How it Went
Tom Brady has once again succeeded. The quarterback won the Super Bowl with his new franchise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for the first time. Brady and the Bucs defeated the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 in Tampa, Florida, in a Bucs home game.
The Super Bowl 55 culminated a grueling and difficult year for the NFL. The coronavirus resulted in postponements, teams occasionally playing with depleted rosters, and largely vacant stadiums for many games.
Brady, the oldest player to ever participate in a Super Bowl at the age of 43, led the Buccaneers to three touchdowns in the first half, including two touchdown passes to his favorite postseason target Rob Gronkowski (and setting another record in the process: it was the 13th and 14th touchdowns for a quarterback-pass catcher duo in the playoffs). In the final seconds of the first half, Brady completed a 71-yard drive to give his team a 21-6 lead at halftime.
In the first half, Tampa Bay’s defense stymied Kansas City and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes, who was hampered by a toe injury two weeks ago, appeared to have overcome the discomfort, but he did not demonstrate his usual brilliance. On both sides of the ball, the Chiefs committed errors and were penalized eight times for 95 yards. In each of the last two postseasons, Kansas City overcame deficits of at least nine points and prevailed. The Chiefs were attempting to become the first team since the Patriots in 2003 and 2004 to win consecutive NFL titles
Clyde Edwards-Helaire made a 26-yard sprint to start the second half for the Chiefs, their longest gain of the contest. However, the Kansas City offense could only score a field goal. Leonard Fournette dashed 27 yards for the Buccaneers’ first rushing touchdown to extend their lead to 28-9 on the ensuing drive. Ryan Succop kicked a 52-yard field goal after Tampa Bay marched down the field following an interception by Patrick Mahomes to extend the lead to 31-9. The Chiefs did not score a touchdown in Super Bowl LV, which was one of the biggest surprises of the game.
This Super Bowl was notable for several firsts, including the first time a team played in its home stadium. Sarah Thomas was the first female official to officiate the NFL championship game. And for the first time in his ten Super Bowl appearances, Brady led his team to a first-quarter touchdown.
The coronavirus has also left its imprint. The capacity of the stadium was reduced to 25,000 spectators (including 7,500 vaccinated health care employees who received complimentary tickets from the NFL). On television, the stadium appeared even more full because 30,000 cardboard cutouts of beaming individuals who paid $100 for the privilege filled the vacant seats.
Tom Brady of Tampa Bay threw three touchdown passes in the first half of Super Bowl 55. It was Brady’s seventh Super Bowl win and his first with the Buccaneers.
Brady made an unprecedented 10th Super Bowl appearance. In his 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, he participated in nine playoff games, setting a record with six victories. This was Brady’s first season with the Bucs, and he lead them to the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory. Brady was also named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player for the fifth time, extending his record.
The Buccaneers’ victory in this year’s Super Bowl is yet another crowning achievement for the Tampa area. The Lightning claimed the Stanley Cup for the National Hockey League. The Rays faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. The Buccaneers’ NFL championship victory in their home stadium crowns a remarkable run for the region now known as Champa Bay.
How its Going
Brady retired after going 8-10 last season in his third year in Tampa. Now the Bucs are expected to finish dead last. In fact, online sportsbooks have the Bucs at +15,000 (150-1) odds to win Super Bowl 58. That means if you put one dollar on the Bucs to win the SB and they do, you get paid $150. It pays that high because there is zero % chance of that happening. Baker Mayfield is the QB in Tampa now. So, you can see where this is going.
