What a season for the NFL! Despite a global pandemic threatening the NFL season, the league pushed through and now the end is in sight. This year was nothing short of spectacular. Aaron Rodgers, Alvin Kamara, and Josh Allen had MVP worthy seasons. Alex Smith remarkably came back from a devastating leg injury, leading the Washington Football Team to the playoffs. The Browns, Bills, and Buccaneers ended miserable playoff droughts. For the first time in NFL history, an NFL game was played on every game of the week as a product of rescheduling games. Absolute madness!
On February 7th, 2021, the culmination of blood, sweat, tears, and rapid testing will result in one final showdown in Tampa, Florida. The NFL's marquee evening will pit two remarkable quarterbacks on the gridiron in a highly anticipated matchup. So who will reach the highest pinnacle and take home pro football's most prestigious award? Read on to find out...
Who's in?
NFC Champion
#5 Seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14-5)
Last Super Bowl appearance (2002 season)- defeated Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl 37; 1-0 in Super Bowls
For the first time in 18 years, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be playing for the right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. The Buccaneers came into the 2020-21 season with high aspirations after acquiring long-time New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady via free agency. His presence attracted many other free agents including running back Leonard Fournette from the Jaguars and much maligned receiver Antonio Brown. Brady was even able to get future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski out of retirement for one more run at a Super Bowl ring.
The regular season was a solid one for the Bucs. Although they struggled in primetime games with losses to the Rams, Bears, and Saints, Tampa found its groove as they roll into Super Bowl LV on an impressive seven game win streak. Who is their last loss to? The Kansas City Chiefs of course. In the playoffs, the Buccaneers overcame a spirited effort by the Washington Football Team and Taylor Heinicke in the Wild Card round before forcing four turnovers against the Saints in the Divisional Round. In the NFC Championship, the Buccaneers raced out to a 28-10 lead before fending off a rally by Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to advance to their second Super Bowl in franchise history.
With the win, the Bucs became the first team to win three road playoff games to advance to the Super Bowl since the 2010 Packers. Will Brady continue to defy the odds and win his unprecedented SEVENTH Super Bowl?
AFC Champion
#1 Seed: Kansas City Chiefs (16-2)
Last Super Bowl appearance (2019 season)- defeated San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54; 2-1 in Super Bowls
The AFC was as competitive as its been in quite a while but nothing was stopping Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs from making it back to the Super Bowl.
It's not a shock that K.C. is back in the big game. They were the heavy favorites to return. However, it is easier said than done. For many teams following a Super Bowl championship, the drive to win "another one" isn't always there. With the Chiefs finishing with just two losses on the season, that certainly is not the case. They've had a couple of close calls against mediocre teams but have elevated their level of play against winning teams like the Ravens, Saints, Browns, and Bills, and Dolphins. After an injury scare to Mahomes in the Divisional Round, he showed why he is the class of the AFC with a convincing win over a 15-3 Buffalo Bills team. Now just 60 minutes stands in the way between a back-to-back title for the Arrowhead faithful.
Halftime Show:"The Weeknd"
Game Analysis
The time has come for the nation’s biggest sporting event of the year. It’s the 55th installment of the Super Bowl and this year's edition is destined to be a classic. The champions of the AFC, the number one seeded Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes roll into town to take on legendary quarterback Tom Brady and the fifth seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, FL.
The Buccaneers are the first team in NFL history to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium. The home-field advantage won't be as overbearing as it could've been due to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a limited capacity crowd. It is great to see Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL give back to the community as the league is donating 7,500 of its 22,000 tickets to vaccinated health care workers from the communities of the 32 NFL teams and throughout the central Florida area.
This isn't the only unprecedented headline in the Super Bowl. How about Tom Brady in his TENTH Super Bowl appearance? Simply incredible. To put that into perspective, that is more than NFL greats Dan Marino, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Brett Favre combined. The impact of Tom Brady is undeniable. A team that hadn’t made the playoffs since 2007 and has been near the bottom of the conference for the last decade is now in the Super Bowl.
This game will feature some electrifying talent on the offensive side of the ball. For the Chiefs, there are two names that you NEED to know. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. The latter had one of the best seasons EVER at his position. With 105 receptions for 1,416 yards and 11 touchdowns in the regular season, Kelce has become a matchup nightmare. If you blink, it's easy to lose track of Hill and his blazing speed. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has found creative ways to get both of these stars the football and that should continue on February 7th.
For Tampa Bay, the offensive weapons are seemingly endless. Mike Evans has been an incredible receiver for Tampa Bay throughout his career. In his seven seasons with the team, he's had at least 1,000 yards receiving in all of them. With Brady at QB, Evans eclipsed a career high in touchdown receptions with a baker's dozen (13) in 2020. A reliable threat in the red-zone, Evans is essentially a lock to make plays inside the 20-yard line.
Meanwhile, receiver Chris Godwin has really struggled with drops throughout the playoffs but redeemed himself with a five reception, 110 yard performance in the NFC Championship against the Packers. If Godwin can regain his confidence for the Super Bowl, that could open the door for the Bucs' supporting receivers like Antonio Brown, Tyler Johnson and Scotty Miller to get into the action.
The Bucs' running game is headlined with a two-headed attack with Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones. Meanwhile, the Chiefs have three running backs that could make plays on Super Sunday. Rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire started the season leading the backfield with Le'Veon Bell added to the team in October. However, the hot hand for K.C. is Darrel Williams who has led the team in rushing attempts during the playoffs. I'd anticipate Williams getting the bulk of the action with Edwards-Helaire and Bell rotating in.
For the Buccaneers’ defense, the main focus needs to be shutting down Tyreek Hill. In Week 12 of the regular season, Hill had a career day with 13 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns. Will that happen again? Probably not. However, Hill is a player that literally has game-breaking potential every time he touches the ball.
For slowing down high-powered offenses like Kansas City, the pass rush needs to be on point. Luckily for Tampa Bay, their defensive ends are coming off of monster games. Against Green Bay’s top-tier offensive line, Shaquil Barrett (three sacks) and Jason Pierre-Paul (two sacks) made life miserable for Aaron Rodgers on several occasions. With Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher suffering an achilles tear in the AFC Championship, an opportunity for Tampa Bay's d-line seems to be there for the taking.
The Buccaneers have been a very opportunistic team. When the defense makes a play, Brady and the offense almost always find a way to punch it into the end-zone. The Chiefs aren’t going to make many mistakes so if they do, Tampa Bay has to capitalize with touchdowns, not field goals. The word "opportunistic" can also be said for the Chiefs' defense who finished in the top ten in total takeaways with 22 in the regular season.
The one weakness for Kansas City are their slow starts in the playoffs during recent performances. Likewise, their strength is their remarkable trademark to rally back. In Super Bowl 54, Chiefs fell behind 20-10 with under seven minutes left before a remarkable 21 unanswered points sealed the deal. If the Chiefs are able to avoid a sluggish start, they should be in great shape to win this game. If not, this game will likely be decided in the final moments.
With the limited capacity crowd favoring Tampa Bay, I envision a hot start from the Buccaneers offense before Mahomes and Co. settle in to a rhythm. With "The Weeknd" coming out for what should be a fantastic halftime show, Super Bowl LV will still be there for either team to steal the momentum.
In the second half, the Chiefs will begin to exert their dominance and expand their lead to two scores. While the Bucs will keep things interesting for the majority of the game, Kansas City is clearly the better team in this matchup.
With a decisive home-field advantage in the big game, it certainly wouldn't surprise me if Tom Brady works his Super Bowl magic once again (*cough* 28-3 *cough*). His three-interception NFC Championship performance does scare me a bit though. When the dust settles in the Sunshine State, the Kansas City Chiefs will become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champion since the ‘03-’04 Patriots and set the foundation for yet another NFL dynasty.
Final Score: Chiefs 34, Buccaneers 23
Super Bowl MVP: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
Game Projection
1st Quarter:
Mike Evans 4 yard TD REC from Brady- 7-0 Buccaneers
Ryan Succop 46 yard FG- 10-0 Buccaneers
2nd Quarter:
Tyreek Hill 22 yard TD REC from Mahomes- 10-7 Buccaneers
Travis Kelce 7 yard TD REC from Mahomes- 14-10 Chiefs
Ryan Succop 39 yard FG- 14-13 Chiefs
HALFTIME: Chiefs 14, Buccaneers 13
3rd Quarter:
Tyreek Hill 56 yard TD REC- 21-13 Chiefs
Clyde Edwards-Helaire 2 yard TD run- 28-13 Chiefs
4th Quarter:
Leonard Fournette 3 yard TD REC- 28-20 Chiefs
Ryan Succop 43 yard FG- 28-23 Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes 2 yard TD rush (XP miss)- 34-23 Chiefs
Final Score: Chiefs 34, Buccaneers 23
The X-Factor
Which "unheralded" player will step up on Super Sunday?
Sean Murphy-Bunting, Cornerback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The second-year pro out of Central Michigan has really carved out a nice role on the Bucs' defense. However, Murphy-Bunting has stepped up his game in the postseason. He is the first player with an interception in his first three postseason games since Hall of Famer Ed Reed via NFL Research. The challenge will be steep against receivers like Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, and Mecole Hardman but I'm confident he'll be able to hold his own.
Darrel Williams, Running Back, Kansas City Chiefs
It will be interesting to see the rotation strategy between Edwards-Helaire, Bell, and Williams in the backfield. Williams is the healthiest of the three backs so he should get the bulk of the carries. I don’t expect the running game but be the focal point for the Chiefs but they will still need solid blocking and a few supporting catches out of the backfield to keep the Buccaneers' defense honest.
L’Jarius Sneed, Cornerback, Kansas City Chiefs
It’s not very often that a rookie can come in and make a big impact on a defending Super Bowl champion but the former Lousiana Tech Bulldog has made a positive impact for the Chiefs improved defense. Despite missing half the season with a broken collarbone, Sneed still remains tied for the team lead in total interceptions (3). Unfortunately, Sneed's bad injury luck continued last week as he suffered a concussion in the AFC Championship. On the bright side, a two week layoff should provide the opportunity for Sneed to clear concussion protocol and make his name known on Super Bowl Sunday.
Cameron Brate, Tight End, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With so many weapons for Tampa Bay, Brate’s recent emergence could be the difference in the Super Bowl. After starting tight end O.J. Howard went down with a season-ending achilles tear in Week 4, the Bucs needed someone to fill the void. In terms of production, Brate has overtaken Gronkowski as go-to tight end in Byron Leftwich’s offensive system. Despite playing under 50% of the offensive snaps (Pro Football Reference) in every game but one this season, the Harvard product has made the most of his opportunities. Brate has gotten at least five targets throughout every game in the playoffs. In crunch time, don’t be surprised if Brate makes a key catch to ignite Tampa’s offense.
Bold Predictions
#1. Sean Murphy-Bunting records an interception in his fourth straight game
#2. Both kickers hit the crossbar on field goal/extra point attempts
#3. Antonio Brown outgains Chris Godwin in yards and receptions
#4. Patrick Mahomes will throw a first-quarter interception
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