Written by Carter Weissenfluh
Despite the fact that two of the greatest quarterbacks of their generations faced off last Sunday, the Super Bowl was considered by many to be quite the bust. Tom Brady, who is considered by many to be the greatest quarterback of all time, made his tenth Super Bowl appearance while taking on young star Patrick Mahomes and the 2020 Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
It was a long night for Patrick Mahomes, it seemed as if he had absolutely no time to throw the ball, and if his first read wasn’t open, he had to run full-speed to try to make a play. Mahomes’ bad luck with the ball was largely influenced by the three backup linemen that the Chiefs had to put up against a strong Tampa Bay defensive line. This allowed the Buccaneers to rush four while dropping seven into coverage and making sure they kept Tyreek Hill in check. Hill was one of Tampa Bay’s main concerns since the last time the two teams met, he put up over 200 yards in the first quarter. Tampa Bay Defensive Coordinator Todd Bowles came out with a new game plan for the big game and the Chiefs didn’t have an answer all night.
For Tom Brady and his offense, it looked like they were doing whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. They attacked the Chiefs’ defense with a very balanced attack, rushing for over 100 yards and passing for nearly 200. Brady played a nearly perfect game and it seemed that he was always one step ahead of the Chiefs defense. The caliber of his raw skill and playmaking ability was just out of reach for the Chiefs. The Buccaneers came out early in the game and established a solid run game which benefited them greatly.
After this Super Bowl, Tom Brady now has more Super Bowl wins than any NFL franchise with seven victories. What is perhaps even more impressive is that he was able to accomplish this with a new team, new coaches, and minimal offseason preparation. He was able to transform a team with a longstanding losing culture and won it all in his first season alongside Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski, who many thought would never suit up for an NFL game again. Despite Antonio Brown’s reputation as a toxic teammate and the source of locker room tension, Brady took him under his wing and created a winning environment as a unit. With the talents of both teams, it would not be surprising if these two teams become powerhouses that will face-off many times in the future. As they look forward to next season, the Buccaneers set their sights on becoming back-to-back champions.
