According to the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, quarterback Patrick Mahomes is someone who knows the team’s defense well enough to be effective against it.
”[He’s] been in it long enough now that he’s seen just about everything,” Spagnuolo explained to reporters after Wednesday’s practice at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph. “He knows all our calls — so when we yell something out, I think it gives him an advantage.”
And it’s not just Mahomes. Kansas City receivers like Rashee Rice can also have an advantage.
“He was jogging off the field after he caught [a pass],” recalled Spagnuolo, “and said something like, ‘Coach, I knew you guys were doing such-and-such.’ I said, ‘You know what? When [we] go against each other every day for as long as we have now, that’s why it’ll be nice to get to Saturday.’”
That’s when the team will have its preseason opener at State Farm Stadium in suburban Phoenix, playing the Arizona Cardinals. There, one of Spagnuolo’s biggest goals will be assessing the strengths and weaknesses of his newest players.
“I think we’ve still got to figure out some of the things the new guys can and can’t do,” he pointed out. “That’s kind of what I have my eyes on right now. I think the game will give us a little bit more info on that.”