Super Bowl LV takes place on February 7 and sees defending champions Kansas City Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium. It is a fascinating fixture if only because of the eagerly anticipated match-up between Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady.
The Chiefs are the pre-game favorites in the latest 2021 Super Bowl betting markets although there is not a lot in it. The Buccaneers have a home-field advantage and are the first Super Bowl team to play on home soil. It won’t count for too much, however, because of COVID-19 restrictions means there will be limited spectators.
Every football fan is excited to see Mahomes and Brady go to battle. Brady is the most decorated player in NFL history with six Super Bowl rings. The 43-year-old is trying to add a seventh ring which means stopping the chiefs from becoming the first repeat Super Bowl winner since Brady’s New England Patriots managed this in 2004. Ironically, Chiefs head coach Andy Reed was in charge of the Philadelphia Eagles when the Patriots won back-to-back Super Bowls in 2004.
Most-Decorated NFL Player of All-Time
Brady is coming to the end of a glittering career. He revealed plans to continue playing until he’s 45 in an interview in December 2020. Winning a seventh Super Bowl ring – no other quarterback has more than four – would be a fitting way to bow out of the NFL.
Mahomes’ career, on the other hand, is only getting started and the 25-year-old looks on course to become one of the NFL’s greatest-ever quarterbacks. Since his first appearance during the 2017 season, Mahomes has been sensational. He’s thrown for 14,152 years, a 66.03% completion rate, and 114 touchdowns. His overall rating currently stands at an impressive 108.7.
The Chiefs have only lost one game with Mahomes in the team since the middle of November 2019, a stretch of 26 games. It’s fair to say anything and everything positive the Chiefs do goes through the young superstar.
Tough Conference Games
Both the Chiefs and Buccaneers were involved in grueling Conference Championship games so will be delighted to have a week’s rest before taking center-stage at Super Bowl LV.
Brady led his Buccaneers to a 31-26 victory over Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers. He threw three touchdowns, but also three interceptions taking him to 12 of the latter for the season, an unwanted career high.
The Buccaneers have now won seven consecutive games with their offense scoring at least 30 points, a streak that began after the lost 24-27 to the Chiefs in Week 12. That was Brady’s 33rd playoff win, which is ridiculous when you consider Joe Montana only managed 16!
Mahomes returned to the field for the Conference Championship game against the Buffalo Bills and guided them to a 38-24 victory. Seeing Mahomes playing again was a great sight after he missed a chunk of the Divisional Round game with the Cleveland Browns after leaving the field with a concussion.
Everything points towards the Chiefs winning back-to-back Super Bowl rings. Their roster oozes quality. A Mahomes-led offense is enough to win a Super Bowl on its own but the Chiefs defense came together to stifle MVP candidate Josh Allen in the game against the Bills.
The Buccaneers’ best chance of winning is to try and slow down Mahomes, something no team has been able to do during the past three seasons. Another way would be to simply try outscoring the Chiefs because Brady, undoubtedly, has the ability to do exactly that. This would lead to an exciting, high-scoring game for fans and neutrals alike.
It’s only 12-months since the Chiefs were in this exact same spot and the experience gained from beating the San Francisco 49ers will stand them in good stead. I say Chiefs to win with Mahomes putting in yet another MVP performance. Sorry, Brady and Buccs fans.
