The NFL Roundup 2021: Super Bowl LV

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say, that the Super Bowl is quite the special event for both football fans and players alike. Simply because, it is indeed the biggest moment of the season. One where people gather round the television to celebrate the majesty of football as the two finest teams in the league, duke it out for a Super Bowl Ring. And for the players that have worked hard to reach this point, well this is their chance to leave everything they’ve got, all out on the field, for an opportunity to kiss and hoist the Lombardi Trophy and call themselves a Super Bowl Champion. But this year, this particular Super Bowl truly means a little more than the rest of them, for one reason and one reason alone; because we weren’t sure we would ever see it come to fruition.
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After all, the pandemic made life in the NFL quite unsettling. Since we saw superstars and coaches miss game time thanks to this terrifying illness, and we even saw games be postponed and shuffled around in the hopes of keeping the season going. But after weeks of uncertainty and worry… we’ve finally arrived and tomorrow, either the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs or the NFC Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers will win the biggest game in all of the land. But before that incredible moment arrives, there’s plenty to discuss in regard to this game, so let’s get right down to it, and preview what you can expect from Super Bowl LV.

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Super Bowl LV
Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, Florida
Sunday, February 7, 2021 – 6:30 p.m. EST – CBS

THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – STRENGTHS
There is one reason and one reason alone why the Kansas City Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl… their offense. Because Patrick Mahomes has incredible weapons at his disposal, and a golden arm as well and he makes use of all of those things on a consistent basis, and that’s allowed for this team to score at will and put up an unwholesome number of points on their way to their second straight AFC title, and we can definitely expect the offense to do big things when they take the field. Because it doesn’t matter what defensive scheme the opposing team is bringing to the table, someone from KC is getting open and making a play, and that will allow for the Chiefs to score big and often, once the game gets underway tomorrow.  
 
THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – WEAKNESSES
While the Chiefs have continually wowed fans everywhere over the past of couple of years with big time touchdowns, the kind that show up on ESPN weekly, little attention has been paid to their defense and that’s a good thing. Because it is in fact, mediocre more often than not. Thanks to the fact that they really don’t have that much of a pass rush to speak of and for that matter, their linebackers are decent but nothing special. But what truly makes this defense an outright liability at times, is their secondary. Because outside of the Honey Badger, there is no safety or cornerback worth talking about, and they often help teams to stay in the game by way of their poor coverage skills and inability to read the play in front of them.
 
THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS – STRENGTHS
Now, would one think that this would be the perfect time to talk at length about Tom Brady and the offense, but that’s not Tampa Bay’s Greatest strength. No, instead this particular team excels simply because they boast a powerhouse defense. One that features a decent secondary that can in fact, confuse the heck out of any quarterback that they go up against. Plus, this team boasts quite the powerhouse pass rush, one that absolutely can apply pressure when needed and sack the QB in a dynamic manner, since they feature a bevy of linebackers and linemen that can snag the quarterback in the event, he sneaks away from one defender.
 
THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS – WEAKNESSES
Despite the fact that he has six Super Bowl rings and eleven Super Bowl appearances, Tom Brady is still the biggest liability on any team that he plays for. Because Brady isn’t mobile in the slightest and he has a tendency to become easily frustrated when his routes are taken away or if teams hit him with a nasty blitz. Which means that if #12 becomes flustered whilst on the field and starts to let Kansas City get into his head, there is a fair chance that he will do what he does best when he’s down and angry, and that’s to turn over the ball or miss wide open receivers. Because Tom Brady is and will forever be, his own worst enemy when the going gets rough.
 
KEYS TO THE GAME
If the Kansas City Chiefs want to win this matchup, then they have to follow the standard NFL blueprint to beat Tom Brady. Which means the secondary HAS to play press coverage all night long and avoid zone as best they can, since Brady loves to attack zone coverage, and their defensive blueprint doesn’t end there. Because they also have to apply as much pressure as possible on Brady, so that he’ll become frustrated and make mistakes and if they accomplish those goals on defense and let Patrick Mahomes do his thing on offense, then the Kansas City Chiefs will enjoy their second straight Super Bowl victory.
 
As for the Buccaneers, they have to find a way to slow the KC offense down. They won’t be able to stop it, because it features too many weapons and not enough people to cover them all. But minimizing the damage is the goal here and they do indeed have to use the pass rush to either bring Mahomes down or at least contain him so that he cannot extend plays or make them with his legs. As for the Bucs offense, well they have to execute long and sustained drives. The kind that eat up the clock and end with points on the board. In order to keep Mahomes off the field and to wear down that defense and if they can pull all of this off, then Tampa Bay will enjoy their first championship in ages, and Brady will win his seventh title.