An Unfair Steve Spagnuolo Safety Blitz

This safety blitz comes from the sick, sick mind of Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Before we get into this particular play, it’s important to set the stage for how this blitz was set up. This was a Week 2 game between the Chiefs and Bengals during the 2024 season. The Bengals were without their #2 receiver Tee Higgins. So Spagnuolo dedicated extra attention to Ja’Marr Chase, doubling him in various ways throughout the game.

This particular play was a 3rd-and-6 with just three-and-a-half minutes remaining and the Bengals leading by 2.

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First, notice that Chase was aligned as the single receiver to the right side here:

Burrow was probably anticipating another double-team based on what he’d seen all afternoon. And the extra defender in the double was likely coming from the safety to Chase’s side (Chamarri Conner):

Against a Steve Spagnuolo defense, quarterbacks have to anticipate blitzes and have answers, particularly in critical situations.

If he was going to bring pressure here to try to get a free rusher that the protection couldn’t pick up (something he’s great at doing), it seemed that Burrow thought it would come from the offense’s left since Conner would be helping out on Chase:

So Burrow moved his tight end in the backfield to that side before the snap: