Championship Thoughts

The Super Bowl LV is set. 

Kansas City Chiefs vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Buccaneers-Packers

1. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play in Super Bowl LV. Not only that, they’ll play in their own stadium. They are the first team in Super Bowl history to play the big game in their own stadium. 

2. I was sure wrong about this game. So wrong. I expected a Packers blowout. I was wrong. 31-26 Buccaneers. 

3. It was a surprise to see the Packers opt for a field goal from the Buccaneers 8-yard line with just over two minutes to play. They were down 31-23. Instead of going for the chance to tie the game, Packers coach Matt LaFleur decided to cut the Buccaneers lead to five points. He might be thinking about that decision for a while. If the Packers missed on the touchdown, they needed to get the ball back. If they kicked the field goal, they needed to get the ball back. I’d think that the opportunity to tie the game would be worth the gamble. It’s easy to question the call on this side of it. It always is. 

4. Been there. Done that. This will be Tom Brady’s 10th Super Bowl. It’s a remarkable thing. Cleveland Browns quarterback Otto Graham played in ten championship games. He played 10 seasons. Championship appearances was an annual thing for Graham. He won seven of those championship games. 

5. Speaking of Brady, he didn’t play great against the Packers defense. He threw three interceptions and came close to throwing more. This game wouldn’t have come down to the final minutes if he hadn’t killed second half scoring opportunities with interceptions. 

6. The Buccaneers are going to the Super Bowl because of their defense. Brady turned the ball over three times. The Packers could only score six points off of those turnovers. Maybe some of those teams looking for a head coach should’ve given Todd Bowles more consideration. 

7. Aaron Rodgers wasn’t his usual highly efficient self. The Buccaneers defense made sure of that. 

8. The Packers missed left tackle David Bakhtiari. Buccaneers defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul had some pass rushing fun with Billy Turner. 

9. Buccaneers corner Carlton Davis was flagged near the end zone for a helmet to helmet hit. Most people will bitch about the call. Many did bitch about the call. I’m not sure how much more clear the rule can be. Don’t lower your head! Not only is leading with the helmet illegal, it’s really, really stupid. It isn’t safe for the player being targeted. It isn’t safe for the idiot player doing the targeting. These stupid hits are a big reason some players have so damn many health issues later in life. Some people don’t care about that. They just care about the game that they’re watching now. 

10. The fourth quarter screen pass to Rob Gronkowski was brilliant. It was brilliantly called, brilliantly timed, brilliantly executed. The 29-yard gain flipped the field. More importantly, it felt like it broke the Packers defense. 

11. I hated seeing the Buccaneers clinch this game on a defensive pass interference call. Packers corner Kevin King did have a fistful of Tyler Johnson’s jersey. If this game was officiated by the books, that’s an easy penalty. This game wasn’t officiated by the books as defenders were repeatedly allowed to have a fistful of jersey. Why call it at that point in the game after ignoring it throughout the game?

12. Former Minnesota Vikings corner Antoine Winfield played 14 years. The closest he got to a Super Bowl was the 2009 NFC Championship game. Antoine Winfield Jr. is going to the Super Bowl in his first season. An injury kept him out of yesterday’s game. I’m certain that he’ll be ready for a game in two weeks. 

Bills-Chiefs

1. The Kansas City Chiefs are returning to the Super Bowl. 

2. The Bills’ fun ride ends a game short of their goal. 

3. The game wasn’t really as close as the 38-24 final score. The Chiefs thoroughly controlled the game after the Bills jumped out to an early 9-0 lead. 

4. After the Bills recovered Mecole Hardman’s muffed punt, they only had to move the ball three yards for their first touchdown. They didn’t score their second touchdown until four minutes remained in the game. Basically, the Bills spent the majority of the game not being able to get into the end zone. They could only manage field goals. Two of those were in red zone. It’s tough to keep pace with the Chiefs when you’re settling for field goals. 

5. The Chiefs lost left tackle Eric Fisher to an Achilles injury. With the way that Jason Pierre-Paul raced around and through Billy Turner that’s a big concern for the Super Bowl. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz is on injured reserve. Maybe he can return in time for the Super Bowl. If not, the Chiefs will be going with backup tackles against Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett. 

6. Patrick Mahomes is a very good quarterback. 

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It’s Buccaneers-Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. I was certain that it’d be a replay of the first Super Bowl.