Buccaneers: Can a stellar pass rush overcome Patrick Mahomes?
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers need their pass rush to win big.
Patrick Mahomes is the scariest quarterback in the NFL. As far as talent is concerned, Mahomes is second to none in the league right now. The Buccaneers will have their hands full in the Super Bowl, but this is still a winnable game.
The one thing Tampa Bay can’t rely on is winning a shootout. Mahomes and the Chiefs are one of the best offensive units in NFL history with more than one way to threaten a defense, so the Bucs can’t rely solely on their offense to win this game.
The good news for the Bucs is their defense has been remarkably consistent so far during the playoffs. The defense was the main reason for the win versus the Packers, even with Aaron Rodgers’ excellent performance, and the unit also had its way with Drew Brees and the Saints in the previous week.
The secondary has been great, especially Sean Murphy-Bunting, who has an interception in each game so far, but this matchup will come down to more than that. Having a great secondary alone is not how you stop Mahomes. An all-time great quarterback like Mahomes and a receiver as fast as Tyreek Hill have a way of dominating, even against the best secondaries, so the Bucs will have to continue to lean on their pass rush on defense above all else.