It’s Super Bowl LV, and the wait is finally over! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will square off against the Kansas City Chiefs for the second time this year. Here are five things to know for the 55th edition of the Super Bowl.
Home Game?
Usually, the Super Bowl is a neutral site game, and that is why it is a game where anything can happen. Well, that won’t be the case this year. The Super Bowl will be played in Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers won’t have to go anywhere, they will be the home team, and have their home locker rooms. But, there will be 7,500 healthcare workers attending the big game, along with 14,500 fans who purchased tickets. And be honest, who will have the most people there? Probably the home team, the Bucs. So this will be a home game for the Bucs, quite the contrary from last week’s battle with Green Bay and its raucous fans.
Injury Report:
We would be remiss if we didn’t catch you up on the injury report. For the Buccaneers, here is what it is looking like for them.
QUESTIONABLE: WR Antonio Brown (knee), TE Cameron Brate (back)
Did Not Participate: OLB Jason Pierre-Paul (knee), DT Ndamukong Suh (not injury related), TE Cameron Brate (back)
Limited Participant: None
Full Participant: WR Antonio Brown (knee), LB Lavonte David (hamstring), S Jordan Whitehead (shoulder), S Antoine Winfield Jr. (ankle), WR Chris Godwin (elbow), WR Mike Evans (knee), DL Steve McLendon (not injury related)
Now for the Chiefs via CBS Sports:
OUT: T Eric Fisher (Achilles), LB Willie Gay (knee/ankle)
QUESTIONABLE: WR Sammy Watkins (calf)
Did Not Participate: T Eric Fisher (Achilles), LB Willie Gay (knee/ankle), RB Darwin Thompson (illness)
Limited Participant: None
Full Participant: QB Patrick Mahomes (toe), OL Mike Remmers (groin), CB L’Jarius Sneed (concussion), OL Andrew Wylie (ankle), RB Le’Veon Bell (ankle), RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle/hip), CB Rashad Fenton (foot), WR Sammy Watkins (calf)
A couple of names that do stick out are of course Patrick Mahomes, Clyde Edwards Helaire, Le’Veon Bell, Sammy Watkins, Lavonte David, and Antonio Brown to name a few. Expect all of them to play, as no one was a limited participant in practice on Friday. If both teams are at full strength, this could be an all-time Super Bowl classic.
And so they meet again…
As aforementioned, this is the second time the Bucs and Chiefs have met this season. The first time was in Week 12, when the Chiefs beat the Bucs 27-24 at Raymond James Stadium. Tyreek Hill went off, catching 13 passes for 269 yards, which was crazy. He had around 200 yards in just the first half! Needless to say, Tyreek Hill will be a defining factor in this one. Kansas City went up by as much as 17 in the first half. Then, the Bucs staged a comeback, outscoring the Chiefs 17-7 in the 2nd half. But it was not enough. They look to flip the switch this time, in the same location, and with the same cast (CBS- Jim Nantz and Tony Romo).
How they got here: Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs were regarded by many as the best team in the NFL heading into the 2020 NFL Season, and they sure lived up to those expectations. They started out with convincing wins over the Texans, Chargers, Ravens, and the Patriots. But, they had a hiccup in Week 5, losing in a shootout to the Las Vegas Raiders. Then, they rattled off 10 straight wins from then. Some notable wins during that stretch were against the Bills, Raiders, Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Saints. They did rest their starters in Week 17, so they inevitably dropped their Week 17 matchup with the Chargers.
In the playoffs, the Chiefs survived a close call against the Browns in the divisional round. In this game, Patrick suffered a concussion. This was a scary injury, and it almost cost him his season. Mahomes was running for a first down, and hit his head on the turf. When he got up, he looked out of it, and was wobbling on his feet. But, he returned next week, to the delight of Chiefs fans, and didn’t miss a beat, as his team demolished the Bills 38-24 en route to their 2nd straight Super Bowl.
How they got here: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers came into the season with high expectations as well, given their offseason acquisition, Tom Brady. The first game of the season was quite a concerning sight for Bucs enthusiasts, as they were dominated by the Saints, 34-23 (this game could have been 41-23, but an Alvin Kamara touchdown was called back). They then rattled off three straight against the Panthers, Broncos, and Chargers. Then, they lost on Thursday Night Football to the Bears, 20-19, in a game in which Tom Brady forgot what down it was (if you couldn’t tell by now, the Bucs season featured multiple funny moments). The Buccaneers were in search of a signature win, and they got it against the Packers, beating them in blowout fashion, 38-10.
But, that would be the only game they would win against a playoff team for the rest of the season. After the win over the Packers, the Bucs lost to the Saints, Rams, and Chiefs in heartbreaking losses. But, they did end up winning their final four games after the bye week, beating the Vikings, the Falcons twice, and the Lions to clinch a playoff spot. In the playoffs, they took down Taylor Heinicke and the Washington Football Team, in the Wild Card round. They got their 3rd chance to beat the Saints in the Divisional Round, and they took full advantage, pulling out a win by a final score of 30-20. Then, they went to Green Bay and punched their ticket to the Big Game after beating the Packers for a second time this season, 31-26.
Over/Under: 56
Spread: Chiefs -3