Super Bowl LV Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Kansas City Chiefs
After a season rife with uncertainty, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs have reached Super Bowl LV. But who will take home the Lombardi Trophy?
Both Tampa Bay and Kansas City took very different roads to the Super Bowl. The Buccaneers ran the NFC Wild Card road to become the first team to play in a Super Bowl in their home stadium. The Chiefs dominated the AFC to claim their second consecutive conference title.
Tom Brady will be seeking to add a seventh Super Bowl win to his incredible resume. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes is aiming to add to a growing legend of his own and win back-to-back titles. Strap in as we unpack the keys to what should be a titanic clash.
The Case for Tampa Bay
This season Tom Brady led a potent offense that finished 3rd overall in scoring. And the Buccaneers will need to try and win a shoot-out, like the Las Vegas Raiders did in Kansas City’s lone meaningful defeat this season in Week 5.
Tampa Bay should be up to the task, having averaged 30.7 points per game during their postseason run so far.
When these two teams met in Week 12, Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill feasted against single coverage, racking up 203 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter. Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis simply could not live with Hill’s speed. Tampa Bay’s fastest defensive back Jamel Dean will be available to play this week, and he could be the key to corralling Hill.
The Buccaneers also need to account for tight end Travis Kelce, who dominates the middle of the field. Linebacker Devin White has the speed to run with Kelce, but not necessarily the finesse to counter the All-Pro’s route running. Expect two defenders to track both Kelce and Hill, while Tampa Bay rely on their other defenders winning one-on-one battles with Kansas City’s other receivers.
But even then, quarterback Patrick Mahomes has proved almost invincible against defenses this season. Tampa Bay boasts a ferocious front seven, headlined by Shaq Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, and defensive tackle Vita Vea. This unit needs to batter Mahomes and disrupt him with pressure, but not so much that they allow him to buy time and scramble.
They might be able to succeed. Kansas City’s offensive line is struggling with injuries, having lost key left tackle Eric Fisher to a torn ACL in the AFC Championship win over Buffalo. Replacement Mike Remmers has played in a Super Bowl before, but gave up three sacks to the Denver Broncos in 2015. This match-up is Tampa Bay’s best chance to win the game.
The Case for Kansas City
Despite an impressive season at age 43, Tom Brady has struggled against pressure this season. Historically, the best ways to beat Brady are to get pressure right up the middle, or try and confuse him with coverage. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is good at both, especially against Brady.
Spagnuolo was the coordinator of the 2007 Giants defense that held Brady’s record-setting New England team to 14 points. And with All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones second to only presumptive Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald as an interior rusher, Spagnuolo once again has the personnel who can get to Brady.
Another defensive playmaker will also be a huge difference for Kansas City — safety Tyrann Mathieu. The eighth year veteran has made several huge plays during the Chiefs’ postseason slate, including an interception against Cleveland in the Divisional Round. The wily veteran can help Kansas City deal with Brady’s impressive stable of weapons.
The Chiefs have already dominated a high-octane offense this postseason. They held Buffalo, the league’s second ranked offense, to under 400 total yards during the AFC Championship game. But the Buccaneers arguably have more talent than the Bills, with receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown alongside tight end Rob Gronkowski. Kansas City needs to force the Buccaneers into miscues and hold fast in the redzone.
The Prediction
It’s hard to bet against Mahomes and the Chiefs. They are simply far more talented than pretty much any other team in the league. But there’s a reason why Tom Brady has won six Super Bowls. The living legend nearly always finds a way to win on the biggest stage.
And with a loaded defensive front against a hobbled Chiefs offensive line, Brady may just get enough support from the rest of the Buccaneers to win a close game against Mahomes.
If Brady can keep the game close and the defense can dig in, he should be hoisting his seventh Lombardi Trophy as the Buccaneers become the first team to win a Super Bowl in their home stadium.
