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Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were only one win away in 2008 after joining the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only team in NFL history to ever play a perfect season, but they were stripped of that feat by the New York Giants in what is considered one of the sport’s biggest upheavals.
Unfortunately for Brady, he’ll 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 coaching career in the NFL, but the peak of his career came in 2008 during his first year as defensive coordinator for the Giants. Under the guidance of head coach Tom Coughlin, Spagnuolo orchestrated a defense strategy that successfully defeated an offense that, to this day, is still among the best in league history.
“Spags,” as the players he coached called him, told the NFL Network in 2018 that the key to his success 10 years ago was twofold: frustrating Brady by keeping the pressure on and not letting him make mistakes. passes. 20 meters.
“(Linebacker) Jessie Armstead teases me about that, but at one point in the week I said, ‘Look, it doesn’t matter if we stop him from throwing him or not, let’s just make sure we hit him, ‘”Spagnuolo said at the time. “He told me later, he said, ‘That doesn’t sound good.’ He said: ‘Coach, I’m not sure I’m okay with that.’ “
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He continued: “But our guys came on and we hoped – the hope was we could frustrate him a bit. That was the first thing. The second thing was, let’s not give up the passes over 20 yards. . ”
Spagnuolo tried his luck as a head coach in 2009 by accepting the job with the St. Louis Rams. He would go 11-41 before being fired in 2012.
But Spagnuolo would make a comeback in 2019 by joining the Chiefs as defensive coordinator. He worked well alongside head coach Andy Reid with whom he previously worked for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2006.
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The duo would lead the team to the franchise’s second Super Bowl title, making Spagnuolo the only offensive 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 could easily be shaken by constant pressure or punches. He is also known for his deep passes and unleashes them if he gets the chance.
The Chiefs are no strangers to the Super Bowl scene, but they’ll need to play smart if they’re to repeat greatness.
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