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The Guardian
Brady or Mahomes? Our predictions for the Chiefs v Buccaneers Super Bowl
Will Tampa Bay grow to be the primary group to win a championship in their very own dwelling stadium? Or will the reigning champions retain their title? This yr’s Tremendous Bowl options a number of the NFL’s prime expertise together with, clockwise from left, Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. Composite: Reuters, Getty, AP What the Chiefs have to do to win … Be the Chiefs. That will sound flippant, however no group provides extra credit score to the ‘flip the change’ principle than this season’s Chiefs. Once they’re totally engaged, after they’re at their full Chiefs-ness, there’s not a lot another group within the league can do to cease them. There are flaws on protection, however sooner or later, Patrick Mahomes can have the ball. Even with a wonderful protection, Tampa can have a tough time slowing down the Mahomes-Hill-Kelce triumvirate. OC With their prime two offensive tackles seemingly out of this matchup, it figures to be robust sledding for the Chiefs on the sting. Search for Andy Reid to dial up loads of display screen passes to capitalize on the pace and shiftiness of his backs and receivers – Tyreek Hill’s particularly. AL Win the battle of the turnovers. Brady threw three interceptions in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers, however the Packers might solely rating on one of many ensuing possessions. If the Bucs try this in opposition to KC, this recreation may very well be over rapidly. HF Get rid of the deep ball. Hold two safeties on the sector so the Bucs are compelled to run. You can not play rooster with Brady just like the Packers did – it solely ends a technique. Effectively, until the offense explodes as properly it might. Reid will want an additional splash of trickery to flummox Tampa. That or dump it off to Hill. GS What the Bucs have to do to win … Shorten the sport. The Bucs have confirmed they’ll swap between a variety of types this season. They’ll win with their distinctive protection. They’ll depend on Tom Brady to hold in a shootout. Towards the Chiefs, although it received’t be as entertaining, they should depend on the run-game to increase drives in opposition to a weak-ish Chiefs entrance with the intention to comprise the scoreline. Get Brady to the ultimate drive with an opportunity to win the sport, that must be the plan. OC Sic Jason Pierre-Paul, William Gholston and Ndamukong Suh on the Chiefs’ backup tackles. Combine it up a bit of on first down. (The handoffs to Leonard Fournette & Co are so predictable.) And capitalize on each alternative to attach with receivers downfield, a degree of emphasis for Bruce Arians all season. If Antonio Brown is on the lookout for a time to shine, that is it. AL Brady’s doesn’t wish to get right into a throwing contest with Mahomes at this level of his profession. His edge will lie in his expertise. He doesn’t wish to be a pure game-manager right here, he’s going to have to attach on a number of long-balls to win, but when he focuses on making the proper play over making an attempt for the large play, his group have a strong likelihood. HF Tampa should play to their strengths and blitz early and infrequently. They’ve the pedigree – 9 sacks and two wins in opposition to Rodgers this season – and may decelerate Mahomes by attacking an offensive line lacking each its beginning tackles. You run the chance of dying by a thousand Tyreek and Travis-shaped cuts however Todd Bowles should be courageous to restrict Kansas Metropolis’s scoring. GS Key participant for the Chiefs … Patrick Mahomes. In fact it’s Mahomes. Going with anybody else can be a hipster alternative. The Bucs might run the proper gameplan. They might play in addition to conceivable on either side of the ball. But if Mahomes turns up and performs at his greatest, there may be nothing anybody can do to cease him. OC Aside from the apparent? Let’s go together with Tyrann Mathieu, whose powers of anticipation and interruption give off main Ed Reed vibes. He, not Mahomes, is Tom Brady’s true opponent – and the Honey Badger will make the GOAT pay for all these 50-50 balls he likes to throw up a lot. Mathieu intercepted Brady on a tipped ball of their Week 12 matchup. AL Travis Kelce. We speak about Brady v Mahomes, however what about Kelce v Gronkowski? Since Gronkowski’s (momentary) retirement, Kelce has been combating to surpass him because the league’s greatest tight finish ever. A Tremendous Bowl win over a diminished Gronk can be extra of a symbolic touchstone, nevertheless it wouldn’t damage his case. HF Tyrann Mathieu. We could be positive Brady goes to take dangers via the air so Mathieu’s potential to diagnose and demolish receiver routes will should be firing to disrupt Tampa’s passing assault. Placing Brady below stress to second guess whether or not Mathieu will leap a route persistently might frustrate the veteran into making expensive errors. GS Key participant for the Bucs … Todd Bowles. Not a participant, however the Bucs’ defensive coordinator. Tampa’s protection has performed at a championship stage all season. There aren’t many schematic fireworks. As an alternative, Bowles depends on a core group of performs and his gamers all enjoying on the highest potential stage. Towards Mahomes, he’s going to wish a few wrinkles or recent seems to be with the intention to create a unfavorable play or two. OC Lavonte David, one of many best linebackers the sport has ever seen. His potential to shut on ballcarriers and cease and even typically reverse their momentum ought to show particularly helpful in opposition to a Chiefs expert unit adept at piling on massive yards after the catch. His sideline-to-sideline vary might be key to sustaining coordinator Todd Bowles’s bend-but-don’t-break rules. AL Leonard Fournette. Fournette was reduce by the Jaguars and got here in as Tampa Bay’s backup operating again. Now he’s placing his greatest work of the season within the playoffs, together with an astonishing landing run in opposition to Inexperienced Bay. One other landing or two can be good, but when he can decide up loads of yardage on first downs, it would open the playbook large open for Brady. HF A shootout beckons regardless of the cannons falling silent at Raymond James Stadium (couldn’t the cannons have fired for the Chiefs as properly? Why do I care a lot in regards to the cannons?). The Bucs can bully the Chiefs’ protection utilizing the superior measurement and power of Mike Evans within the redzone. The additional consideration he receives may even create holes for others to rack up factors. GS One daring prediction … The Weeknd has a couple of music. I imply, critically? The Weeknd? For the Tremendous Bowl? Am I previous now? OC Somebody’s gonna pull out a trick play. Both the Chiefs construct on the long-lasting “4 Tops” they sprang on the 49ers final yr, or Arians dials up a nervy retort. Both method, you’ll love the soccer love language. AL How a few scoreless first quarter? After all of the speak about this being an offensive showdown, possibly either side get efficiency anxiousness proper off the gate and we see a whole lot of three-and-outs, some offensive miscues and even a missed area aim within the first quarter-hour. HF Tony Romo spots Invoice Belichick within the crowd sporting a Jack Sparrow masks as a disguise. Naturally, Romo can’t comprise his pleasure and orchestrates a joyous on-field reunion after Brady lifts a Lombardi with out his one-time mentor. “That’s my boy,” Belichick will say. GS The ultimate rating might be … Chiefs 31-24 Buccaneers. The mix of Brady and Bowles is about nearly as good as you possibly can hope for in making an attempt to knock the Chiefs off their perch. Nobody is able to stopping the Chiefs, however all of the Bucs require is a protection that slows Mahomes-Andy Reid machine down, even for a possession or two. Tampa have the expertise and workers to have the ability to pull off such a plan. I’ve the Bucs giving Brady an opportunity on the ultimate possession however developing simply quick. The Chiefs’ offensive energy, even with all of the Bowles goodness, is simply too overwhelming. And even when performs break down, no one is best off-script than Mahomes. The Chiefs go back-to-back and Mahomes takes dwelling a second successive MVP. OC Chiefs 30-29 Buccaneers. As uncovered as Mahomes figures to be on the sting, one might simply see the Bucs protection forgetting in regards to the QB’s wheels till it’s too late. Whether or not it’s by choosing up chunk yardage or shopping for time to fireside darts to Cheetah & Co, finally, Mahomes will take their coronary heart. AL Chiefs 34-17 Buccaneers. Search for the groups to maintain it shut for some time however by the fourth quarter, the Chiefs can have the lead and salt it method with a kind of Mahomes bursts the place he rattles off two touchdowns within the blink of an eye fixed. HF Chiefs 30-33 Buccaneers. I mentioned it mid-season and I’ll say it once more, Tom Brady and the Bucs will win the Tremendous Bowl. Selecting in opposition to Brady is a idiot’s errand particularly now he’s an underdog. Six titles and your group not being favorite is testomony to how good the Chiefs are however Brady can have the final phrase within the recreation with a last-minute drive and probably on which QB is actually the best. Similar time subsequent yr, Tom. GS
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