Super Bowl LV: A Student’s Prediction
It’s Super Bowl week. For Super Bowl LV, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Personally, I see the Kansas City Chiefs taking home the Lombardi trophy, but each team definitely has something unique to contribute to this year’s unusual face-off.
We can start things off with the Chiefs’ starting lineup. At quarterback is the former league MVP, Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is the epitome of an ideal quarterback. He has the strongest arm in the NFL with pinpoint accuracy. He is incredible at extending plays with his feet and his ability to throw the ball on the run is superb, which will allow him to evade the top-tier Tampa Bay defensive line. Receiving passes from Mahomes is the fastest and most elusive wide receiver in today’s league known as Tyreek Hill. Alongside his unhuman agility, Hill has some great hands that protect the ball even when he’s tackled. Travis Kelce, the best tight end in the league, completes the Chiefs’ menacing receiver duo. Known for his ability to find soft spots in zone coverage, he’s able to use his huge hands and large stature to contribute consistent big gains. Not to mention, the Chiefs have an up and coming superstar running back in Clyde Edwards-Helaire out of LSU. Regarding defenses, the Chiefs have a slightly better secondary and a solid defensive line. They have the advantage in special teams, which will always have an impact on big games like Sunday. The better the special team, the better the position of the ball and ability to score field goals. Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid and his play coordinators are no doubt better than Tampa Bay’s coaches. In my opinion, the Chiefs should be able to outsmart the Buccaneers with better play calling and longer time of possession. They can tire out the Buccaneers defensive personnel, and especially their run defense, which would allow the Chiefs to open up their lethal passing game and get good yardage running the ball.
Now, I’m not by any means saying that the Chiefs are going to blow the Buccaneers out of the game. The Buccaneers will definitely give them a run for their money and to be fair, I wouldn’t be surprised if Brady took home his seventh ring.
I mean, we’re talking about the GOAT of football. He is the human testament of the phrase “age is just a number.” At age 43, he still remains a top-caliber quarterback. And it also helps that he has probably the best receiving weaponry in the NFL, consisting of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and long-time teammate Rob Gronkowski.
This offense can be lethal; depending on how the Chiefs’ cornerbacks handle their assignments, the game can spiral out of control very quickly. Not to mention, the Buccaneers also have a solid running back selection with Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II, who provide a downhill, power running style that will be sure to keep Kansas City on their toes. On the defensive end, the Buccaneers have one of the most lethal run defenses in the league. As said before, the Chiefs’ secondary is slightly better than the Buccaneers’ so this game is really going to come down to which offense plays better. It should be an exciting game to watch.
I’m predicting a 31-29 Chiefs victory. With the decency of the Buccaneers defense, I can visualize a few incomplete passes from the blitz. For that reason, I’m predicting that Mahomes will throw for 3 touchdowns, 343 yards and complete 31/45 passes. I think Tyreek Hill is going to be a key receiver for yards and I can see him getting a touchdown while receiving for 173 yards. Kelce, being important in the red zone, is going to have 10 receptions, 2 touchdowns and around 100 yards. On the Buccaneers side, Tom Brady will throw 2 touchdowns, 267 yards and complete 25/37 passes and throw an interception. Mike Evans will more than likely be Brady’s main man and I can see him having 8 receptions and 121 yards with 2 touchdowns. Defensively, I think it will be a good performance on both sides; however, I don’t think the game is going to boil down to who has the better defense as both defenses share their similarities. Super Bowl LV will be a battle of offenses.