Although the overall consensus among football fans is that defense wins championships, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a Super Bowl worthy offense as well. Tom Brady may be 43, but he still shows why he is the GOAT both on and off the field in Tampa Bay. With one of the best arsenals of offensive weapons in the league, Brady has still been able to remain consistent at such an old age. Considering the Kansas City defense is fairly mediocre, Brady should find success in moving the ball around, especially with the return of WR Antonio Brown. Brown should be a go-to target for Brady down the field against the Chiefs. However, many Buccaneers fans would argue that Brown does not even qualify as Brady’s #1 target. Without further of due, let’s take a look at Tom Brady’s five most important offensive weapons in Super Bowl LV.
1. Mike Evans-WR
There is no true way of knowing for sure who will be Tom Brady’s #1 target come Sunday. However, most intelligent fans would make the case for Mike Evans. Prior to the 2020 NFL season, Evans had already established himself as a top wide receiver in the league. Therefore, it came as no surprise to most people when he started putting up big numbers with Tom Brady under center. Even though Evans has dealt with minor injuries this year, he managed to reel in 80 receptions on the season for almost 1,200 yards. Evans also took it to the house on 15 separate occasions this season (tied for second most in the NFL). To cap it all off, Evans posted his seventh straight season with over 1,000 receiving yards. Considering Evans qualified as Brady’s most targeted receiver in 2020, expect for him to have a big game on Sunday.
2. Chris Godwin-WR
Although Chris Godwin does not come off as the most consistent receiver on the Buccaneers, he has still managed to reel in many crucial receptions for big chunks of yardage. Surprisingly, Godwin has accounted for over 25% of Brady’s throwing yardage in the playoffs. Godwin has reeled in 79 receptions on the season for over 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns. Those numbers may not mirror the likes of Tyreek Hill or Mike Evans, but they are still very impressive for someone who is not considered the best wide receiver on his team.
Ultimately, the key for Godwin in the Super Bowl will be whether he can stay consistent on short passes and easy catches. For some unknown reason, Godwin has dropped many of those easy passes from Brady in the playoffs. If he can brush up on that part of his game, then he should have himself a great night on Sunday. Although Mike Evans is Brady’s #1 target, Godwin has certainly been a great sneaky threat as the Buccaneers best slot receiver.
3. Leonard Fournette-RB
Despite a fantastic rookie season by Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, expect Leonard Fournette to be the best running back on Sunday. Fournette, who was originally drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017, has been very effective in both the run game and pass attack. In the postseason alone, Fournette has carried the ball a whopping 48 times for 211 yards and 2 touchdowns. Fournette’s impressive postseason stats only continue from there, as he has balled out in the pass game with 14 receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown.
After analyzing the matchups for the Super Bowl, expect Fournette to play an essential role in being a safety valve for Tom Brady. Obviously Tom Brady struggles greatly under pressure, which is especially concerning considering the Chiefs DC is Steve Spagnuolo. The Chiefs DC has found many different ways to pressure Brady in the past, including in Super Bowl 42 when he was the Giants DC. If Spagnuolo does pressure the 43 year old quarterback throughout the game, then Brady will need to throw quicker and shorter passes. Considering most of Fournette’s receptions have came off check downs and screen passes, he should thrive in these types of situations. Fournette may not qualify as the type of player who goes for big chunks of yardage, but he has remained very consistent in his gains in both the run and pass game.
4. Antonio Brown-WR
After missing the NFC Championship Game due to a knee injury, Antonio Brown is listed as questionable to play in Super Bowl LV. The overall consensus among most people is that Brown will play, despite likely being limited on Sunday. Although Brown by no means qualifies as Brady’s top target, he has made plenty of big plays throughout the season. Brown returned to the NFL and joined the Buccaneers in early November, and since then, he has caught 48 receptions for over 500 yards and 5 TDs. Those numbers certainly do not come off as overly impressive, but it’s understandable considering the drama Brown went through in 2019-2020.
At the end of the day, Buccaneers fans should expect Brown to have a few big receptions on Sunday. However, he most likely will not be Brady’s most targeted receiver. In fact, expect for Brown to act as a decoy for the Buccaneers down the field. Considering Brown is still a very dangerous threat on deep passes, the Buccaneers can rely on him to fool the Chiefs defense and bring much of the attention upon himself. This could allow for other receivers such as Chris Godwin and Scotty Miller to get open. When push comes to shove, Antonio Brown should prove on Sunday just how great of an asset he truly is.
5. Scotty Miller-WR
When looking at the Buccaneers offense, there are 3-4 guys who could be listed at the #5 spot. Similarly to Antonio Brown, Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate will most likely play on Sunday despite being listed as questionable (Back). However, WR Scotty Miller seems like the best option here, as Brate still missed Friday’s practice and should be very limited on Sunday.
Despite not even qualifying as a top 3 wide receiver on the Buccaneers, Miller has made his presence known on the offense. Miller made arguably the biggest play in the NFC Championship Game when he caught a 39 yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to end out the first half. In terms of stats on the season, Miller had 37 receptions for 581 yards and 4 TDs. However, Miller stands out because of agility and clutch factor in critical situations. Although his chances of winning the MVP on Sunday are unlikely, Miller has the potential to have a great game.
Overall Thoughts
When looking at the Tampa Bay offense, there are so many great weapons for Tom Brady to throw the ball to. Anyone from Mike Evans to Scotty Miller could have a chance at coming up with a few game defining plays. As long as Brady can stay consistent and move the ball around well, then the Buccaneers offense should face very few problems getting by the Kansas City defense. If things go according to plan, then the NFL could very well see one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. Until then, fans can only wonder who will come out on top in Super Bowl LV.