Spytek can learn from Roseman

Philadelphia’s defense crushed Kansas City in the trenches thanks to the organization’s general manager

Super Bowl LIX put a smile on Las Vegas Raiders fans’ faces as the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t just prevent the Kansas City Chiefs from three-peating, the Eagles dominated the Chiefs with a 40-22 drubbing. The score is even misleading as the 18-point contest was a result of garbage time scores from Kansas City.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense played one of their worst games in the Andy Reid era, failing to put points on the board until the final seconds of the third quarter to make it a 34-6 contest. Before that scoring drive, the Chiefs had just 45 yards of offense on nine drives as Mahomes was constantly under pressure.

The latter was one of the game’s biggest takeaways as defensive coordinator Vic Fangio never blitzed but the Eagles’ defense still managed to get six sacks and 11 total quarterback hits.

While Fangio deserves some credit, general manager Howie Roseman is the true mastermind behind how that gameplan can work and new Raiders’ general manager John Spytek should try to follow Roseman’s model to take down Kansas City.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Philadelphia’s defensive line features three first-round picks; defensive tackles Jordan Davis (13th overall selection in 2022) and Jalen Carter (ninth in 2023), and Nolan Smith (30th in 2023). Coincidentally, all three won a National Championship at Georgia while Carter and Smith were back-to-back Champs.

But it isn’t just that Roseman used first-rounders on defensive linemen, it’s that he did so even when the position group wasn’t the team’s biggest need. The Eagles’ defense included several notable pass-rushers like Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat and Haason Reddick — just to name a few — when the players above were drafted.

As a result, Davis’ five starts as a rookie were the most from that group of former Bulldogs. The point is that despite the payout taking a while to cash in, Roseman’s commitment to the trenches ended up being a great long-term investment.

Additionally, the general manager never stopped adding pass-rushers to the mix by using third-round picks on interior defender Milton Williams (2021) and Jalyx Hunt (2024). Those two weren’t starters last Sunday but combined for nine pressures, per Pro Football Focus, and 2.5 sacks.

So, while the Raiders head into the 2025 NFL Draft with Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins in the fold and could re-sign Malcolm Koonce, Spytek would be wise to follow Roseman’s model and continue to invest high picks in pass-rushers.

All great quarterbacks, including Mahomes, struggle when a defense can drop seven players in coverage and still pressure with its front four consistently. If Las Vegas wants to break the stranglehold Kansas City has had on the AFC West over the last decade, the model is out there for Spytek to follow.

Luckily, two of the deepest positions in this year’s draft class are edge defender and defensive line to help Las Vegas build a fearsome pass rush and take down Kansas City. But the question remains and will go unanswered until late April; will Spytek take advantage?