5 Bold Predictions for Super Bowl 2021
The Super Bowl 2021 is just a week away, as the showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take place on February 7th.
It will certainly be a must-watch game. The 2020 NFL season brought many uncertainties, including the possibility of the season being completely canceled according to many analysts. Nonetheless, the season went on and despite the hiccups, the season was never in jeopardy of being suspended or canceled.
Now that we have arrived at the Super Bowl, it's time to look at what could occur during and after the game. Here are:
5 bold predictions for Super Bowl 2021
#5 Eric Bieniemy stays with the Chiefs
Chiefs' OC Eric Bieniemy has been widely considered one of the best coordinators to fill a vacant HC spot this offseason. While several teams have requested an interview with the coordinator, nothing has been generated outside of that. It's unclear why that is happening, considering Bieniemy has had many coaches and players speaking nothing but good things about him.
The 51-year-old has been with the Chiefs since 2013, coming into the team as a running-back coach. In 2018, he was promoted to OC after current Chicago Bears HC Matt Nagy left the team. But as OC, Bieniemy spent his time working with star QB Patrick Mahomes.
While he may not have been the play-caller for the offense, he is certainly a big reason for the success that Mahomes and the offense have been having.
#4 Andy Reid or Bruce Arians get ejected from the game
This is truly a bold one and very unlikely to occur, as no coach has been ejected in any NFL game. Reid is also considered a rather calm coach, compared to the others we see on screen, shouting and yelling to the referees about mishaps. Arians can be considered a calm coach, but not as much as Reid.
Coaches do not get flagged either, but that was changed this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A referee could flag a coach or any personnel who approaches them without wearing a proper face covering. The flag is a 15-yard penalty on the team, which could result in the team being fined and/or having certain draft picks taken away.
Also Read: How much do NFL referees make?
#3 A Super Bowl blackout occurs
The chances of this occurring again are very low to happen, but the last time a power outage occurred was in Super Bowl XLVII, when the Mercedes-Benz Superdome went dark for over 20 minutes. The game between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers was interrupted for more than 30 minutes because of the outage.
Anything can happen these days, but hopefully, a blackout does not occur and causes a delay in the game next week.
#2 A defensive player is named Super Bowl MVP
It's happened before, but only on rare occasions does a defensive player get named the Super Bowl MVP. The last time a defensive player was named MVP was in 2016 when Denver Broncos LB Von Miller was named Super Bowl MVP for his performance in defeating the Carolina Panthers.
If it does end up being a defensive player, it would likely be a Buccaneers defender. After all, the Bucs defense is loaded with star players like Jason Pierre-Paul, Ndamukong Suh, Devin White, Shaquil Barrett, Antoine Winfield Jr., Jordan Whitehead, and many more.
#1 Tom Brady retires (if the Buccaneers win)
There is no doubt now that Tom Brady is an ageless wonder. At 43, he had one of his best career's statistically since 2017. He has certainly shown the world that no matter how old you are, anything is possible in sports as long as you keep yourself healthy.
But could Brady actually retire after Super Bowl 2021? It could be quite possible, considering he would end his career on a high note if he defeated Mahomes and the Chiefs. Brady did sign a two-year, $50 million deal with the Bucs, which keeps him with the team until 2022.
Considering the team will have several key players becoming free agents this year, having Brady retire would certainly help the cap space. He has been known to restructure his contract to free up space for potential signings, but his intentions of retiring after the Super Bowl are simply unknown at the moment.
Also read: How Much Do Super Bowl Referees Make?