The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. These two teams faced off in Week 12 of the regular season and now the rematch will determine who takes home the Lombardi Trophy. The Buccaneers have changed just a bit since their first meeting with the Chiefs.
To learn more about Kansas City’s opponent, we spoke with managing editor Luke Easterling over at Bucs Wire and asked him a few questions.
Chiefs Wire: What percentage of the Bucs playing in the Super Bowl is on the decision to bring in Tom Brady this offseason?
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Luke Easterling: I would put it at 51 percent. So, the majority, but not by much. It’s not higher because one of the biggest reasons Brady picked the Bucs in free agency was because this was already a roster that was talented enough to make a deep playoff run. What they were missing was a quarterback who could still take advantage of their offensive weapons, but would make better decisions and limit turnovers. Brady was the perfect fit, and his experience and leadership have obviously gone a long way for a team relying on plenty of young players and guys with little to no playoff experience before this season. That said, the rest of Tampa Bay’s roster deserves more credit for them being in this game.
Chiefs Wire: Do you think that having players like Vita Vea and Jamel Dean on defense this time around will make a big difference from Week 12?
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Luke Easterling: I’m betting Austin Reiter and company will think Vea makes a big difference. He’s arguably the best nose tackle in the game, and his rare blend of size, power and athleticism make him dominant against the run and effective at collapsing the pocket from the inside as a pass rusher. His presence makes it harder for opposing blockers to simply key on stopping Tampa Bay’s edge rushers, and the NFC title game was a prime example of that. Dean’s size, length and athleticism will definitely be a welcome addition this time around, as well, but Ross Cockrell has done a solid job when called upon as that third corner for Tampa Bay this season. No matter what, having as many of your best players as healthy as possible will definitely improve Tampa Bay’s chances of reversing that close result from Week 12.
Chiefs Wire: Are there any Bucs players who have stood out in the seven weeks following that Week 12 game that Chiefs fans should know about?
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Luke Easterling: Sean Murphy-Bunting has been a big-play machine, particularly in the playoffs, with an interception in each of Tampa Bay’s three postseason wins so far. On offense, Tampa Bay has gotten big plays and clutch contributions from all of their receivers not named Mike Evans or Chris Godwin, and they each bring a unique skill set to the table. Scotty Miller’s speed, Tyler Johnson’s catching ability, and Antonio Brown’s route-running have all been key to Tampa Bay’s seven-game winning streak.
Chiefs Wire: What do you think is the biggest key to victory for the Buccaneers in this game?
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Luke Easterling: The trenches. Tampa Bay’s offensive line has been one of the league’s best all year, and they’ve stepped it up in the playoffs. If they can protect Tom Brady and win the line of scrimmage in the ground game, they can sustain drives and keep the ball away from Patrick Mahomes and company. They also have one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL, both in terms of stuffing the run and getting after the quarterback. Combine that with how strong their fourth-quarter defense has been lately, and the Bucs will have to lean on both to win this game.
Chiefs Wire: Bruce Arians has a reputation of aggressive play-calling, the whole “no risk it, no biscuit” thing. What do you expect to see from Arians and the Bucs coaching staff on Sunday with that in mind?
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Luke Easterling: I expect to see more of the same. We’ve all gotten used to Bruce’s bold, aggressive approach, and that’s exactly the mentality that will be necessary to hang with and potentially beat the Chiefs. No kicking field goals on 4th-and-short in the red zone, no sitting back in soft zones all day on defense, no three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust play-calling. The Bucs have to keep pulling out all the stops to win this game.
Chiefs Wire: Do you have any hot takes for the Super Bowl and what’s your prediction for the outcome of the game?
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Luke Easterling: I’ve picked the Bucs to win every playoff game so far, so I’m not gonna stop now. I’m not much of a hot-take guy, I just think this game will live up to the hype. There are superstars all over the place on both teams, and it’ll be one for the ages. I think the Bucs are a much better team than they were in Week 12, and they still barely lost that game after spotting the Chiefs a 17-0 first-quarter lead. I think Tampa Bay’s defense makes one more stop this time around, giving the ball back to Brady for one of his vintage game-winning drives. Bucs 30, Chiefs 27.
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February 06, 2021 at 08:34PM
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Behind Enemy Lines: 6 questions with Bucs Wire for Super Bowl LV - Chiefs Wire
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