Fast Facts About Super Bowl LV
You guys, we are two days away from Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.
Fast facts:
- The game, which will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, will kick off at 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT on CBS.
- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be the first-ever Super Bowl team to play in their home stadium.
- The National Anthem will be performed by R&B artist Jazmine Sullivan and country music singer Eric Church.
- 22,000 fans will be in attendance, including 7,500 COVID-19 vaccinated healthcare workers, who will be guests of the NFL.
- Sarah Thomas will be the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl.
- Poet Amanda Gorman will do a reading during a special pregame coin toss.
The Quarterbacks
We’ve got the G.O.A.T. vs. the probable future G.O.A.T. on Sunday, and is it going to be so much fun.
In this corner, coming in at 6’4, 225 lbs. and 43 years of age, out of the University of Michigan, Buccaneers’ – by way of New England – QB Tom Brady will be playing in his 10th Super Bowl, which is a record. He’s looking to win his seventh championship, which would also be, you guessed it, an NFL record. Fun fact: he’d be breaking his own record of six Super Bowl titles. A win would also make Brady one of only two quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl with multiple franchises. Who was the other? Peyton Manning.
And in this corner, coming in at 6’3, 230 lbs. and 25 years of age, out of Texas Tech University, is Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes will be playing in his second straight Super Bowl, and if Kansas City wins, Mahomes will be the youngest quarterback in NFL history to win multiple Super Bowls.
So many potential records in this one, so let’s head to the next slide and preview the game, shall we?
The Game – Part 1
The last time these two teams played was Week 12, when the Chiefs beat the Bucs, 27-24. The Chiefs had a 17-0 lead behind Tyreek Hill’s 269 receiving yards (over 200 of which came in the first quarter) and three touchdown receptions, but though the Bucs fought back and made adjustments, Kansas City held on. Patrick Mahomes threw for 462 yards and three touchdowns in that game.
That being said, that was then and now this Bucs defense is playing lights out. Offensively, both of these teams are stacked. Between Hill and Travis Kelce, who is a renaissance tight end if I’ve ever seen one, and the magic of Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City is almost unstoppable on offense. Almost.
The Chiefs are going to be without starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz. This might be the difference as the line will be dealing with a front seven of Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett, Ndamukong Suh, Vita Vea, Lavonte David and Devin White. Oof. That pass rush sacked Aaron Rodgers five times in the NFC Championship game. On Sunday, they need to pressure Mahomes, while keeping him in the pocket. And they have to do it by finding a way to contain both Hill and Kelce. If there’s a defense that can do it, it just might be the Bucs.
The Halftime Show
The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show will feature none other than The Weeknd, and though the promos would have you believe otherwise, “Blinding Lights” is not his only good song.
The Weeknd has spent $7 million of his own money to curate the performance to his liking, and a stage has been built within the stadium. The singer said there won’t be any special guests, but does that really surprise anyone? He is, after all, a mother**%&#* starboy. I feel a special performance coming, friends. In case you couldn’t tell, I am a Weeknd Fangirl, and I can’t wait for this one.
The Game – Part 2 – and the Prediction
Meanwhile, over on the Tampa Bay offense, Tom Brady has a plethora of weapons at his disposal, led by wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Rob Gronkowski may not be the Gronk of yore, but he can still do Gronk-like things when needed, see January 24, 2021, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Add in running backs Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette, aka Playoff Lenny, and the Chiefs’ defense will have its hands full.
But with all that, the key to the Chiefs’ defense stopping the G.O.A.T. is bringing pressure, especially interior pressure, to Brady. Is Chris Jones the man for the job? Judging by his performance in last year’s Super Bowl and beyond, he is.
Here’s the thing. Not to be dramatic or sappy, but we will see history play out before our very eyes. We’ve never seen the greatest meet his heir apparent on the game’s biggest stage. We know all about the quarterbacks, the offenses, the strengths, the weaknesses. The Chiefs are favored by three. This game will come down to defense. Tom Brady will play well enough to win. Patrick Mahomes will be magic. But the team whose defense brings the pressure, creates turnovers, makes the big play, that’s the team who will raise the Lombardi Trophy when it’s all said and done.
As a general life rule, I never bet against Tom Brady, so here’s my prediction: Buccaneers 27, Chiefs 24. Is it Sunday yet?