Super Bowl LV Heads to Tampa Bay
By Ras H. Siddiqui
Super Bowl LV (Fifty-Five) heads to the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, February 7, 2021 ending what is possibly the most unusual season of football ever encountered in the history of the game. The Corona virus or COVID-19 has impacted all team sports around the globe and the National Football League (NFL) games have been no exception. The NFL really needs to be commended for keeping the sport alive in 2020-21 season year against all odds. The cancellation of the Pro-Bowl this year offers some indication of the challenges faced, but the final post season game thankfully goes on.
Just when one may have thought that the upcoming contest could be overlooked this time because of an erratic 2020 and an uncertain 2021, some interesting twists in this particular game have generated interest. In this Super Bowl it is the return of the American Football Conference (AFC) champs, Kansas City Chiefs (who beat the San Francisco 49ers during last year’s Super Bowl game) facing off against the National Football Conference (NFC) winners, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in what could turn out to be a great matchup.
First off let us point out some facts. This game on February 7 th is being played in Tampa Bay. Remarkably, the Buccaneers will be playing in their own stadium, so there remains the home field advantage factor, even without the usual huge audience of fans (it has been reported that the stadium may be at around 25% capacity) due to the limitations placed by the pandemic. Second, the winningest quarterback in the history of the game, Tom Brady who already has won a record six Super Bowl championship rings, leads the Buccaneers. This is his 10 th Super Bowl appearance and his unmatched championship game winning experience on the field could be considered a Tampa Bay advantage. But is the 43-year-old Brady past his prime as he is going up against the 25-year-young Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes? And can Brady win a Super Bowl without his New England Patriots coach and mentor Bill Belichick? The game on Super Sunday will reveal the answer.
The Chiefs (14-2) are up against the Buccaneers (11-5) an indication of why they (Chiefs) are the favored team in this Super Bowl. In the AFC Championship game this year the Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills 38-24 and in NFC Championship the Bucs defeated the Green Bay Packers 31-26. The Packers had the best record for the regular season in the NFC. But can the Buccaneers repeat the same feat against the Chiefs who have the best win-loss record of any team in the 2020-21 season? Let us see how the two match up against each other.
The stats slightly favor the Chiefs on offense. Mahomes has 4740 yards passing during the season with a slight edge over Brady’s 4633 yards. And the Chiefs have some great receivers to help Mahomes including Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill who appear to be unstoppable. Running Backs Darrel Williams and Clyde Edwards-Helaire have also found their groove in rushing for the Chiefs recently. On the other hand, Tom Brady has counted on Wide Receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on offense. Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II have also been carrying the Buccaneer’s somewhat weaker rushing game this season. The Chiefs have been 1 st in passing yards, 16 th in rushing and 1 st in total yards per game this season. The Buccaneers on the other hand have been 4 th in passing yards, 28 th in rushing and 11 th in total yards per game. On offense, the advantage lies with the Chiefs.
But ask any expert of the game and the answer one usually gets is that a great offense is necessary, but it is the team defense that wins a football game. It is here that the Buccaneers might just edge the Chiefs out. Linebackers Jason Pierre-Paul and Devin White of Tampa Bay have a formidable sack record this season and could really have Mahomes on the backfoot if his offensive line does not provide enough protection. For Kansas City it has been Chris Jones and Frank Clark leading in sacks but not anywhere close to the Buccaneer defensive players. Both teams are pretty evenly matched in points allowed per game with Tampa Bay having a slight edge here. A thin advantage on defense goes to the Buccaneers in this contest.
Which team will be victorious and raise the Vince Lombardi trophy on the completion of Super Bowl LV? This one is a real head scratcher. The answer may lie in how much protection the veteran of this game, Tom Brady, will have from his offensive line. If he gets enough time to throw the ball accurately and is not under pressure, he can win his record seventh Super Bowl. Brady has proven that he can accomplish anything over many years. Naturally, the Chiefs will not make it that easy, but it can be done. On the other hand, barring any major turnovers I am going to agree with the pundits and predict a narrow Chiefs victory. And whoever the winner is, let us hope for a great halftime show because if there ever was a time when our country needed some cheering up, it is unreservedly today.
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