Kansas City Chiefs vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers prediction, preview, team news, and more | Super Bowl 2021
It's Super Bowl week! The Kansas City Chiefs travel to the Raymond James Stadium to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on home-turf. It's this Sunday, and you do not want to miss it!
In what has been labeled, 'a game for the ages,' Chiefs' quarterback and the NFL's best player, Patrick Mahomes will look to go toe-to-toe with the single greatest player to ever play in the QB position, Tom Brady.
Tom Brady has won more Super Bowls (6) than any other player in the history of the NFL; this will be his 10th Super Bowl appearance (more than any other player). Brady remains the only quarterback to have ever beaten Mahomes in the playoffs, too.
If you'd like a more thorough report of the Brady vs. Mahomes duel, you can click the link and read it right here.
Tampa hasn't had a Super Bowl win since that all-conquering team of 2002/03 that featured the likes of Ronde Barber, Warren Sapp, and Mike Alstott. With Brady at the helm on offense, Bruce Arians and the Buccs have put together a superb supporting cast on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. With the likes of Brady, Mike Evans (he'll be fit), Chris Godwin, and Devin White out there on Sunday, the Buccs might never get a better chance to lay their hands on those Super Bowl rings.
Mahomes's Chiefs are the current holders of the prestigious Lombardi trophy having beaten the San Francisco 49ers in the final last year. Andy Reed will look to field much the same team as he did in last year's final, with just the notable upgrade at running back, Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Frank 'the Shark' Clark, et al, are all fit and ready to go.
Let's take a look at some of the key news and stats as we count down the days to the biggest sporting event of the year, the 55th annual Super Bowl.
Also Read: Who is Travis Kelce’s Girlfriend, Kayla Nicole?
Super Bowl 2021: Kansas City Chiefs vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head-To-Head
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs have gone head-to-head 13 times before, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning 7 of those games and the Kansas City Chiefs winning 6. The two sides have never met in the playoffs before, but Tom Brady is 1-0 vs Mahomes in the playoffs (as a Patriot).
Tampa Bay Buccaneers season results: L W W W L W W W L W L L W W W W (+ playoff victories over Washington, Green Bay, and New Orleans)
Kansas City Chiefs season results: W W W W L W W W W W W W W W W L (+ playoff victories over Cleveland and Buffalo)
Super Bowl 2021: Kansas City Chiefs vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team News
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have more to worry about on the injury front heading into the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Wideout, Antonio Brown has been limited in practice all week with a knee injury, but the good news is WR1, Mike Evans returned to full practice yesterday.
It's the defense where the Buccs have the most concerns: Jason Pierre-Paul (9.5 sacks in 2020) is listed as DNP (Wednesday); safeties, Jordan Whitehead, Antoine Winfield Jr, and legendary linebacker, Lavonte David were all listed as LP on the Buccaneers official website, but it's highly unlikely any of these guys will miss out on the biggest game of their respective careers -- expect to see them suit up. It's more of a question of, can they operate at the high level that got the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the final in the first place? If they aren't up to the high standards they've set for themselves, it could be problematic.
Doubtful for Tampa Bay Buccaneers: S Antonie Winfield Jr, Questionable (ankle); S Jordan Whitehead, Questionable (shoulder); OLB Jason Pierre-Paul, Doubtful (knee); WR Antonio Brown, Questionable (knee); LB Lavonte David, Questionable (knee)
The biggest news coming out of the Kansas City Chiefs camp is that tackle, Eric Fisher will miss the Super Bowl with an Achilles injury picked up during last week's win over the Bills. Linebacker, Willie Gay is also a significant worry. He is nursing a knee/ ankle injury and hasn't been able to practice this week.
Doubtful for Kansas City Chiefs: LB Willie Gay, Doubtful (ankle/knee); RB Le'Veon Bell, Questionable (knee); WR Sammy Watkins, Questionable (calf)
Out for Chiefs: T Eric Fisher, Out (Achilles)
Super Bowl 2021: Kansas City Chiefs vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Projected Starters
Kansas City Chiefs:
QB: Patrick Mahomes
RB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire
WR: Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman
TE: Travis Kelce
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QB: Tom Brady
RB: Ronald Jones lll, Leonard Fournette
WR: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown
TE: Rob Gronkowski
Super Bowl 2021: Kansas City Chiefs vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Prediction
The beauty of the NFL is that there are so many close games each season; this year's Super Bowl absolutely being one of them.
The Kansas City Chiefs are certainly the favorites heading into the final and, if they click, the trio of Mahomes, Hill, and Kelce can be impossible to stop.
The challenge for the Buccaneers is a simple one: keep Mahomes off the field for as long as humanly possible. Brady needs to play safe football but must be willing to throw deep to the likes of Mike Evans and Scotty Miller when the chance is available, but he must NOT turn the ball over!
It's near impossible to beat the Chiefs if you keep surrendering the dingus cheaply. For my money, Brady can afford 1 interception out there and no more if he expects his team to leave the Raymond James Stadium wearing those rings.
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play safe football and that defense of theirs, which has been excellent during the postseason, has a game for the ages, they have every chance of pulling off an upset on home soil.
I just have a hunch that Tom Brady might throw a few picks. The last time the Kansas City Chiefs faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady was intercepted twice by Bashaud Breeland and Tyrann Mathieu; Tom Brady also got picked off 3x vs the Packers in the NFC Conference Championship game a fortnight ago.
For me, the Kansas City Chiefs are the likely winners in this year's Super Bowl
Super Bowl Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs 31- 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers