Buccaneers: 5 most dangerous players vs. Chiefs in Super Bowl 55
By Peter Panacy
The Buccaneers will look to get the most out of these five players in Super Bowl 55 when they look to upend the always-potent Chiefs.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did more than enough to show they can stop elite-level offenses, namely by frustrating quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game.
And with no shortage of offensive weapons of their own, the Bucs will need to carry that mindset over into Super Bowl 55 when they square off against quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs, who are looking to go back to back with their own Super Bowl wins.
Sure, the Chiefs beat Tampa Bay 27-24 back in Week 12 in a game that saw the Buccaneers stage an impressive fourth-quarter comeback attempt. But that was at a time when the Bucs offense was only finally starting to fire on all cylinders, and it also marked the last time quarterback Tom Brady and the Buccaneers lost a game this season.
Brady and his supporting cast on both sides of the ball will need to be on point versus Mahomes and Co., yes. But to flip the script, perhaps Kansas City has to be on point against Tampa Bay, too, especially considering the Buccaneers’ recent hot streak.
With that thinking, these five Bucs players are the ones the Chiefs have to worry about the most on Feb. 7.
No. 5: Buccaneers Quarterback Tom Brady
It’s obvious enough: Mahomes will have to outduel Brady. Or at the very least, go side-by-side with him and let one of the game’s other X-factors work in Tampa Bay’s favor.
Mahomes is already the NFL’s next great following in Brady’s path. But Brady’s pedigree needs no introduction. The fact he’s competing for an unprecedented seventh Lombardi Trophy is astounding. The Super Bowl is nothing new for the future Hall of Famer. If anything, it’s the expected level of competition.
And for those thinking Brady’s arm was no longer competent enough to compete at the level he was at during his “prime,” well, Next Gen Stats listed Brady at No. 3 overall in terms of average intended air yards (9.3). In contrast, Mahomes was 14th with 8.5.
The takeaway is pretty simple: Brady is more than capable of striking anywhere on the field at any moment.
For a Chiefs team that allowed an average of 6.4 yards per pass play during the regular season, this could be a concern.