Steve Spagnuolo is now the senior defensive assistant for the Ravens, but he has previously been head coach of the Rams, defensive coordinator of the Giants and Saints, and a defensive assistant on the Eagles. He’s seen a lot of NFL defenses.
But he thinks this Ravens team has as good a defense as he’s ever seen, anywhere.
Spagnuolo says he loves the defense he’s now coaching in Baltimore, and he says the way they’ll be able to get after the quarterback compares favorably to the excellent Super Bowl-winning Giants defensive line of 2007, when the Giants led the league in sacks and won the Super Bowl.
“Defensively, wow,” Spagnuolo told the team’s website. “I had little visions of the Giants’ front that I happened to be privileged to be working with. This is as good a looking football team that I’ve ever seen. I’m talking about physically and stout.”
Spagnuolo said a team with pass rushers including Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, Haloti Ngata, Arthur Jones, Chris Canty and Pernell McPhee also happens to have some pretty good coaches.
“A lot of times you look on another team’s roster and you say, ‘They have great players. That’s why they are good,’” Spagnuolo said. “It’s not just great players here. It’s great players and great coaches. This defensive coaching staff is as fine as I’ve ever been around.”
And Spagnuolo has been around a long time.