Seahawk Maven Predicts Super Bowl LV Winner
Capping off an unprecedented season unlike any other in NFL history amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Buccaneers and Chiefs will square off on Sunday with the Lombardi Trophy up for grabs in Super Bowl LV.
Will Kansas City make it back-to-back titles? Or will Tom Brady add ring number seven to his collection and lead Tampa Bay to its second championship in franchise history? Our writers weigh in with their picks to win:
Corbin Smith
Buccaneers 34, Chiefs 30
On paper, the Chiefs have the better quarterback. They have the better secondary. They have the better tight end and arguably the best receiver in Tyreek Hill. Andy Reid remains on the sidelines as one of the best coaches in league history. But despite all of those advantages, I can't pick against Tom Brady. Not with the Buccaneers playing in their own home stadium and riding a wave of momentum after capturing three straight road wins to win the NFC. Not with the defense playing much better as of late than they did when these teams met in the regular season. I expect a ferocious Tampa Bay pass rush led by Shaquill Barrett to make life tough on Patrick Mahomes without his two starting tackles on the offensive line and help coax a turnover or two, while Brady will throw three touchdowns and Leonard Fournette will find the end zone to pull off the Super Bowl upset.
Ty Gonzalez
Chiefs 31, Buccaneers 23
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers’ offense are clicking at the most opportune moment and their defense is a well-coached unit with a devastating front-seven that should have a successful time pressuring Patrick Mahomes with injuries along the Kansas City offensive line. All that said, despite Brady’s history of magic in big games, it’s hard to bet against a Chiefs team that boasts the best quarterback, tight end, and receiver in the league with an excellent stable of running backs. Tampa Bay should keep things close for most of the game, but in the end I see Kansas City pulling out ahead late in this one to secure a second straight Lombardi Trophy.
Nick Lee
Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 28
This game has “classic” written all over it. The current GOAT versus maybe the greatest young quarterback we have ever seen. It will either be seven rings for Brady or back to back for Kansas City. The reason I’m picking the Bucs is based on the fact that the Chiefs will be without their two starting tackles against maybe the most ferocious front seven they have faced all year. A good pass rush is the great equalizer. Tom Brady is going to do his thing. This is just another Sunday for him. Mahomes will be magical, but I’m not sure they can give him enough time to get many haymakers downfield. Defense wins championships and in this game, it will be specifically the pass rush. Brady passes Michael Jordan with seven rings.
Colby Patnode
Buccaneers 27, Chiefs 23
The formula for shutting down a premier offense has never really changed. It comes down to a simple formula: can your four defensive lineman beat their five offensive linemen? It's a formula that has handed Tom Brady two of his three super bowl losses. In this game, the Bucs fearsome pass rush will get to feast against a pair of backup Chiefs tackles on a wet surface that could slow the insanely quick pass catching options just enough for the Bucs to take an upset victory. Look for this to be a down-to-the-wire affair with the "home" team grabbing the Lombardi.
Aryanna Prasad
Buccaneers 36, Chiefs 33
Stating the obvious, this game features two Hall of Fame caliber quarterbacks, so it will really come down to Andy Reid's genius against Todd Bowles and an aggressive Buccaneers defense. The Bucs' defense has been playing better as of late led by Devin White, the return of Vita Vea plugging up the middle, and a secondary playing better overall. However, it takes everything to beat the Chiefs. The "trifecta of Mahomes, Kelce, and Hill is incredibly difficult to stop. Last time these teams played, Hill got 269 receiving yards. Kansas City has the firepower and chemistry to score really quickly, while Tampa Bay has been more inconsistent this season. Both teams have big momentum, but I'm riding "Playoff Lenny" Fournette, Tom Brady, and the underdog to capture the title.
