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(CBS Detroit) — The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, behind Patrick Mahomes, are searching for their second Tremendous Bowl title in as a few years. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ final and solely title occurred 18 years in the past. However Tom Brady has six Tremendous Bowl wins in his 9 appearances, with most up-to-date coming simply two years in the past. Mahomes might be one of the best quarterback of his era. Brady is fairly clearly the best of all time. They’ll match up in Tremendous Bowl LV, the place historical past is assured to be made.
“That is the kind of matchup that you simply don’t get daily within the final recreation,” says NFL On CBS analyst Charles Davis. “You’ll get two of one of the best, on the prime of their video games. One in all them could also be 43, however has he performed extraordinarily nicely for the final six weeks? The reply is sure. The opposite one’s the child, who could also be some of the precocious gamers we’ve ever seen within the NFL. He fears nothing. And by the best way, signed for almost $500 million final 12 months, with zero drop off in play.”
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The Chiefs and Buccaneers are evenly matched, with a three-point unfold simply days earlier than the sport. A convincing case might be made for both staff successful. Kansas Metropolis rolls in with a 14-2 regular-season document and stable wins over the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Payments within the playoffs. Mahomes has piled up receptions and yards throwing to Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill in a passing recreation that seemingly can’t be stopped. Tampa Bay will probably be enjoying at dwelling behind the quarterback with essentially the most Tremendous Bowl titles in NFL historical past. Brady has the League’s finest vast receiver trio to throw to in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown and one among its finest defenses to place the ball again in his palms.
The Chiefs held on to beat the Bucs again in late November. Mahomes put up an absurd stat line, finishing 37-49 passes for 462 yards and three touchdowns. Hill was the most important beneficiary, with 12 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns on his personal. A lot of that got here within the first quarter. However the Chiefs protection virtually let it slip away. Brady’s third landing move, his second of the sport to Mike Evans, pulled the Bucs inside a discipline aim with simply over 4 minutes left. Nonetheless, the Chiefs have been in a position to run out the clock.
Brady went a decent 27-41 in opposition to Kansas Metropolis, with 345 yards and three touchdowns. He was picked off twice in what was the staff’s third consecutive dwelling loss. The Bucs have since received seven straight video games, and an offense that then appeared a bit out of step has discovered its groove. They’ve averaged over 34 factors per recreation over that span, and Brady has averaged over 313 yards passing per recreation. He’s additionally had 19 landing passes.
The Bucs boast one of many NFL’s most explosive passing video games. Evans, Godwin and Brown are all professional downfield threats. Tight finish Rob Gronkowski’s finest days are behind him, however he stays productive, even on this stacked offense. Ronald Jones, the staff’s main rusher this season, suffered a quad damage within the warmups earlier than their Wild Card matchup. Leonard Fournette put up 93 yards on 19 carries in aid. Whereas the 2 cut up carries within the final two video games, Fournette has been extra productive.
The Chiefs protection is healthier in opposition to the move than the run, however not particularly spectacular in opposition to both. They held Josh Allen to 293 yards on 28-48 by way of the air within the Championship, although he picked up one other 88 yards on the bottom. The Kansas Metropolis protection had higher success in opposition to the Browns, although Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt every averaged over 5 yards per carry. In the end, they’re not anticipated to win video games, a lot as not lose them. And that’s what they’ve completed for a lot of the season, with eight wins by lower than a landing.
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The Chiefs protection tends to point out up when the stakes are greater. “They performed their finest protection when it mattered most,” says NFL On CBS play-by-play man Ian Eagle. “And I believe there’s one thing to that, with what they’ve been in a position to do defensively. Final 12 months’s postseason, thus far this 12 months’s postseason. I labored the Kansas Metropolis-Buffalo AFC Championship recreation on the radio. What Steve Spagnuolo has completed, how he gave Josh Allen and that offense matches. What they did to take Stefon Diggs out of that recreation. That’s not by happenstance. That’s a coordinator who actually believes in his items and believes in his system.”
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Unsurprisingly, the important thing to Chiefs offense is Mahomes. The staff suffered a little bit of a scare throughout their first playoff recreation, when their $500 million man got here up woozy after what gave the impression to be a typical deal with. He left the sphere and entered concussion protocol. A Mahomes-less offense might have spelled catastrophe for a Chiefs Tremendous Bowl repeat. However the quarterback sailed by way of protocol and gave the impression to be full energy within the Payments recreation.
The Kansas Metropolis offense led the NFL in passing in the course of the common season, with Mahomes placing up 4,740 yards, about 100 greater than Brady. His two favourite targets have been — and are — the speedy Hill and the dependable Kelce. Hill completed the season with 87 catches for 1,276 yards and 15 TDs; Kelce had 105 catches for 1,416 yards and 11 TDs. The pair has continued their dominance into the playoffs, with 4 100-yard video games amongst them. Kelce additionally has three touchdowns within the postseason.
The Chiefs offensive line will probably be with out beginning left deal with, Eric Fisher, who tore his Achilles within the AFC Championship. Beginning proper deal with, Mitchell Schwartz, has been out with a again damage since Week 6. And the record doesn’t finish there. Beginning proper guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif opted out of the season on account of COVID issues, and beginning left guard Kelechi Osemele has been sidelined with a knee damage. However this unit has discovered success in a number of configurations for a lot of the season. They are going to want one other robust exhibiting in opposition to the Bucs fearsome entrance 4.
Tampa Bay likes to blitz. Their move rush logged 48 sacks within the common season, and 5 extra in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers within the Championship. In addition they picked off opposing quarterbacks 15 instances. Each totals put them close to the highest of the league. However the Bucs additionally gave up substantial yardage and loads of TDs by way of the air. Mahomes is adept at dealing with the blitz, which suggests he might have a discipline day if he can keep upright.
“Defensively the Buccaneers have taken an enormous step ahead,” says Eagle. “And the belief that Bruce Arians has in Todd Bowles, not simply right here however again within the Arizona days as nicely. He understands that Todd Bowles is the pinnacle coach of that protection. The emergence of Devin White in his second 12 months. This man is a bigtime participant. So sure, we’re going to get caught up within the Brady-Mahomes narrative. The defenses might find yourself enjoying a a lot greater position in figuring out the end result of this recreation.”
Neither protection will seemingly shut down the offense on the opposite facet of the ball. However, in response to Davis, “it doesn’t essentially should be one protection shutting down one other offense. I believe what we’re speaking about is one among these defenses making a important play when it’s crucial and wanted, as a result of each of those offenses will probably be arduous to close down. So are you able to get a key cease on a 3rd down? Can you are taking the ball away and take a possession away from a kind of high-powered offenses and switch it into factors?”
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Tremendous Bowl LV is about for Sunday, February 7 at 6:30 p.m. EST on CBS. Viewers can livestream the game through CBSSports.com as nicely.
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