Chiefs-Broncos: The unique coaching connections behind Monday night’s game
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
Patrick Mahomes’ return against the Denver Broncos’ defense won’t be the only intriguing matchup Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium.
Monday night’s early divisional showdown brings some interesting coordinator matchups with history and connections.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo vs. Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb
One of the NFL’s most tenured defensive coordinators takes on one of the NFL’s youngest offensive coordinators. Webb takes over play-calling duties from head coach Sean Payton this season. Webb, despite not being a coordinator, got looks for a head coaching job from multiple teams after last season.
They also have a connection. Spagnuolo was the interim head coach of the New York Giants in 2017, when Webb was a quarterback on the team.
“Spags, he’s a great dude,” Webb said on Friday. “He’s one of the best defensive coordinators in this game’s history, and he’ll be a tough challenge for us out of the gate.”
Spagnuolo spoke about Webb earlier this week.
“He was really, really sharp as a rookie,” Spagnuolo said. I think it was more or less to test the quarterbacks, what they might see. I thought it was really impressive what he did. He’s an impressive guy. There’s a reason why he’s a coordinator at such a young age, so I’m happy for him.”
Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy vs. Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph
Bieniemy and Joseph have strong track records as coordinators.
Bieniemy won two Super Bowls during his first coaching stint with the Chiefs, while Joseph has turned what was a struggling Broncos’ defense early in Payton’s run to a dominant defense.
Last season, Joseph’s defense led the league in sacks, allowed the second fewest yards and third fewest points in the league.
Bieniemy and Joseph were also teammates at Colorado in 1990, when the Buffaloes won their first and only national championship.
“But one thing I’ll say about Vance, first of all, Vance is an outstanding coach,” Bieniemy said this week. “He’s done a great job with that defense. Those guys played their asses off. I mean, they were in that AFC Championship game, and probably a few plays away. So, they’re the defending AFC West champs. When it’s all said and done with, we’ve got to make sure that we go out there and play.”
Joseph, who was a freshman on the Colorado team while Bieniemy was a senior, called his former teammate a fire starter.
“Well, he’s always been the fire starter,” Joseph said. “I mean, he’s always been an intense competitor from a player to a coach to teammate. He’s going to bring accountability. You know, he’s going to bring discipline. You know, whatever they’re doing offensively, his touch and his strength is to make him do it efficiently and do it right all the time. The standard is going to be high daily. He doesn’t give you a break as a teammate or as a coach on his staff. That’s his personality.”
Joseph said he and Bieniemy have spoken multiple times this week, but not as the game closes in.
Mahomes and Webb were college teammates
So, because they’re both on offense, this is not technically a matchup, but an interesting connection.
Mahomes and Webb, before competing against each other in the AFC West, were in the same quarterback room at Texas Tech.
“We were great teammates when he was a freshman, as a sophomore. He was a sophomore. I was a junior, and then he made me transfer out to Cal,” Webb joked. “He was like my younger brother because him and I were the only scholarship quarterbacks at the time.”