1-Man’s Opinion on Sports–Thursday. “Super Bowl Sunday Preview”
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“Super Bowl Snapshots”
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A perfect Sunday afternoon coming.
Game time temperature in the sun will be 71-degrees in Tampa Bay.
The brilliance of the quarterbacks. The gifts of the skilled wide receivers and tight ends. The creative genius of the two veteran head coaches.
Impact players on defense and two very good coordinators.
CHIEFS…(16-2) on the season…have won 25-of-27 games over two years
BUCS..(14-5) this year…with 3-road wins in a row in playoffs..and 7-wins in a row dating back to the end of the season run that got them a wildcard spot.
ANDY REID-BRUCE ARIANS….The ‘Geritol Bowl’ as Arians put it…one coach (62) the other (68)….Arians is (71-46) as a head coach with Arizona and Tampa…after successful runs as an Off Coord with Cleveland-Pittsburgh-Indianapolis….Reid is (238-144) in 22-seasons with only three losing campaigns…between Philadelphia and Kansas City…he is (98-42) with the Chiefs..and Reid is (19-3) when his teams come off bye weeks.
STEVE SPAGNUOLO-TODD BOWLES…The two defensive coordinators will be front and center..It will be fun to watch the defensive schemes they unleash. How does Bowles deploy his coverage on Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce? Will he blitz Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre Paul against a weakened KC front? Does Spagnuolo dropped 7-into coverage and dare Brady to throw into zones, forcing him into checkdown passes?
BRADY…Tom Brady is (33-11) in postseason games with 6-Super Bowl rings already. He has become a mad bomber thanks to the attack mode philosophy of Tampa Bay. Brady is (60-109)-65%–860Y-7TD-3Int-(90QB rating)-in the 3-postseason road wins this year. Brady is going for his 7th Super Bowl ring..the first without Bill Belichick on his sideline.
MAHOMES… Patrick Mahomes is (50-68)-73%–4TD-0Int with a (118QB rating) in his two wins at Arrowhead in this playoff run. The Chiefs QB has a career record of (39-9).
WIDE RECEIVERS…The Chiefs have had 9-plays of 20-yards or more in their two playoff wins…Tyreek Hill has 17-receptions in 21-targets for (282Y)..17YPC…Travis Kelce (21R-228Y) 11YPC and 3-TDs…Kansas City has had big plays of 42-50-51-71 in those playoff games….Equal to that challenge will be the Bucs 5-pack of receivers-TEs…Chris Godwin (14R-228Y)…Mike Evans (10R-173Y)..Cam Brate (11R-149Y)..plus Antonio Brown-Rob Gronkowski.
RUNNING BACKS…Leonard Fournette has resurrected his career at the end of the season and coupled with Ronald Jones-they have combined for (289Y) rushing in the playoffs…The Chiefs run game has become an afterthought because it is ‘All Mahomes-All the Time’.
OFFENSIVE LINE..Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet are the two unsung heroes protecting Brady-he has hardly been touched…Kansas City has issues, now with both bookend tackles out with injuries…Replacing Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz will be an enormous task…Andy Reid said on Wednesday..’We’re not pretty-but we will get it done’.
DEFENSIVE FRONT…The Bucs entire front seven is fierce, led by Jason Pierre Paul, Ndomakong Suh and the return of Vita Vea…Add to that a tremendously skilled linebacking group paced by Devin White..they play fast-are furious…The Chiefs are anchored by DT-Chris Jones and Frank Clark..but their back seven does not have great playmakers.
GAME PLAN…The big question will be if the Chiefs can handle a fierce Bucs pass rush using backup offensive tackles..but KC will counter with spread formations-quick passes and rollout packages to offset that rush…Can Tampa afford to get into a throwing contest with KC-possibly because there are not alot of fearsome guys in the Chiefs secondary?…Both teams will have their hands full covering the tight ends on passes underneath.
WHO WINS…Chiefs outgun the Buccaneers 38-31 and when KC raises the Vince Lombardi Trophy..it will be like the passing of the baton from Brady to Mahomes too.
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