dq. Coach Steve Spagnuolo Speaks Out on Nohl Williams’ Future: Will the Kansas City Chiefs Rookie Get Another Shot in Week 6 Against the Detroit Lions?
Will Chiefs rookie CB Nohl Williams play more than four defensive snaps in Week 6 vs. the Lions?
Kansas City Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo explained one of his most perplexing decisions from the team’s Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Chiefs rookie CB Nohl Williams, after three consecutive weeks of locking down everyone he played against, played just four defensive snaps against the Jags in the 31-28 loss. By most measures, he’s one of the most dominant rookie cornerbacks in football this season, yet he didn’t even play 10% of the defensive snaps.
Why did his snaps fall off in Week 5 after consistently rising in the two weeks prior? Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo said the team simply used different personnel packages that he wasn’t involved in.
“No, just more from the standpoint of what packages we had in,” Spagnuolo said. “Because there’s certain packages where he’s in there, and, you know, for whatever reason, we went with the other packages.”
Those specific packages were to keep Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson outside with Chamarri Conner in the slot. But why did they go with those other personnel packages if it meant one of your best players would remain on the sideline?
Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo further elaborates on his decision with Nohl Williams in Week 5
Asked to elaborate further on the personnel decision in Week 5, Spags emphasized that this wasn’t any negative reflection on Williams and his play. It wasn’t punishment or anything like that either. It was simply reflective of the game plan and the personnel packages they had put in for the Jaguars on Monday night.
“Yeah, I mean, I was just saying it wasn’t a reflection on how we thought Nohl (Williams) was doing at all,” Spagnuolo said. “It was really just what we put out there, package-wise. Like, if you guys notice when Nohl goes in, it’s when Trent (McDuffie) goes in at nickel, and, you know, for various reasons, we went the other way with the pieces, and he didn’t end up with as many snaps. That could change this week. I think he’s doing a really good job for us. It doesn’t seem like it’s been too big for him. I was really encouraged by that when he played a bunch of snaps the games before, and depending on which way the game goes in terms of down and distance, we’ll see how many plays he gets at this one.”
The point that Spags brings up about Trent McDuffie is key. When Williams goes opposite Watson, and McDuffie goes to the slot, that is when the defense has proven to be at its best this season. When Chamarri Conner is playing in the slot, it has virtually been as if the team’s playing with 10 men in coverage.
Chamarri Conner vs. Trent McDuffie 2025 slot coverage stats through Week 5 (via Sumer Sports)
- Chamarri Conner (92 coverage snaps): 10 targets, 10 completions allowed (100% completion rate), 1.6 avg. depth of target
- Trent McDuffie (44 coverage snaps): 11 targets, six completions allowed (54.5% completion rate), 11.7 avg. depth of target, two passes defended
One explanation for Monday’s misstep could be the percentage of heavy personnel snaps that the Jaguars ran in Week 5 and how the Chiefs chose to defend that. Trent McDuffie predominantly plays in the slot against 11 personnel (95.5% of slot snaps this season). Less than 70% of Chamarri Conner’s slot snaps have come against 11 personnel. Practically 40% of the Jaguars’ offensive snaps in Week 5 came in a package that wasn’t 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WRs). Still, you’d like to see some adjustment made by Spags to get the best players on the field. We can only hope that the adjustment will come in Week 6 against the Detroit Lions, a team that has played just 55.5% of their offensive snaps in 11 personnel this season.
