The Kansas City Chiefs pulled off a huge comeback win on Sunday. Dropping their third consecutive game could've probably ended their playoff hopes for the season, especially against a fellow AFC contender like the Indianapolis Colts.
It wasn't easy, and it definitely wasn't pretty, but the Chiefs managed to keep Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor in check. More importantly, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes worked their way around Lou Anarumo's stellar and revamped defense. Now, they may not have to face him again for a while, all thanks to the New York Giants.
Giants' Interest in Lou Anarumo is Good News For The Chiefs
Anarumo is reportedly one of the leading candidates for the Giants' head coaching position. According to a report from Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, via Anthony Rivardo of Empire Sports Media, his ties to the organization and GM Joe Schoen give him the upper hand:
"The post suggests that Anarumo’s ties to Giants general manager Joe Schoen will likely make him a more attractive candidate within the organization," Rivardo wrote. "Anarumo and Schoen had overlapping years with the Miami Dolphins. Anarumo was a member of Miami’s coaching staff from 2012 to 2017, while Schoen was in the Dolphins’ front office from 2008 to 2016. Following his departure from Miami, Anarumo became the Giants’ defensive backs coach in 2018."
First things first, this is a tremendous turn from prior reports indicating that one of Matt Nagy or Steve Spagnuolo could ultimately wind up being the primary target of New York's front office. Should Anarumo be their guy, this allows for Andy Reid to be able to make decisions regarding the future of those two coordinators in Kansas City at the end of the 2025 campaign, rather than having that choice forced upon him.
This is a key part of this story. Even if the Giants hire a coach from another team, such as Anarumo, the Chiefs could still elect to make changes to their coaching staff. Given the up-and-down season that Kansas City has been forced to work through, it would be understandable for Reid or the front office to have some concerns over running it back with the same voices in charge in the locker room and on the field.
Anarumo was the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2024. With him there, Mahomes and the Chiefs logged a 4-3 record against the Bengals, including 1-1 in the playoffs. He's one of the few coaches who has had some degree of success against Mahomes since he became a starter in 2018.
With that in mind, having him join an NFC East team would be great news for the Chiefs. He wouldn't be much of a threat unless they meet in the Super Bowl or they face off with the Giants every once in a while in the regular season.
Only three teams -- Buffalo Bills (5-1), Tennessee Titans (2-1), and Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) -- have winning records against Mahomes. The Bengals weren't one of those teams, but not by much. And with the Colts looking like a perennial playoff contender now, having Anarumo somewhere else could work wonders for the Chiefs' aspirations in the AFC.
The conference is as stacked as it'll ever be, with teams like the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Bills, Bengals, and Colts all looking strong for years to come. As such, not having one of the sharpest defensive minds in the game in the AFC, as well as the flexibility to make their own decisions regarding the future of the coaching staff, is most definitely great news.