We made it, folks. We made it. After a wild NFL regular season with COVID-positive tests and irresponsible breaking of protocols, we have finally made it to Super Bowl Week. At one point this would not have been possible.
That being said, let's talk about the matchup for Super Bowl LV, as Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs are back in the Big Game, while Tom Brady makes his record 10th appearance; this time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams are led by head coaches Andy Reid and Bruce Arians.
What makes this year's Super Bowl special is that the Buccaneers are the first NFL team to play in their home stadium for the Big Game, as well as the first Wild Card team to play in the Super Bowl since the Packers in Super Bowl XLV.
However, due to the ongoing pandemic, COVID-19 health restrictions are limiting stadium capacity to 25,000 fans, marking it the lowest attended Super Bowl.
As we recap both teams' 2020 seasons, let's take a look back at their previous meeting from Week 12, where the Chiefs beat the Buccaneers 27-24 in Tampa. Kansas City wide receiver Tyreek Hill went off with 13 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns.
The Chiefs finished the regular season 14-2 at the top of the entire AFC and NFL, beating the Browns and Bills en route to the title game. Their only losses came at home to the Raiders back in October, and then the final game of the season against the Chargers where the team rested their starters.
Kansas City's offense continues to be extremely productive, ranking first in the NFL in yards (6,653) and sixth in points scored (473).
Mahomes is continuing to prove he's a fresh face of the league, as he made the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season, passing for 4,740 yards and 38 touchdowns, with only six interceptions, while rushing for a career high 308 yards and two scores.
Mahomes' main targets continue to be Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. Hill had 87 receptions for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns, while Kelce set tight end milestones with 105 catches for 1,416 yards and 11 scores. Mahomes' other reliable receivers this season were Demarcus Robinson, Mecole Hardman, and Sammy Watkins.
In the backfield, rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire stepped up and ran for 808 yards and four touchdowns, while also catching 36 passes for 297 yards and a TD alongside Le'Veon Bell, who had 254 yards and two scores after being released by the Jets earlier in the regular season.
After spending his entire 20-year career with the Patriots, Brady, 43, signed with Tampa Bay over the offseason and led the previously underachieving team to an 11-5 record and second place in the NFC South. The Bucs beat Washington, New Orleans, and Green Bay to make their second Super Bowl appearance.
Tampa Bay's offense ranked 7th in league yards (6,145) and third in points scored (492), as Brady had plenty of reliable offensive weapons, including running backs Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette, wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Scotty Miller, and tight ends Rob Gronkowski (Brady's former New England teammate) and Cameron Brate.
Evans led all Bucs receivers with 70 receptions for 1,001 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Jones was the team's leading rusher with 978 yards and seven TDs, while also catching 28 passes for 165 yards and a score.
Tampa Bay's last Super Bowl appearance was Super Bowl XXXVII back in 2003, where the team coached by Jon Gruden soared past his previous and current team the Oakland Raiders 48-21 for their first ever title. This was also the Bucs' last playoff victory before this season.
My Super Bowl LV Prediction: Buccaneers 38, Chiefs 35.
Super Bowl LV MVP: Tom Brady
I expect a very competitive game from both teams, but I think Brady will edge Mahomes in this case for his 7th ring. Brady will pass for over 300 yards and give the Bucs their second title on a game-winning touchdown late in the game.
