When the Blitz Backfires

The numbers behind the Chiefs’ disappointing 2025 blitz performance.

The Chiefs’ defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, better known as Spags, has built his reputation on blitzing. Spags is widely regarded as one of the best in the league at designing and disguising pressure packages, constantly forcing quarterbacks to diagnose the defense before the snap and survive the chaos after. His defenses don’t rely on just raw pass-rush talent; they rely on confusion, timing, and calculated aggression.

At least, that’s the story we tell about Spags. I’m not here to break down the tape or diagram pressure packages. KCSN has plenty of people who can walk you through the X’s and O’s, frame by frame. That’s not my lane. My job is simpler. I look at the numbers and the trends, and I try to tell the story the data is telling us.

A couple of weeks ago, I invited people in the KCSN Discord to share article ideas or football questions they’d like answered with data. Feel free to drop ideas in the comments here as well. One of the suggestions I got was to look at Spags’ blitzes this year compared to last year (from user @mattk4105). He felt like Spags’ blitzes this season had been ineffective compared to previous seasons.