year's Super Bowl blowout loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles, currently participating in training camp. The good news for the Chiefs is that they're returning a significant chunk of the roster that won them their third straight AFC Championship Game last year, and also made some savvy additions over the offseason.
While the Chiefs' poor offensive line play drew the majority of the headlines in the wake of the Super Bowl disaster, the secondary didn't exactly hold up its end of the bargain either, constantly getting torched by the Eagles' offense, including on a deep ball to Devonta Smith that more or less ended any chance of a comeback.
Recently, Chiefs defensive back Nazeeh Johnson got real on how defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's unique rotational approach will pay dividends this upcoming season.
“Yeah, I mean he (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) is going to interchange us on, you know, personnel packages and stuff like that,” said Johnson, per Ed Easton Jr. of ChiefsWire. “So, all of us knowing the different roles from nickel to left, right corner, and everything changes. But (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags is a mastermind at that. It's hard for teams to really get a gauge on who's going to be where, so shout out to Spags.”
Can the Chiefs rebound?
At this point in their dynastic run, the Chiefs don't pat themselves on the back for anything short of a Super Bowl championship, so last season was largely viewed as a failure in Kansas City despite the team making its third straight big game appearance.
The Chiefs made strides to address their biggest weakness–the offensive line–this offseason through free agency and the draft, and they also made some savvy additions on the defensive side of the ball, where Spagnuolo remains one of the game's elite coordinators.
Kansas City fans are hoping that these adjustments will be enough to push the team back on a championship trajectory.
The Chiefs are slated to kick off their 2025 season in Brazil against the divisional rival Los Angeles Chargers.
