This past year has been like no other, but like every year, this first Sunday of February is Super Bowl Sunday. This day has something for everyone, whether it’s the game itself, the ads, or The Weeknd’s halftime show. Before we all grab some snacks and sit in front of our TV for the most viewed event in the United States, I’m taking a closer look at the game in this post. I’ll be writing about keys to the game for both teams and showing you my predictions for the game. As always, feel free to comment with your thoughts.

Keys to the Game

Chiefs

The Chiefs offense can thrive as long as star quarterback Patrick Mahomes is able to connect with wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. That trio alone has taken the Chiefs a long way. The Buccaneers defense will likely try to key in on these two, so Mahomes needs to seize the opportunity when they are open. They should outplay the Tampa Bay secondary, but will likely face some double coverage which is difficult for anyone to overcome.

Historically, quarterback Tom Brady has been extremely difficult to stop in the Super Bowl. Brady is still a great quarterback, but he’s not what he was in his prime. Brady has great surroundings, but if the Chiefs can put pressure on him, they can limit Brady to an extent.

Offensive Key: Get the ball to Hill and Kelce
Defensive Key: Put pressure on Brady

Buccaneers

The Buccaneers offense has been somewhat inconsistent this year, but Brady has been known to dig himself out of holes on the Super Bowl. I wouldn’t be counting on that against Mahomes, who also dug himself out of a hole in his first Super Bowl win last year. Brady and the Bucs need to start strong out of the gate so they don’t find themselves in a close, back and forth battle later. This will not be easy to do, but I feel Brady is capable of it. He’ll need to do this if he doesn’t want a repeat of his Super Bowl loss against Philly.

Hill and Kelce can do a lot of damage, so the Bucs secondary needs to focus in on them. They can’t forget about Mahomes either though. Mahomes is the most crucial piece of this Chiefs offense, and even if the Bucs try to focus in on Hill and Kelce, Mahomes will find a way to get by. The Bucs do have a chance if the front seven rises to the occasion. Their front seven outmatches the banged up Chiefs o-line. They should take advantage of that fact and blitz frequently.

Playing in their home stadium could help matters as well. This has never happened before in the Super Bowl, and I’m curious to see what impact it has.

Offensive Key: Get off to a Running Start
Defensive Key: Outplay the Chiefs o-line and get to Mahomes

Game Prediction

I posted some of my prediction in my school newspaper, the Harbinger alongside a few other people. I’ll be providing the full version, including my projected stats, MVP, and scoring summary below.

Expect a close, high scoring game in which both quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady, live up to the hype and make it one of the best Super Bowl quarterback matchups we’ve seen. Look for Brady to utilize his deep supporting cast, including wide receivers Mike Evans and Antonio Brown and a familiar face in tight end Rob Gronkowski. Mahomes doesn’t have as many elite options around him, but just the combo of speedy wide receiver Tyreek Hill and star tight end Travis Kelce make the Chiefs offense extremely difficult to stop, even for a strong Buccaneers defense. This could go either way, but I expect Mahomes, Hill and Kelce to lead the Chiefs to a last minute win and their second straight Super bowl ring.

Projected Stats

Chiefs

Passing

• Patrick Mahomes: 30/41, 396 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT

Rushing

• Clyde Edwards-Helaire: 13 rushes, 41 yards, 0 TD
• Le’Veon Bell: 2 rushes, 5 yards, 0 TD
• Darrel Williams: 2 rushes, 5 yards, 0 TD
• Patrick Mahomes: 1 rush, 3 yards, 0 TD

Receiving

• Tyreek Hill: 9 receptions, 170 yards, 2 TD
• Travis Kelce: 12 receptions, 118 yards, 1 TD
• Sammy Watkins: 3 receptions, 41 yards, 1 TD
• Mecole Hardman: 2 receptions, 32 yards, 0 TD
• Bryon Pringle: 1 reception, 14 yards, 0 TD
• Demarcus Robinson: 1 reception, 11 yards, 0 TD
• Clyde Edwards-Helaire: 1 reception, 5 yards, 0 TD
• Darrel Williams: 1 reception, 5 yards, 0 TD

Notable Defense:

• Tyrann Mathieu: 1 INT

Buccaneers

Passing

• Tom Brady: 35/53, 351 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Rushing

• Ronald Jones II: 22 rushes, 87 yards, 0 TD
• Leonard Fournette: 17 rushes, 56 yards, 0 TD
• Tom Brady: 1 rush, 1 yard, 0 TD

Receiving

• Mike Evans: 7 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD
• Antonio Brown: 7 receptions, 75 yards, 1 TD
• Chris Godwin: 7 receptions, 58 yards, 0 TD
• Tyler Johnson: 3 receptions, 31 yards, 0 TD
• Rob Gronkowski: 3 receptions, 28 yards, 1 TD
• Cameron Brate: 3 receptions, 22 yards, 0 TD
• Leonard Fournette: 3 receptions, 18 yards, 0 TD
• Scotty Miller: 1 reception, 6 yards, 0 TD
• Ronald Jones II: 1 reception, 5 yards, 0 TD

Notable Defense:

• Jason Pierre-Paul: Sack

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter

• Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce for 14 yard TD: 7-0 KC
• Ryan Succop 33 yard FG: 7-3 KC

2nd Quarter

• Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski for 8 yard TD: 10-7 TB
• Patrick Mahomes to Tyreek Hill for 50 yard TD: 14-10 KC
• Ryan Succop 24 yard FG: 14-13 KC

3rd Quarter

• Tom Brady to Antonio Brown for 14 yard TD: 20-14 TB
• Harrison Butker 50 yard FG: 20-17 TB
• Tom Brady to Mike Evans for 15 yard TD: 27-17 TB

4th Quarter

• Patrick Mahomes to Tyreek Hill for 3 yard TD: 27-24 TB
• Harrison Butker 33 yard FG: 27-27 TIE
• Ryan Succop 42 yard FG: 30-27 TB
• Ryan Succop 24 yard FG: 33-27 TB
• Patrick Mahomes to Sammy Watkins for 18 yard TD: 34-33 KC

Projected MVP: Patrick Mahomes

That’s all for my preview of this exciting game. This could be one of the best Super Bowls we’ve seen in a while, with the Greatest of all Time taking on the current best QB in the league. I think Mahomes comes out on top, but this truly could go either way. Will Tom Brady win his 7th Super Bowl ring and further assert his status as the G.O.A.T., or will Patrick Mahomes win his 2nd straight Super Bowl and make way for a new Chiefs dynasty? We’ll all find out tonight.