Buccaneers: Bad weather could favor Tampa in the Super Bowl
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers and the run
Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes could easily go down as the two best quarterbacks in NFL history. Mahomes is the only quarterback in the NFL with the potential to pass Brady eventually, and this game was supposed to be a shootout between the GOAT and his sole challenger currently in the league.
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A shootout through the air is a losing game for the Buccaneers, and while the weather may rob the fans of a historical matchup, it takes away the Chiefs’ primary strength.
Modern receivers are better in the rain and have gloves to mitigate the impact of water on the ball, but the game is bound to be sloppy regardless. Even a slight decrease in the passing efficiency could lead to a greater reliance on the run, which is where the Buccaneers will win.
The Bucs still have the best defense in the league versus the run, and the addition of Vita Vea only helps this prospect. The Chiefs have a good defensive line, but their unit still falls short of the Bucs’.
While Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Le’Veon Bell are a great duo, Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette have been better during the post-season. The Buccaneers have infuriatingly relied on the run at the worst times this season, but they have succeeded with the run so far this post-season, so there is no reason to fix what isn’t broken.
Ronald Jones has been used sparingly up until this point, and his fresh legs should complement Fournette well in a game that appears to be shifting towards a run-based affair.
The Buccaneers will still want to move the ball through the air to keep from facing a stacked box for the whole game, but the run, in general, will help the Bucs out the most if the rain comes as planned.
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