Spags vs. Quarterbacks in their First Starts

Taking a look at the torture rack that the Chiefs defense has put new quarterbacks through.

Steve Spagnuolo and the Kansas City Chiefs defense have been phenomenal during the 2023 season. They rank third in points per game, fourth in yards per game, third in points per drive, fourth in sacks, second in pressure rate, and top 10 in countless other stats and metrics through 12 weeks in the 2023 NFL season. It’s not a stretch to say that the Chiefs defense has been the most consistent, most productive, and overall best unit on this team to this point of the year.

However, Spagnuolo has always taken his game up another notch when facing young quarterbacks — especially those that are within their first 15 starts. The Chiefs just got done with one such quarterback this last weekend in Aidan O’Connell, and they’ll face yet another in Week 13 in Jordan Love. This week, I took a look at all the games that Spagnuolo’s Chiefs’ defenses have played against quarterbacks in their first 15 starts to get stats, trends, and compare against his season-long numbers.

Let’s dive in!