Previously published Feb 26. 2021
In a 31-9 blowout, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the former Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. Predictions were heavily debated as fans thought the game would go to overtime or either team could win. However, I’m sure many were surprised about the performance of certain players on both teams.
The Chiefs had a difficult time offensively because of their offensive line and receivers. Personally, I was shocked by the lackluster performances of both categories of the team. Their offensive line had major issues when trying to stop Vita Vea and Ndamukong Suh from sacking Patrick Mahomes. Injuries played a big role: Kansas City’s Eric Fisher (OT) was forced to sit out, and Sammy Watkins (WR) had limited participation, while Tampa Bay’s roster was healthy. However, the injuries were not an excuse for dropping Mahomes’ incredible passes, of which some were thrown on one leg or while he was being tackled. Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette, the Buccaneers running backs, averaged 5.35 yards per carrying and wore out Kansas City’s defense. The Chiefs’ running back Clyde Edwards Helaire, despite averaging 7.1 yards per carrying, only ran nine times.
Although the game didn’t seem entertaining, many records were broken behind the scenes. For example, Brady and Gronkowski passed the catches between receiver and quarterback in a postseason. Also, Super Bowl LV is the first Super Bowl held in a home stadium; it was held in the Tampa Bay stadium instead of Los Angeles because of construction delays and climate. For the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes recorded the least points in his entire career, mostly due to his poor performance. The Buccaneers defensive line pressured him 29 times, surpassing another record, and nearly all of those pressures resulted from only a 4-man rush. On the other hand, Tom Brady was only pressured in 4/30 dropbacks.
Super Bowl LV was not particularly interesting due to the lackluster Kansas City offense and defense. Mahomes tried his best to put on a show, but the receivers and O-line had trouble supporting him. At least, the game will be memorable for the Buccaneers; after the team won 31-9, Tom Brady earned his seventh Super Bowl ring and fifth Super Bowl MVP, breaking his own record.
