Kansas
In Steve Spagnuolo the Kansas City Chiefs trust. With good reason.
Chiefs head back to the Super Bowl after beating Ravens in AFC Championship
We’re now officially in dynasty territory as the Kansas City Chiefs head back to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years and we tell you how they can win back-to-back.
Like most football coaches, Steve Spagnuolo has lived a nomadic existence.
Five seasons at Connecticut. Two in Maine. One with the Frankfurt Galaxy. Two with the Baltimore Ravens. In 40-plus years as a coach, he’s worked for 15 different teams. The closest he’s come to permanence is when he’s worked with Andy Reid, spending eight years with the Philadelphia Eagles and the last five years with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Given what he’s done with the Chiefs, it’s a good bet the defensive coordinator has a place in Kansas City for as long as he likes.
“I still think ‘Spags’ should be up for assistant coach of the year,” defensive tackle Chris Jones said after the Chiefs harassed Lamar Jackson, the NFL’s likely MVP, into one of his worst-ever performances in last weekend’s AFC championship.
“What he’s been able to do with this defense from last year to this year, how we were able to overcome a lot of humps, how we were able to force a lot of guys to grow,” Jones added. “Last year, we gave up a lot of big plays. This year, L’Jarius Sneed had an All-Pro year, should have been All-Pro. (Trent McDuffie) had an All-Pro year. You could go down the list.”
It’s understandable for Patrick Mahomes and the offense to command most of the attention on the Chiefs, who are verging on New England Patriots-like dynasty territory with their fourth Super Bowl appearance in five seasons. Mahomes is a generational quarterback, capable of making plays even the Madden creators can’t imagine. His connection with Travis Kelce is particularly potent, with the two bumping the likes of Jerry Rice, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski down a notch in the record books.
But the Chiefs aren’t playing the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl next weekend without their defense.
While the offense was a work in progress for much of the season, the defense carried the load, finishing second in the NFL in both points and yards allowed. Despite facing both Jackson and Josh Allen, Kansas City is giving up less than 14 points a game in the playoffs. Jackson finished with his lowest completion rate of the season while Allen had to dink rather than dunk, finishing with his fewest yards gained per pass attempt of the year.
No wonder Kansas City players broke out “In Spags We Trust” T-shirts after beating Baltimore.
“We believe in him wholeheartedly; he believes in us and we believe in each other,” said safety Justin Reid, who organized the T-shirts. “Nobody goes out there and tries to play hero ball. We just play the defense, play our responsibility with intensity and a little bit of violence, and good things happen.”
Spagnuolo’s success as a defensive coordinator is not new. He is, after all, the same guy who designed the game plan the New York Giants used to humble Brady and the previously unbeaten Patriots in Super Bowl 42 to conclude the 2007 season. Brady was under constant pressure and sacked a season-high five times in that game, which he later called “one of my least favorite football memories.”
But what Spagnuolo has done in Kansas City, this year in particular, might be his best work yet.
To say Spagnuolo inherited a defense that needed work is putting it nicely. The Chiefs ranked 24th in the 32-team league in points allowed in 2018, and were second-to-last in yards allowed. Kansas City also was going through a generational change, with players like Allen Bailey, Justin Houston and Steven Nelson giving way to Frank Clark, Derrick Nnadi and Charvarius Ward − who will see his old team in the Super Bowl.
In the five years since Spagnuolo arrived in Kansas City, the Chiefs have been in the top 10 in fewest points allowed all but one year.
“That was important. We have a history together, so I knew what to expect and where he would go with things,” Andy Reid said when asked of the impact hiring Spagnuolo in 2019 had. “What he did with (the younger players) I thought was great, of teaching. All of his guys did that, they did a great job of teaching. The kids were receptive to it, and you’re seeing the rewards of it now.”
Spagnuolo’s strength is fitting his schemes to his players, rather than the other way around. He’s also one of the best at making adjustments, particularly in the second half. In the last eight games, the Chiefs have allowed seven points or less in the last 30 minutes.
In the three playoff games, it’s been a total of 10. That’s right. In the second half against Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins; Allen and the Bills; and Jackson and the Ravens; Kansas City allowed a touchdown and a field goal.
“When the games get bigger, the challenges get higher, (Spagnuolo) performs even better,” Mahomes said after the AFC championship.
Spagnuolo will have to against San Francisco, which ranked second in the NFL in yards this season and third in scoring. Christian McCaffrey is a colossal headache for the entire defense, but he’s far from the only problem. There’s also Deebo Samuel. And Brandon Aiyuk. And George Kittle. Shall I continue?
Even Brock Purdy, who has been dismissed by many as a game manager, showed last week against the Detroit Lions that he’s not to be taken lightly.
But if there’s anyone up for the challenge, it’s Spagnuolo.
“Is it one of the better defenses? Yeah, I’d say it’s one of the better defenses that I’ve been around,” Reid said Monday.
In Spagnuolo the Chiefs trust. With good reason.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
Kansas
Where to watch St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 19
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Friday as the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Kansas City Royals.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals?
First pitch between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals is scheduled for (ET) on Friday, June 19.
How to watch St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals on Friday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Friday, June 19, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
- Matchup: STL at KC
- Date: Friday, June 19
- Time: (ET)
- Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
- Location: Kansas City, Missouri
- TV: Apple TV
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for June 19 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — It’s been a week since the World Cup began in Kansas City, but some local businesses aren’t feeling the expected influx in traffic and are asking for support.
On Thursday, KC2026 provided numbers for the FIFA Fan Festival and the ConnectKC26 transportation system.
From June 11 to June 16, KC2026 said more than 63,000 people attended the FIFA Fan Festival.
There are mixed results for where everyone is from:
- 52% from Kansas or Missouri
- 33% from the United States
- 15% from out of the country
As of 2 p.m. on June 17, ConnectKC26 has a total of 86,540 registered passes.
Breakdown of routes from KC2026:
- Stadium Direct: 57,302
- Regional Direct: 17,284
- Airport Direct: 11,954
As for business traffic, it depends on where you look. Some businesses in the Country Club Plaza said they’ve seen an uptick, especially on the first match day.
“We just had a really fun time with all of the fans, and I think we did a good job preparing for it,” said KC Style Haus Owner, Deserae Minor.
But many businesses are sharing their disappointment online.
‘Ghost town’
Caitlin Benedict, who owns Bisou, a European-style coffee and pastry shop, took to Instagram after shopping at a Crossroads night market.
“We are all in this together, it sucks. It was dead. It’s been dead everywhere,” said Bisou Owner, Caitlin Benedict.
After sharing her disappointment online, she saw an uptick in business on Thursday.
“It’s nice when the community can help out, and you can back up your own hometown at the same time,” said Janet Garciga, who drove in from Lee’s Summit to visit Bisou.
“I don’t want them to just come to Bisou, and I don’t want it to just be for a day. I want them to go everywhere else, and I want them to support everyone else, and consistently, especially for the next month and a half while FIFA is here,” said Benedict.
She heard from businesses experiencing the same issues in Mission, other spots downtown, Kansas City, Kansas, and Overland Park.
Down the road in the Crossroads, Buffalo State Pizza saw fans for the French match on Tuesday.
“But after that, I mean, we even close early on Tuesday because that was, it was dead,” said Buffalo State Pizza Owner, Phillippe Lechevin.
Shopping bags and matchas aren’t filling up at Dear Society either.
“The 10 years that I’ve been here in Kansas City. I have seen a lot of these big events coming into town, and we’ve been told to prepare and get ready for these huge crowds. And to be honest, after the NFL draft and after so many things that I’ve seen in 10 years, I didn’t do anything different,” said Dear Society Owner, Chanel Jezek. “I kind of knew. I had a feeling like we weren’t going to be as busy as they were projecting because they’ve done this to us before.”
Multiple factors = slow traffic
All three, Bisou, Buffalo State Pizza, and Dear Society, said there isn’t really someone to blame, but rather multiple factors that could be part of the issues.
A lot of eateries in town added a 20% automatic gratuity to bills, Bisou and Buffalo State Pizza decided not to take part, but worry that it is keeping locals away.
Visit KC projected 650,000 visitors throughout the entire tournament, and these businesses wonder if the possibility of large crowds and no parking is also keeping residents at home.
“I think we lost a lot of the regular ones. You know, the number was shown earlier back in February, you know, the 600,000 people. People who have the option to work from home, but maybe they didn’t want to deal with the traffic, since there’s no traffic. So hopefully they’re going to come back,” said Lechevin. “People may realize, actually, you know, it’s not as crazy as it is. I can still park in my regular spot and have lunch at my regular spot without being, you know, charged an extra amount.”
Jezek said she’d love to see KC2026 and FIFA add more locally owned businesses on their website so fans know where to find them.
“We are not seeing an increase in traffic on the streets. We are not crowded like they were predicting. You can still come in. You can still support your local businesses, your favorite coffee shops, your favorite places to grab your gifts, or whatever. We’re here. We’re slow. And there are more places to park,” said Jezek.
Benedict said it is an honor to have the World Cup here, but wants to see more honesty and support from leaders.
“I feel like it’s good for our city. It’s recognition. But at the same time, I want leadership to step in and say, okay, we didn’t get as many travelers as we should have,” said Benedict.
These businesses are hopeful that fans, locals, and other owners all come out and support these small shops throughout the metro during the World Cup and beyond.
“I would say just keep coming and supporting us and showing up,” said Jezek.
KCTV5 reached out to Visit KC, but did not have any numbers it could share at this time.
Mayor Quinton Lucas’ office shared the statement below after this story aired on Thursday:
“While the economic impact of a global event of this magnitude will naturally vary by business and by neighborhood, Mayor Lucas is encouraged by what he is hearing from Kansas City’s entertainment and hospitality sectors. Hotels, bars, and restaurants reported strong activity as Kansas City welcomed tens of thousands of guests for the opening match. As we look toward this weekend’s games and the remainder of the tournament, we’ll continue to highlight opportunities for our visitors and residents alike to join in the fun and celebration of this one in a generation moment.”
Businesses are hopeful that the longer the World Cup goes on, the more people will show up. KCTV5 plans to check in with these businesses throughout the tournament to see if traffic picks up.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Cooler temperatures today, but we will keep a chance of thunderstorms going in south-central Kansas this morning. One or two could be strong.
Temperatures stay cooler in southern Kansas thanks to clouds and rain in the area. Warmer temps and sunshine to the north.
Another chance of severe weather will visit Kansas this weekend, with a complex of strong storms rolling across the area Saturday night.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Jack Maney:
Wichita:
Today: Mostly cloudy. 60% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 80 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers. Lo: 62 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 68 Wind: SE 5-15
Wichita Weekly
Sat: Hi: 87 Lo: 73 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 92 Lo: 67 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 65 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 68 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 69 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
SOUTHWEST: Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal, Greensburg, Guymon
Southwest:
Today: Partly to mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 84 Wind: NE/E 10-25
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. Lo: 58 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 62 Wind: SE 5-15
Southwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 92 Lo: 66 Mostly cloudy. 40% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 91 Lo: 59 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 83 Lo: 60 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 61 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 89 Lo: 62 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHWEST: Colby, Goodland, Hill City, Oberlin, McCook
Northwest:
Today: Partly cloudy to mostly sunny. Hi: 86 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tonight: Mostly clear to partly cloudy. Lo: 61 Wind: E/S 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: S/SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 61 Wind: SE 5-15
Northwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 90 Lo: 61 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 84 Lo: 55 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 78 Lo: 56 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 59 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 87 Lo: 60 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHCENTRAL: Salina, Great Bend, Hays, Russell, Beloit, Osborne
North Central:
Today: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 83 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lo: 60 Wind: NE/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 66 Wind: SE 5-15
North Central Weekly
Sat: Hi: 88 Lo: 70 Partly to mostly cloudy. 70% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 88 Lo: 63 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 81 Lo: 62 Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 64 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 67 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
-
Missouri1 minute ago10 pounds of meth found during I-70 traffic stop, Callaway County Sheriff’s Office says
-
Montana2 minutes agoMontana State doctoral student awarded national research service grant for gut microbiome, arsenic research
-
Nebraska9 minutes agoUnderground Railroad site reopens after 7-year closure in Nebraska City
-
Nevada16 minutes agoCaltech readies to build world’s most sensitive radio telescope in Nevada
-
New Hampshire19 minutes agoTransgender former New Hampshire state representative sentenced to 33 years for child sex abuse: report
-
New Jersey24 minutes agoYellowcard Brings Ocean Avenue to New Jersey’s Own Ocean Avenue
-
New Mexico31 minutes agoEdgewood and Santa Fe County finalize agreement to keep emergency services going
-
North Carolina34 minutes ago‘Infuriating, heartbreaking’: Raccoon recovering after getting caught in leg trap at Mecklenburg County park
