The biggest sporting event of the year in American sports is finally here. This year\’s Super Bowl will be contested by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams have done well to get this far and will be dreaming of finishing this season off on top. This Super Bowl gives us plenty of storylines heading into this game. We get a Brady vs Mahomes matchup that could end up being the passing of the torch or the one last boost to a greatest of all time claim. Let\’s break it all down.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers led by Tom Brady and coach Bruce Arians have reached the Super Bowl for the first time since 2003. After going 11-5 during the regular season the Buccaneers were forced to play on the road due to the Saints winning the division. They began their road to the Super Bowl with a 31-23 win at Washington. The following week Tampa traveled to division rival New Orleans and finally got the better of a team that had defeated the Bucs twice already this season. Tampa then went up north and slayed the Packers to book their place in this year\’s Super Bowl.
Now it can be said that Tampa has been fortunate to make it this far. But in the world of sports, it doesn\’t matter how you make it to the final. All that matters is that you do in fact make it to the final. That\’s exactly what Tampa did and it is fully deserved. Tom Brady will no doubt get most of the credit, but it has been the defense that has shined the brightest.
The Buccaneers defense led by Devin White made Drew Brees look like an average QB. The following week they keep Aaron Rodgers from staging a comeback when their offense disappeared in the second half. In fact, the offense was only able to get 3 points in the second half due to the defense forcing a turnover. If the Buccaneers are to win the Super Bowl it will have to be by their defense. It is imperative that they slow Mahomes down otherwise things could turn ugly fast.
The Buccaneers do however have one advantage on their side. The Super Bowl will be played in their home stadium. After playing the entire postseason on the road they get rewarded with a home Super Bowl. They did it the hard way, but like I said before it doesn\’t matter how you make it, just that you do make it.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs had a much different route than the road warriors from Tampa. Kansas City cruised through the regular season with a 14-2 record. It was the best record in the league and also earned them one of only two first-round byes. The Chiefs welcomed the Cleveland Browns before sending them home with a 22-17 defeat. Kansas City then swept aside the Bills to secure their spot in the Super Bowl. Because of their record, the Chiefs haven\’t played a meaningful game on the road in over a month.
Kansas City is led by its high powered offense. The trio of Mahomes, Hill, and Kelce gives defenses nightmares as they can beat you in many different ways. Arguably the best QB in the league right now Mahomes can do just about everything you could ask for from a QB. His two favorite weapons Hill and Kelce present their own devastating problems. Hill, a speed demon, can turn a 5 yard catch into a long TD in the blink of an eye. Kelce, a physical TE, dominates the middle of the field. If these three catch fire, it\’s game over for Tampa.
The Chiefs are one win away from finishing off a fantastic season. Oh, and did I mention that they won the Super Bowl last season as well? That\’s right this team is looking to become the 10th team in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowls. The last team to win two straight Super Bowls? The New England Patriots led by Tom Brady.
Even though this will essentially be a road game for the Chiefs it shouldn\’t bother them too much. This team has the experience of last season to help them cope with any adversities. The main worry would be that this team tends to start games off slow. So far, they have been able to overcome their slow starts, but it could prove fatal this time around.
Final Verdict
We\’ve waited two weeks for this game and I expect it to be a great game. There is some potential for a blowout especially if Kansas City comes out firing. But whether you love him or hate him Tom Brady has never had a Super Bowl that was a blowout. I expect this game to be close throughout and even potentially come down to the last drive. Brady will have eyes on his seventh Super Bowl cementing himself as the most successful QB of all time. Meanwhile, Mahomes dreams of repeating and kickstarting his own hall of fame career. In the end, only one can ascend to glory.
Kansas City Chiefs 30 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24