For the second time in the franchise’s history, Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Super Bowl champions. Tom Brady and his club were able to convincingly defeat defending champions Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium, 31-9. Although the two offensives started with some important game nerves, it was the Bucs who woke up fiercely when Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski in two touchdowns in the first half to take advantage of the Tampa Bay advantage. and two DPI infractions led to a one-yard touchdown pass for Antonio Brown, increasing the Bucs’ lead to 21-6 in the interval. In the second half, the Buccaneers continued to respond to the Chiefs’ fieldwork with touchdowns, while Leonard Fournette prepared for a 27-yard score to really place a dagger in a KC return midway through the third.
Todd Bowles’ defense made the most of the Chiefs playing with an improvised offensive line – mainly in the tackle positions – and was able to apply consistent pressure to Mahomes. This caused the Kansas City QB to start the game by missing their first eight attempts at a third down pass, which also included one of their two interceptions in the night. Meanwhile, Tom Brady ended the game by completing 21 of his 29 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. He was also named MVP of the Super Bowl.
This is the Buccaneers’ first Super Bowl title since the 2002 season. As for Brady, he extends his NFL record to seven Super Bowl titles, further solidifying his position as the greatest defender to step on an NFL field. For a more in-depth analysis of this championship win by the Buccaneers, check out our topics below.
Why Tampa Bay won
Offensively, the two clubs were a little slow from the start, but when the Buccaneers finally got into the rhythm, they were able to find the end zone relatively easily. The connection between Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski was particularly strong from the start. The legendary quarterback-tight end pair connected in the first two touchdowns of the Tampa Bay day. In general, the tight end position proved to be a key area of attack for the Bucs. Like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin combined for just three 40-yard receptions, the combination of Gronkowski and Cameron Brate totaled 93 yards and two touchdowns, while hitting nine of his 10 targets. In the second half, the running game proved to be a vital weapon for Tampa Bay, which sought not only to take advantage, but also to kill time. As a club, the Bucs totaled 145 yards on the ground at 4.4 yards per load, which included a 27-yard touchdown by Leonard Fournette in the third quarter (more on that below).
On the defensive side of the ball, defensive coordinator Todd Bowles set up a master class in attacking a clear weakness in the opponent’s attack. Going into this confrontation, the Kansas City offensive line was designed to be a handicap, but it ended up being much worse than that. Bowles was able to deploy a minimum of pass rushers while pressing Patrick Mahomes and forcing him to run during the game and commit two interceptions. In the first half, Mahomes was kept just 67 yards from passing, largely thanks to pressure from Bowles’ seven forwards. In addition to chasing Mahomes, the Tampa Bay defense almost completely eliminated Kansas City’s big game skill with Tyreek Hill, who made 73 yards in reception.
Why Kansas City Lost
As noted above, the makeshift offensive line was a fatal flaw for Kansas City. Mahomes has been fired three times and the Buccaneers have managed a total of eight defender hits, which does not even account for the number of pressures they have suffered. Due to the lack of talent and experience in the tackle positions, Mahomes was constantly under siege and asked to make unbalanced pitches almost routinely, which proved unsustainable.
At the top of the fights on the offensive line, the Chiefs were not as disciplined as they needed to be, especially at the end of the first half. Since the Buccaneers were to attempt a 40-yard field goal after failing to convert a third to 5 attempts on the KC’s 22-yard line, the Chiefs left the field that gave Tampa Bay their first downhill run. On the next play, Brady connected with Gronkowski for a 17-yard touchdown. In the next offensive possession for the Bucs, the Chiefs’ defense committed two penalties for passing interference that put the ball on the 1-yard line, where Brady managed to hit Antonio Brown for the touchdown. Those two shots full of penalties for the defense of Kansas City resulted in 14 points, which is not exactly a formula for winning the Super Bowl.
Inflection point
Even with the game going to halftime and the Buccaneers leading 21-6, there weren’t many counting Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. However, when they left for the third quarter and Kansas City continued to manage only field goals, a loss started to become more inevitable.
After Harrison Butker kicked a 52-yard lead to 21-9 Bucs, Tampa Bay did what he had already done twice in the first half: Responding to KC’s field goals with touchdowns. Tom Brady wasted no time leading his 74-yard attack on the field in the ensuing possession and Leonard Fournette was able to run in a 27-yard touchdown to eliminate any hope that the Chiefs could return. To make matters worse for Kansas City, Mahomes chose his next possession, which Tampa turned into three points with a field goal.
Game play
Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski kicked off the Buccaneers offensively with this eight-yard touchdown. Although this screen shot was not particularly stunning, it made history. With that score, the Brady-Gronkowski team overtook Joe Montana and Jerry Rice (12) with 13 post-season touchdowns, which is the maximum for any QB-receiver combo. Now, that only adds to the four Super Bowl titles that they also share.
What is the next
From here, Buccaneers can have fun with the rest of the Tampa Bay faithful and enjoy their first title since the 2002 season.