Super Bowl Scouting Report: Chiefs vs. Buccaneers Final Predictions
Who will be victorious in Super Bowl LV between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Joshua Brisco of Arrowhead Report and Zach Goodall of AllBucs break down the matchup from all angles.
Chiefs Defense Surprises, Offense Thrives
By Joshua Brisco of Arrowhead Report
Offensively, the Chiefs just have to be themselves and get one more solid performance out of their injury-ravaged offensive line. With two weeks for Andy Reid to prepare for the Buccaneers' pass rush and to scheme up ways to keep Patrick Mahomes clean, I don't see the offense struggling in a significant way, despite the talent in the Bucs' front four. I expect Tyreek Hill to have big plays but for Travis Kelce to present the Bucs' biggest problem. Even if Tampa contains the deep shots that put them behind in the first quarter when these two teams met in the regular season, I don't know how they keep up with Kelce. I believe a consistent offensive performance plus a few big plays will prove to be too much for Tampa's defense.
On the other side of the ball, Tampa certainly has a chance to meet the Chiefs' offensive pace if they stay aggressive on fourth downs and in the red zone, pushing for touchdowns and not settling for field goals. Ultimately, though, the Chiefs' secondary has earned my trust, especially in the last two games with the return of full-speed safety Juan Thornhill alongside Tyrann Mathieu, and I think the defensive backs will be successful in making it difficult for Tom Brady to consistently find Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and the tight ends.
Ultimately, I'm picking the Chiefs to win 34-24 in a high-octane, highly entertaining Super Bowl.
Close, But Not Quite Enough for Tampa Bay
By Zach Goodall of AllBucs
Oh, so close.
I predict that will be the feeling in the Tampa Bay area come late Sunday night. The Buccaneers have grown tremendously on both sides of the ball since the last time they hosted the Chiefs in Week 12, a game that ended in a three-point deficit but was controlled by Kansas City into the fourth quarter.
It won't be as one-sided on the field this time around as such, but even after creating seven turnovers this season, I still don't know if Tampa Bay is capable of forcing Patrick Mahomes into the crucial, game-changing turnover or two that will be necessary like we've seen in previous playoff contests.
The Bucs generated ample pressure on Mahomes previously, but sacked him only twice and forced a fumble in the second quarter while already down 17 points - Tampa Bay will need plenty more production from the pass rush.
Expect both teams to start fast, and for the Bucs to appear competent offensively to start the game after averaging 2.8 yards per play in the first quarter of Week 12. They'll need to do so in order to stand a chance, but it can be expected after Tom Brady has thrown 19 touchdowns in the last seven games and Tampa Bay's offense has clicked.
My MVP pick goes to Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, who I foresee scoring two touchdowns while Tampa Bay puts additional focus on wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who posted 269 yards and three scores against the Bucs just eight games ago.
The Bucs have all the momentum in the world, riding a seven-game winning streak into the Super Bowl. Is that enough to take down the explosive, reigning Super Bowl champs? Unfortunately, I'll believe it when I see it.
Read More: Super Bowl LV Scouting Report: Chiefs Defense vs. Buccaneers Offense
