The BulleTin • Sunday, January 31, 2021 B3
SUPER BOWL LV | February 7, 2021
BATTLE
SUPER BOWL LV PREVIEW
FOR THE
AGES
TOM
BRADY
SUPERSTAR QBs BRADY, MAHOMES —
TO FACE OFF IN SUPER BOWL LV
That was in the AFC champi
onship at Arrowhead Stadium two
years ago when the Patriots won
om Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes.
37-31 in overtime.
The ageless quadragenarian
Mahomes nearly prevailed that night but
quarterback and the magnificent
Charvarius Ward’s game-sealing inter
millennial are the superstar attractions in
ception of Bradys pass in the final minute
Super Bowl 55 at Raymond James Stadium, of regulation was negated by Dee Ford’s
the pinnacle of the NFL's pandemic season offsides penalty when he lined up in the
marked by Zoom calls, juggled schedules,
neutral zone. Brady went on to lead the
nasal swabs and mandated masks.
Patriots past the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in
Mahomes is the defending Super Bowl
Super Bowl 53.
MVP who will become the only quarter
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said lie appreci
back to start two Super Bowls by age 25.
ated Brady coming into the Chiefs’ locker
He'll try to secure a second straight title
room after the conference championship to
for the Kansas City Chiefs (16-2), who
console a young Mahomes, who never got
ended a half-century drought last year with his hands on the ball in overtime.
a furious fourth-quarter rally to beat San
“He talked to Patrick, and Patrick re
Francisco in Super Bowl 54.
sponded like a young guy would respond
A week after beating scrappy Cleveland
to the G.O.A.T.,” said Reid, using the sobri
22-17 in the divisional round for their
quet that stands for “greatest of all time.”
eighth consecutive victory by six points or
Mahomes said Brady’s gesture meant the
less, the cardiac Chiefs earned a return trip world to him.
to the Super Bowl by rolling over the Buf
“He just kind of re-emphasized that I
falo Bills 38-24 in the AFC championship.
was doing things the right way, that I was
Brady is seeking his record seventh ring
putting in the right work and that I woxild
but first with Tampa Bay after leading the
have more opportunities to be in these
Buccaneers (14-5) to their first NFC title
games,” Mahomes recounted. “I’ve been
in 18 years. It’s his first Super Bowl without lucky enough to be in two more of them
Bill Belichick, whom he teamed up with in
since and win both of those.”
New England to make nine Super Bowl ap
Now Mahomes gets another crack at
pearances over two decades of dominance beating Brady with the Lombardi Trophy
in the AFC.
on the line.
In beating Green Bay 31-26 in the NFC
The superstars separated by 18 years,
championship at Lambeau Field behind
one month and 14 days have split four pre
Bradys three touchdown passes and Shaq vious matchups, with Mahomes winning
Barretts three sacks of Aaron Rodgers, the the last two: 23-16 over New England in
Bucs became the first team to get to play a 2019 and 27-24 hi Week 12 at Tampa Bay.
Super Bowl in their home stadium.
Brady is playing in his 10th Super Bowl
of a 21 -year career and not only can he
“That’s not where history has to end,”
Barrett said. “We could be the first team to
strengthen his claim as the greatest QB in
win it, as well, and that’s the key.”
history by winning one without Beli
chick, he can join his pal and one-time
At 43, Brady will be the oldest player at
rival Peyton Manning as the only starting
any position to play in the Super Bowl.
Mahomes and Brady have squared off
quarterbacks to win Super Bowls with two
different teams.
tbiu‘ times before, including once in the
Manning won Super Bowl 41 with the
playoffs.
BY ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer
T
Indianapolis Colts and Super Bowl 50 in
his fourth and final season with the Denver
Broncos a month before he retired.
Brady faded down the stretch in his final
season with the Patriots in 2019 but his de
parture from New England and subsequent
signing with Tampa Bay stunned the NFL.
While Brady had led the Patriots to 17
AFC East titles in 18 seasons as a starter
(he was a backup as a rookie and suffered
a season-ending knee injury in the 2008
opener), the Bucs hadn’t reached the
playoffs since 2007, five years after winning
their only Super Bowl.
Moreover, Brady had to adjust to head
coach Bruce Arians, offensive coordinator
Byron Leftwich and his new teammates
save for old buddy Rob Gronkowski
without the benefit of a normal offseason
because of COVID-19.
Despite some early stumbles, Brady fed
his star-studded cast that included wide
receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and
Antonio Brown, running backs Ronald
Jones and Leonard Fournette and tight
ends Gronkowski and Cameron Brate
to an 11-5 record and a return to the
playoffs.
A 1-5 mark against teams that reached
the playoffs made the Bucs a longshot to
win the George Halas Trophy as the NFC’s
champ, but behind a terrific defense and
Brady’s steady leadership on offense Tampa
Bay joined the 1985 Patriots, 2005 Steelers,
2007 Giants, and 2010 Packers as the only
teams to reach a Super Bowl by winning
three road playoff games.
The Bucs dispatched Washington 31-23
and New Orleans 30-20 before beating the
Packers for their eighth consecutive road
win.
Not that Brady saw any of this coining as
he steered the Bncs through one obstacle
after another in earning the first wild-card
berth of his 21-year career.
“This is a goal, but at the same time its a
week-to-week league. We were at 7-5 seven
games ago, not feeling great,” Brady said.
“We telt like we needed to find our rhythm
and (we) played four great games down the
stretch the last quarter of the season. After
that, it was all bonus. We just had to go
play well.”
Now, they’re the first team that won’t
have to hit the road for the Super Bowl.
“That’s the scary thing about having the
Super Bowl at home — weVe been playing
so good on the road,” said Arians.
This is Arians’ first Super Bowl appear
ance as a head coach at age 68.
“I don’t think about what it means for
me,” Brady said. “I do think about what it
means for everyone else.”
Like Arians, a three-time cancer survi
vor who stepped down as Arizona’s coach
in 2017 and came out of retirement two
years ago, leading the Bucs to a 7-9 record
in 2019 before Brady’s momentous arrival.
“There were times when I never thought
it would happen,” Arians said. “I never
thought I would get a head coaching job.
After the cancer scare in Arizona, sitting
out that year and coming back, this has
been the most rewarding year of coaching
in my life.”
FACTS & FIGURES
From Tom Brady becoming the oldest player at age 43 to ever
play in a Super Bowl to Patrick Mahomes becoming the first quar
terback to start in two Super Bowls by age 25, the re are plenty of
subplots in the Buccaneers-Chiefs showdown at Raymond James
Stadium. Here are some fans should keep an eye on:
SEVENTH HEAVEN
Brady is shooting for his record seventh NFL championship,
which would break a tie he shares with three members of Vince
Lombardi's greatGreen Bay Packers teams of the 1960s. Herb Adder-
ley won five titles in Green Bay, including the first two Super Bowls,
plus another with Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys after the 1971 sea
son, as did fellow Hall of Famer Forrest Gregg. Their teammate, Fuzzy
Thurston, won his firsttitle as a rookie with the Baltimore Colts in
1958 before winning five championships inTitletown. Brady won
each of his half dozen rings in New England with coach Bill Belichick.
TORCH PASSING
Coming out of retirement for a reunion with Brady,
Rob Gronkowski had a solid season with 623 yards and
sevenTDs on 45 receptions but has been quiet in the
playoffs (two catches for 43 yards and no TDs). Travis
Kelce has succeeded Gronk as the league's top tight end.
He had a record-setting season with 105 catches for 1,416 yards
and 11 TDs and has collected another 21 catches for 227 yards and
three TDs in two playoff games. That gives Keke 1,643 total re
ceiving yards in the regular and postseason, passing Gronk's 1,585
yards in 2011. Kelce's nine postseason TDs are second all-time to
Gronk's dozen.
-------------------------- SHOOTOUT SHOUTOUT ---------------------------
The game is a rematch of the Chiefs' 27-24 win on Nov. 29 at
Tampa Bay in Week 12 when Mahomes threw for 462 yard sand
connected withTyreek Hill 13 times for 269 yards and three TDs.
The Chiefs built a 27-10 lead before Brady threw for a pair of
fourth-quarter touchdowns to Mike Evans. Mahomes completed
37 of 49 passes and Brady was 27 of 41 for 345 yards and three TDs
but was picked off twice. The only time Mahomes piled up more
passing yards was on Nov. 19,2018, when he threw for 478 yards in
a 54-51 loss to the Rams. Hill is coming off a franchise-best 172-yard
performance in the AFC championship.
PILFERING PIRATES
Hie Buccaneers lead the NFL with 41 points off seven takeaways
in the playoffs. That included 14 points off two Green Bay turn
overs in the NFC championship that gave Tampa Bay a big enough
cushion to withstand a furious rally by Aaron Rodgers. Scotty Miller
sped past Kevin King to haul in a 39-yard TD pass from Brady with
1 second left in the first half following an interception by Sean
Murphy-Bunting. Brady's next pass was an 8-yard scoring strike to
tight end Cameron Brate that followed Aaron Jones'second fumble
— both forced by safety Jordan Whitehead.
TWICE IS NICE
Brady can become the first starting QBto win a Super Bowl in
both conferences. Peyton Manning is the only starting QB to win
titles with two different franchises (Indianapolis over Chicago 29-17
in Super Bowl 41 and Denver over Carolina 24-10 in Super Bowl 50).
Before Brady, the only starting QB to lead teams from the NFC and
AFC to the Super Bowl was Craig Morton, whose Cowboys lost to
the Baltimore Colts 16-13 in Super Bowl 5 and whose Broncos lost
to Dallas 27-10 in Super Bowl 12. Kurt Warner led the St. Louis Rams
pastTennessee23-16in Super Bowl 34 but lost Super Bowl 43 to
Pittsburgh 27-23 as the Arizona Cardinals'starter.
RIDING SHOTGUN
Both teams have defensive coordinators who used to be NFL
head coaches: Tam pa Bay's Todd Bowles and Kansas City's Steve
Spagnuolo. Bowles went 26-41 as Jets head coach from 2015-18.
When Bruce Arians came out of retirement in 2019 he quickly hired
Bowles, whom he coached at Temple in the 1980s and who had
been his DC in Arizona from 2013-14.The Bucs have led the NFL in
rushing defense the last two seasons. Spagnuolo went 11-41 with
the Rams from 2009-11 and as Giants interim head coach in 2017.
He joined Andy Reid in 2019 and played a big role in turning around
the Chiefs'defense in their championship season a year ago.
CHAMPIONSHIP CHOPS
Arians is making his first Super Bowl appear
ance asa head coach and Reid is making his
third. Reid is the only coach in NFL history to
coach a team that hosted three consecutive
conference championships, and lie's done it in both Kansas
City and Philadelphia. His Eagles hosted the NFC title games follow
ing the 2002-04 seasons, losing to Tampa Bay and Carolina before
beating Atlanta prior to their loss to New England in Super Bowl 39.
Reid's Chiefs lost to New England in the AFC title game at Arrow
head Stadium following the 2018 season before beating Tennessee
last year on their way to winning Super Bowl 54.
---------------------------- PRECISION PASSING ------------------------------
Mahomes, whose 17 TD throws in seven playoff games are the
most by a QB in his firstfour seasons in the NFL, has been insanely
accurate in these playoffs, completing 73.5% of his throws (50 of 68)
for 580 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions in wins
over the Browns and Bills. He's been sacked one time. Brady, on the
other hand, has completed just 55 percent of his throws (60 for 109)
in three playoff games for Tampa Bay. He's thrown for 860 yards with
seven TDs and a trio of interceptions, all in the NFC championship at
Lambeau Field. He's been sacked five times in this postseason.
AT STAKE
National Football League Cham
pionship for the Vince Lombardi
Trophy. The Chiefs are seeking
their third trophy and second in
a row after a 50-year drought;
the Buccaneers are seeking their
second trophy to go with the one
they hoisted after the 2002 season.
KICKOFF
Sunday, Feb. 7, at 3:30 p.m. Pacific
PARTICIPANTS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC)
and Kansas City Chiefs (AFC).
This is the fourth appearance for
the Ch iefs (2-1), who lost to the
Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl
1 in 1967, then beat Minnesota in
Super Bowl 4 in 1970. It took them
50 years to get back but they beat
San Francisco in Super Bowl 54
last year in Miami. The Buccaneers
(1-0) are making their second ap
pearance. They beat the Oakland
Raiders in Super Bowl 37.
VENUE
Raymond James Stadium, Tam
pa, Fla., home to the Buccaneers,
the first team ever to play a Super
Bow! in its home stadium. This is
the third Super Bowl at Raymond
James and fifth in Tampa.
--------SEATING CAPACITY--------
The stadium seats 65,000 nor
mally and is expandable to 75,000
but attendance will be limited to
22,000 because of the pandemic,
with 7,500 tickets going to health
care workers who have received
the COVI D-19vaccine.
--------- HALFTIME SHOW------------
TheWeeknd (yes,
that's spelled correctly)
will perform in his first
Super Bowl halftime
show. The Canadian singer-song-
writer is a three-time Grammy
winner whose given name is
Abel MakkonenTesfaye. Billboard
named his song "Blinding Lights"
as the No. 1 song of 2020.
NATIONAL ANTHEM
Country artist Eric
Church and R&B
vocalist Jazmine
Sullivan with
£ sing "The Star
IS W Spangled Banner.“
FIRST FEMALE
SUPER BOWL OFFICIAL
Down judge Sarah Thomas will
become the first woman ever to
officiate a Super Bowl. She also
was the first woman
to officiate a major
college football game
before being hired by
the NFL in 2015."Her
elite performance and commit
ment to excellence has earned
her the right to officiate the Su
per Bowl,"said Troy Vincent, the
NFL's executive vice president of
football operations. Carl Cheffers,
a 21 -year veteran NFL official, will
referee his second Super Bowl.
He also was in charge during
Super Bowl 51 in 201 7, when
Brady and the Patriots overcame
a 25-point deficit and beat the
Falcons in the biggest comeback
and first overtime game in Super
Bowl hi story.
--------- GAME COVERAGE -----------
Game can be watched on CBS
television affiliates and on the CBS
All Access a pp.
................. AP ..................
CONTENTfiVTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS