Super Bowl LV Aftermath

Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV, 31-9

The dark force energy flowed strongly tonight.

The 2020-21 NFL season has concluded with a lopsided 31-9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers victory over the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs! This was quite the action-packed game, but unlike Super Bowls in recent years, the outcome tonight was never really in doubt.

The first half was all Tampa Bay, jumping out to a commanding 21-6 lead at halftime. Tom Brady was exceptional today, throwing no interceptions and executing a ruthless air assault against the Chiefs. But really, the Chiefs' main enemy was the penalty flag. Penalty after penalty after penalty against the Chiefs allowed Brady and the Buccaneers to take advantage and run up the score. The second half was no better for the Chiefs. Tampa Bay dealt even more damage and then held the line, denying the Chiefs entrance into the endzone. 

The Chiefs played their worst game in years today. Patrick Mahomes failed to score a single touchdown all game - the nine points were all field goals. Aggravating matters was the Chiefs O-line; as expected, the O-line proved to be a weakness, and the Buccaneers breached it three times. Mahomes instead threw two interceptions. An abysmal performance from the reigning Super Bowl champions. 

Remember all those comeback victories Mahomes spearheaded last season? Remember the twenty-one unanswered points the Chiefs scored in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV? All a distant memory now.

The Chiefs came into this game ready to defend their Super Bowl title.

And then Tom Brady crushed their dreams.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are your Super Bowl LV Champions - the first team to ever win the Super Bowl in their home stadium!

Tom Brady wins his seventh ring at home while the Chiefs return to Missouri empty-handed, denied their chance for a second consecutive Super Bowl win.

2020-21 NFL Playoff Predictions (Part 4 - Super Bowl)

This is it. The final battle. The last showdown. The clash of the titans. The duel of the fates. The Super Bowl. In a season marred by COVID-19, the season has survived and it's time for the grand finale. It all comes down to a battle for the ages, and the match-up is set:

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Super Bowl LV will be a showdown of the old guard versus the next generation. Tom Brady against Patrick Mahomes. Indeed, Tom Brady is the main reason why Patrick Mahomes is only playing in his second straight Super Bowl instead of his third straight. This showdown will be held amid historic moments: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the first Super Bowl competitor to play the big game in their own stadium, and Tom Brady will be playing in his first Super Bowl in two years.

How the Chiefs reached the Super Bowl

The Chiefs haven't lost a step since their Super Bowl ring, and they're determined to add a second championship to their name. Patrick Mahomes, as always, has dominated all opposition en route to a second straight Super Bowl. Concussion be damned, Mahomes hasn't lost a step. Fueling the Chiefs success is that they excel across the board. Tyreek Hill once won a race against light itself, and Travis Kelce remains an unstoppable cannonball.

In the playoffs, the Chiefs narrowly won the Divisional game against the Cleveland Browns, 22-17. Mahomes suffered a concussion in this game and was forced to sit out, but Chad Henne ensured the Browns could not complete the comeback. Danger close, but the Chiefs survived.

The AFC Championship was far more decisive: Mahomes shrugged off the concussion and steamrolled the Buffalo Bills 38-24. The game did not start well for the Chiefs after they fell into a 9-0 hole, but everyone remembers last season. Falling behind in a game by single digits or even double digits? May as well be easy mode for Mahomes.

How the Chiefs can win the Super Bowl 

The Chiefs need everyone at the top of their game if they wish to defeat Tom Brady. The game will clearly be a battle in the air, so expect Mahomes to utilize all weapons on the field to torch the Buccaneers defense. The Chiefs need to be careful, though; the Buccaneers turned the Green Bay Packers O-line into Swiss cheese, and will be eager to do so against the Chiefs as well. Protect Mahomes and the touchdowns will arrive in due time. 

Defensively, the Chiefs pass coverage neutralized the Bills passing game; neutralize Brady's attack and this game will be over in a hurry. Whether the Chiefs can weather the Tom Brady storm remains to be seen.

***

How the Buccaneers reached the Super Bowl

Here's a team that's been out of the playoffs for nearly twenty years. Give them Tom Brady, and they're Super Bowl bound. Maybe Brady just wants to make up for the snoozefest inflicted on the world that was Super Bowl LIII.

In any event, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the season 11-5, their best record since 2005. The Buccaneers had a slow start, turned on the gas, endured mid-season struggles, before closing out the regular season with four straight wins. 

The Buccaneers took the long route through the playoffs. First, they toppled Washington 31-23, a back-and-forth battle that ended with the Buccaneers finally winning a playoff game after a nearly twenty year drought.

Next, the Buccaneers torched Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints 30-20, capitalizing on the mistakes of the turnover-heavy Saints offense live on Nickelodeon. No, we haven't fallen into some bizarre interdimensional rip in reality that sent us all back to the 90s.

Finally, the Buccaneers shocked everyone by defeating the Green Bay Packers 31-26 - at Lambeau Field in the winter! This despite Tom Brady throwing interception after interception. It helped when the Packers failed to capitalize on their opportunities, and it helped even more so when the Packers decided that winning isn't fun and settled for a game-losing field goal.

Tom Brady is back.

How the Buccaneers can win the Super Bowl

Tom Brady.

Last season, Brady looked as if the magic was gone after a humiliating Wild Card loss to the Tennessee Titans. One year later, and Brady looks as dangerous as ever. Brady's strengths are amplified with a solid Buccaneers offense featuring the likes of Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski.

Just like the Chiefs, the Buccaneers road to victory lies in the air. Brady has a habit of executing incredible plays throughout the postseason, and this year is no exception. 

The Buccaneers need to decimate the Chiefs O-line and stop Mahomes as fast as they can. If not, few, if any, can stop Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce will make short work of the Buccaneers defense. Stop Mahomes, and suddenly the Chiefs have lost their primary weapon.

FINAL PREDICTION

This will truly be a battle for the ages. A legendary game that no one should miss. Expect a mighty high-scoring affair between two outstanding quarterbacks. Mahomes should be preparing to win a second straight Super Bowl, but...

...Tom Brady's going to wield some dark force energy to win his seventh Super Bowl ring, isn't he?

Buccaneers win, 35-28