And today’s the day. As the late Oakland Raiders Radio Announcer Bill King would say “And Super Bowl LV is upon us.” This game pitting the visiting Kansas City Chiefs versus the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers is the first Super Bowl in history where the game is played in the stadium of one of the two participants. Raymond James Stadium is the place where the game will be played, and just over 22,000 fans, including 7.500 who are COVID-19 first responders, will be on hand to watch.
While the Pandemic has taken center stage, one fact remains: the Super Bowl pits the winner of the American Football Conference Championship against the winner of the National Football Conference Championship, or AFC vs NFC. The Kansas City Chiefs at 14 and 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 11 and 5. The Chiefs are, once again, winners of the AFC West, whereas the Bucs pulled up second to the New Orleans Saints, which had a regular season record of just one game better at 12 and 4. But, in the rubber game of the 2020 Season, the NFC Divisional Playoff Game, Tampa Bay prevailed, 30 to 20.
On the statistical side, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense was ranked 8th overall by Pro Football Reference. The Kansas City Chiefs Defense was not far behind at 11th ranking. But on offense, the tale is different.
Where you might expect the Kansas City Chiefs Offense to be ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’s “O”, the truth is that the Bucs have the league’s 3rd best offense, whereas the Kansas City Chiefs have the league’s sixth ranked offense.
So, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a slightly better offense and defense, in the statistical area. Still, with all of that, the Kansas City Chiefs are favored to win and defend their crown, with Quarterback and Leigh Steinberg Client Patrick Mahomes favored to land the Most Valuable Player award.
My brain tells me not to bet against the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I can’t wait to see what special plays he and Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich cook up for Super Bowl LV.
Super Bowl LV NFL Viewers Guide By National Football League Communications
The viewers guide below is courtesy of National Football League Communications. Enjoy!
SBLV Viewers Guide FINAL by NFL PR