Brady and Bucs Make History KC Looks to Repeat

 

By Andrew Rosario

 

There is always a first time for everything and we never forget the first time. First kiss, first love, first heartbreak. The NFL now has a first. When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the field against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV (55) on Sunday, February 7th, it will be the first time in history that the home team will be playing in the Super Bowl.  

 

It all began last Sunday afternoon when the Green Bay Packers hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was looking to get back to the big game for the second time in his career. Bucs quarterback Tom Brady, after 20 years and 6 Super Bowl rings decided to leave New England for greener pastures. The two teams faced each other in week 6 with Tampa dominating the game 38-10 at home. This was a different Packers team as they entered the game on a 7-game winning streak. It was clear from the very beginning that somebody forgot to tell that to Brady and company. 

 

 

Green Bay won the coin toss but elected to kick off to New England knowing they would get the ball to start the second half. Tampa took advantage of the opportunity. Starting on their own 34, Brady leads them on a 66-yard, 7 play drive resulting in a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Evans. Needing 3-yards to keep the drive alive, Brady connects with Evans on a 27-yard reception. Both teams would punt on their next possession before Green Bay would tie the score.

 

Starting on their own 10, Rodgers takes them 90 yards on 7 plays as wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling gets behind cornerback Carlton Davis for the 50-yard touchdown reception. Tampa responded to start the second quarter needing only 4 plays to recapture the lead. After Brady finds wide receiver Chris Godwin for a 52-yard circus catch, running back Leonard Fournette runs it in from 20 yards out. It appeared that Fournette would be stopped in the backfield but he bounces to the outside, makes a spin move before getting into the end zone. The Packers would add 3 more points (24 yard Matt Crosby field goal) and then watch the Bucs increase their lead. Green Bay forced a Tampa punt but their first turnover proved costly. Looking for wide receiver Allan Lazard, Rodgers is picked off as Bucs safety Sean Murphy-Bunting comes up with the interception. 5-plays and 51 yards later, Brady connects with wide receiver Scott Miller for the 39 yard touchdown as Miller gets behind cornerback Kevin King taking a 21-10 halftime lead.

 

 

Things got worse for the Packers to start the second half. 3 plays into the drive, Rodgers finds running back Aaron Jones for a short completion. Jones is hit by safety Jordan Whitehead forcing a fumble. It is recovered by Devon White who returns it to the Green Bay 8-yard line.1 play later, Brady finds tight end Cameron Brate for the 1-yard touchdown catch. At 28-10, the Packers looked down but were not out.

 

It began on their very next drive with Rodgers taking them 75-yards on 8 plays ending with a 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Robert Tonyan. For the first time all afternoon, the Packers defense stepped up the next time Tampa got the ball. Brady looks downfield for Evans but strong safety Adrian Amos comes down with the interception. 60 yards and 13 plays later, Rodgers finds wide receiver Davonte Adams for the 2-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion fails as wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown drops the Rodgers pass. He was wide open. The lead is cut to 5 at 28-23.

 

Brady would throw 2 more interceptions but Green Bay could not take advantage having to punt both times. The Bucs increased the lead (31-23) after a Ryan Succop 46-yard field goal. Needing a touchdown and 2-point conversion to tie the game, Rodgers would make a mistake that would end their season.

 

Green Bay began on their own 34 with 4:33 left in the game. Getting down to the Bucs 8-yard line, Rodgers (33-48, 46 yards, 3 td’s, 1 int) drops back to pass. With no one open, Rodgers has a clear path to run it in to the end zone. Instead, he pulls up and forces a pass to Adams with the pass falling incomplete. Green Bay decides to kick the field goal instead of going for the touchdown giving the ball back to Brady (20-36, 280 yards, 3 td’s, 3 int’s) with 2:05 left. 7-plays later, Brady and Tampa Bay make history. Said Bucs head coach Bruce Arians after, “so many teams don’t get a chance because they don’t get the Super Bowl in their stadium. It was obviously the goal of ours to start the season, but getting to the Super Bowl wasn’t what our goal is. Our goal is to win it. Tom Brady will be playing in his 10th Super Bowl. Said Brady, “it’s been a long process for the whole team and today was just a great team effort.”

 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chief who took out the Buffalo Bills Sunday night 38-24. The Bills showed they came to play putting the first 9 points on the board via a 51-yard Tyler Bass field goal and a Josh Allen 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dawson Knox. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes returned after being knocked out the week before with a concussion. He was also dealing with foot injury as well. Still, Mahomes showed no ill effects. The second time they got the ball, Mahomes guides them on a 80-yard, 14 play drive ending in a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mecole Hardman. After a Buffalo punt, Kansas City would take the lead and never look back. They scored 2 more touchdowns before halftime as the Bills offense sputtered. The lead would balloon to 38-15 after a Mahome (29-38, 325 yards, 3 td’s, 0 int’s) touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce. Allen (28-48, 287 yards, 2 td’s 1 int) was under pressure all game as he ran 7 times for 88 yards. 

 

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid will be going to the Super Bowl for the third time. The first was in a losing effort with the Philadelphia Eagles as they lost to Brady and the Patriots. Mahomes and Kansas City are looking to become the first team to win back to back Super Bowls since the Patriots repeated in 2003-2004.