The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs will square off in Week 6 of the 2025 season on “Sunday Night Football.”
“Got a lot of respect for what Coach (Andy) Reid has done,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said on Wednesday. “(Defensive Coordinator Steve) Spagnuolo, man; outstanding defensive coordinator. They’ve been intact, that staff, these players have been intact for a long time. They’ve got a really good system; they’re good at it. They’ve evolved to the point now that they’ve kind of seen everything; they kind of do everything. They’re very good at it, very disciplined.”
Let’s take a closer look at the Chiefs’ coaching staff, the scheme that they run, and some scouting notes from previously viewed games.
NFL coaching seasons: 34 seasons
Head coaching seasons: 27 seasons; 14 with Eagles (1999-2012), 13 with Chiefs (2013-present)
Super Bowls: Six appearances, winning three of five Chiefs (2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025)
Coaching traits: Culture builder – Championship mentality – Player developer – Play designer
Influences: Mike Holmgren, LaVell Edwards, Bill Walsh, Sherman Lewis
Playcaller: Yes
Offensive coordinator: Matt Nagy
NFL coaching seasons: 18 seasons
Offensive coordinator seasons: 5th, all with Chiefs (2016-17, 2023-present)
Head coach: Chicago Bears (2018-21)
Influences: Andy Reid, Marty Mornhinweg, Doug Pederson, Pat Shurmur, Brad Childress, James Urban
Key Staff: Mark Deleone, running backs coach (former Lions LB coach, 2021)
Offensive scheme
Passing game: Pro Spread
Running scheme: Inside Zone
Staples of scheme:
- Personnel: 11 (49.2%, 23rd), 12 (31.8%, 8th), 13 (5.4%, 11th), 21 (4.1%, 10th)
- Core West Coast concepts: Play-action (27.7%, 8th), pre-snap motion, and bunch formations
- Lean on Mahomes’ mobility to extend plays and contribute in the run game
- Shotgun orientated
- Spread defenses out with speed WRs and flexible TEs
- Quick-hitting passing attack; crossers, flats, and curls – YAC
- Not afraid to test defenses deep with WR speed
- Screens act as an extension of the run game
- Run game uses power-based RBs to complement a QB who can scramble
Scouting notes
- Expect a Ravens-type game plan for Mahomes from the Lions
- Lots of eye candy (pre-snap movement)
- Top 10 in 12 personnel use; designed for disguise with Travis Kelce shifting
- Lions can handle confusing pre-snap looks because they live in Base personnel
- Speed, speed, speed at wide receiver
- 3 WRs with sub-4.3 speed: Xavier Worthy (4.21), Hollywood Brown (4.27), Tyquan Thornton (4.28)
- Screens go all over the field, to both RBs and WRs
- Speed WRs are mainly used for YAC and but will test with deep shots
- 665 YAC is the fourth most in the NFL
- Run game gets downhill in a hurry
- Mahomes leads the team with 190 rushing yards; RBs Isiah Pacheco has 164, and Kareem Hunt has 163
- Chiefs are committing 8.4 penalties per game, 22nd most (13 in Week 5)
- RT Jawaan Taylor is the most penalized player in the NFL
Dan Campbell on the Chiefs’ offense:
“Offense starts with the quarterback, man, they’ve got speed on the perimeter. This back is a violent runner and he’s got juice. This is a good offensive line.”
Defensive coordinator: Steve Spagnuolo
NFL coaching seasons: 33 seasons
Defensive coordinator seasons: 13 seasons; Giants (2007-8, 2015-17), Saints (2012), Chiefs (2019-present)
Head coach: Rams 2009-11, interim HC 2017
Influences: Jim Johnson, John Harbaugh, Dean Pees, Joe Vitt, Ron Rivera, Leslie Frazier, Sean McDermott
Key Staff: Joe Cullen, defensive line coach (Lions DL coach 2006-08)
Defensive scheme
Base: 4-2, Bump-and-Run
Coverage: Balanced, but zone-leaning coverages
Staples of scheme:
- Zone Coverage: 66%, mainly Cover 2 (22%) and Cover 3 (23%)
- Man coverage: Cover 1 (15%), Cover-0 (11%, highest rate in the NFL)
- Aggressive but balanced front with an adaptable back-seven
- DL gets upfield in a hurry
- Consistent 4-man front – rotate eight DL
- Will use 3rd SAM LB – not too far off how the Lions use Derrick Barnes
- Top 10 blitz rate (30.6%) – especially on 3rd down
- A lot of subpackage looks (five defensive backs) in the secondary
Scouting notes
- Pressure is slow to come (average time to pressure: 2.71 seconds, 24th) …
- … but zone coverage behind DL helps them get home (pressure rate: 37.2%, 10th)
- DL’s aggression can be used against them
- Chris Jones moves all over the defensive line, works from 3- to 7-technique
- Chiefs don’t stack the box much (18.6%, 23rd) – leaves them vulnerable against the run
- SAM LB (Leo Chenal) lined up with DL as a spy in obvious passing situations
- Blitzed a bunch vs. Jaguars, including CBs – didn’t get home much, leaving safeties vulnerable
- Use safety-types in the slot
Dan Campbell on the Chiefs’ defense
“They’ve got (DL Chris Jones) 95 there in the middle, he’s disruptive. I think (LB Nick) Bolton is an outstanding linebacker. Key diagnose, he’s all over the field, smart as hell. (CB Trent) McDuffie’s a good player, (S Bryan) Cook’s a good safety. I mean, they’ve got a number of guys. (DE George Karlaftis) 56 can get on you. So, it’s a big challenge.”
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