Super Bowl LV is here and the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will kickoff on Sunday for a right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. I also like to look at the game through the lens of the storylines heading into the game. There are enough strategic breakdowns of the game all week, so I like looking at the angles leading up to the game. There are plenty of storylines heading into this game. . This game will always be known as the Covid Super Bowl. For the first time in my life, the Super Bowl just feels like a normal game this year. There was no big media night, radio row was basically empty, there was not a lot of media members down in Tampa all week, and even the Chiefs flew in on Saturday like a normal road game. You just didn't get the feel of the Super Bowl atmosphere all week. In any event, here are the storylines for this matchup before I get to the preview and prediction)
I)The GOAT against the new GOAT: Tom Brady vs. Pat Mahomes is the QB matchup for this Super Bowl and it might be the greatest QB matchup of all time in a Super Bowl. You have the greatest QB of all time going up against a guy that could be on his way to challenge that. It is a passing of the torch type of matchup.
II) The Chiefs Attempt to Become the Next Dynasty: After winning last year's Super Bowl, the Chiefs are now looking to win back-to-back Super Bowls for the first time since the 2003-2004 Patriots. The Chiefs have a chance to establish their own dynasty by grabbing back-to-back Lombardi Trophies.
III) Tom Brady Going for #7: Brady is playing in his 10th Super Bowl and he going for his seventh Super Bowl title. That is such an amazing stat and his legacy is further cemented by taking Tampa Bay to this Super Bowl. If he can pull off his seventh Super Bowl title, with a new team no less, it will put Brady up there with some of the greatest athletes of all time.
IV) Bucs Playing a "Home" Super Bowl: This is the first time ever in Super Bowl history that a team is playing in its' home stadium. The Buccaneers are playing in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa and you have to wonder how much of an advantage that will be for them. It will be interesting to see for the first time how this will affect both teams.
V) Andy Reid's Legacy: Andy Reid was always considered one of the best coaches to never win a Super Bowl. Then, last year he broke through and won his first Super Bowl. Now, Reid has a chance to win his second Super Bowl and that could put him in a tier of some of the greatest coaches of all time.
VI) Covid Super Bowl: As I stated earlier, the Super Bowl will look different this year. There will only be 25,000 fans in the stands. There won't be all the media and usual weekly Super Bowl activities leading up to the game. The Chiefs will be arriving only a few days before the game. It will feel like a regular game instead of the event that the Super Bowl has become. Plus, you are playing the game on the backdrop of a pandemic that is still taking a toll on our country.
Now, onto the picks for Super Bowl LV....
Last Week's Record (1-1)
Playoff Record: (5-7)
Overall Season Record: 131-130-12)
Super Bowl LV
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A Case for the Chiefs: How can you bet against the Chiefs? They have lost only one game when Pat Mahomes was starting the last year and a half. They are pretty much unstoppable on offense with Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill. No one can guard these players. They ripped through the Tampa Bay defense in November when they played in Tampa Bay. The Bucs had no answer early in that game and the game was not as close as the score indicated. The Bucs secondary might also be banged up for this game. If they are down a few players in the secondary, then the Chiefs will exploit them and take advantage. Plus, one of the few bad games that Mahomes has ever played in was in last year's Super Bowl, and the Chiefs still won the game. I can't see him playing poorly in another Super Bowl. I can see him having his usual big day. The homefield that the Bucs would normally have playing in their home stadium might not mean much at all because there will only be 25,000 fans at the game. We are in the Pat Mahomes era right now in the NFL. The Chiefs are the best team, Mahomes is the best QB, and Andy Reid is the best coach. They are the new dynasty in the NFL.
A Case for the Bucs: The Bucs are the underdog but have a legitimate case to make on why they can win this game. Their defense has guys playing at a big time level: Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett, Devin White, and Lavonte David have all had strong postseasons. If they can keep it going in this game, they can give themselves a shot. Also, Vita Vea came back from injury for the NFC Championship Game and played really well. He could be a factor as well. Plus, with both KC offensive tackles out of the game with injury, then maybe the Bucs pass rush can disrupt Mahomes just enough. I like what Todd Bowles has done as far as a defensive coordinator and I think he could potentially formulate a plan to somehow slow Mahomes down. I think the home crowd won't be a factor in terms in crowd noise, but I think playing at Raymond James Stadium and being home all week just like a regular home game could help the Bucs in preparation for this game. Finally, they have Tom Brady at QB. The greatest QB of all time is still playing at a high level and he brought this Bucs team to this point. Anytime you have Tom Brady, especially in the Super Bowl, you have a great chance to win.
Prediction: Kansas City (-3) over Tampa Bay: The Chiefs will win their second straight Super Bowl and their third overall in franchise history. Pat Mahomes will win the Super Bowl MVP award as KC builds a big lead and holds off Tom Brady and the Bucs to win by 10.
Final Score: Chiefs-34 Buccaneers-24
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