This is a tangent, but does anyone happen to know just how many times Spags actually blitzed JAX? A few weeks ago he was on pace for maybe his lowest percentage of his career with the Chiefs.
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I don’t like his 4-3 defense with big slow defensive ends.

Look at the eagles defensive ends. They fly up the field.
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I'm not sure Spags wants 'big, slow, defensive ends'.

Clark's like 255. He's just not very good.

I think y'all have to remember that we've been drafting in the back quarter of the draft every year for a decade now, almost. The dynamic speed rushers typically go earlier.
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Zero false claims?

I think I've said for the last couple of seasons that I'm frustrated with the inability to consistently pressure with the front four. I just understand football enough to know that when you CAN'T pressure with four, you're already in trouble.

But let's ignore that, and call me a 'Homer', or somehow an 'Alexual'. Yeah, because that makes sense.

Spags got a defense with 5 of the top 12 players being rookies (INCLUDING 3 of 4 CORNERS!) and an inconsistent pass rush ability to a middle of the pack defense statistically (better than that the second half of the season). Spags' blitz packages have repeatedly made big plays in key moments all season long-and yet the hypercritical only notice when it doesn't work. How about how many big plays have been created BECAUSE Spags drew up a killer blitz? Like, maybe the INT in the 4th quarter this game? Because that was all due to Spagnuolo's call.

These are all facts. Show me a defense with 5 of twelve rookies that performed better this season. I'll wait.

By any reasonable measure, considering the full context of this season, Spagnuolo has done a remarkable job.
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Not to mention, Chris, that we’re absolutely going to need Spags to go into his bag of tricks for this game. Burrow is the best pocket passer in the NFL now and the only way to slow them will be to fuck with his process. The Bills didn’t even try to do it and look how that ended up. We need Spags to introduce some level of chaos.

There’s a reason why he’s a guy who has stopped Brady before in the SB. And it’s because he’s willing to gamble and get creative when he thinks they’re overmatched (which they will be against the Bengals as a young defense versus those skill players).
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Yep. It looked to me like Buffalo played scared, perhaps due to the snow and poor footing. You can't beat Burrow that way. He's got too many top flight weapons, and he's too good.

I think people expecting a dominant defensive performance against elite QBs/offenses are just not being very realistic. The Bengals are going to get theirs, we just need to get some stops in key spots.

If we keep the Bengals to 24 or so, we should win, and that's all you can ask for under the circumstances.

Can KC score more than that with a hobbled Mahomes? That's going to be the key to the game.
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The Bills spent draft picks and money on the DL and it still isn't very good with Von out. They couldn't pressure Burrow and they couldn't stop the run.

Well, it's time for Chris Jones to make his money.
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He and Karlaftis should be matched up on the back-ups at RG and RT.

They need to get it done.
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Yep. The Bills don't have anything on the DL anywhere close to Jones with Von out.

It's time for Chris to just wreck a game.
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Spags had a decent game van cincy in the last playoff game. I imagine their very first adjustment will be putting some respect on Hayden hurst. He was waayyyyy too comfortable early on.
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And again
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He was the perfect antidote to the Joe Burrow narrative. A guy who will create a tornado and force Burrow to process and adjust. Make nothing easy while sacrificing the occasional big play.

Masterclass.
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With basically all rookies in the secondary!
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I love Spags but the young guys didn't blink.
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Everyone here can apologize to Spags now.

One of the best DCs in team history.
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