7th Heaven For TB12
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
By Andrew Rosario
Tampa Fla. – The boy wonder did it again. At age 43 Tom Brady did something that no quarterback has ever done winning his 7th Super Bowl and 5th MVP in guiding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-9 Super Bowl win denying the Kansas City Chiefs a chance at winning their second straight championship. As efficient as the Bucs were offensively, the defense was just as suffocating holding last year’s Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes to only 270 yards, no touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
It was the first time in NFL history a team played and hosted the Super Bowl in their own stadium. The normal capacity would have been around 66,000. Due to the Coronavirus and Covid19 pandemic, only 22,000 fans were allowed. 7,500 were front line and first responder workers who were vaccinated.
Kansas City won the coin toss and elected to kick off to Tampa. Both teams sputtered out of the gate as the Bucs punted the first two times they had the ball with the Chiefs punting on their first possession. KC would get on the board first on their second possession. Mahomes drives them down the field 26 yards in 8 plays. Harrison Butker converting the 49-yard field goal. At 3-0 it would be the last time Kansas City would have the lead.
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
Brady wasted no time the next time they got the ball. Completing 4 passes for 47 yards, the last a 5-yarder to tight end Rob Gronkowski for the go ahead touchdown. The connection was the 13th time the duo would get into the end and first time Brady threw a touchdown pass in the first quarter in a Super Bowl game.
Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles made life miserable for Mahomes forcing them to only run 7-plays the next two times they had the ball. The Bucs extended the lead to 14-3 as Brady found Gronk again this time for a 17-yard touchdown reception. KC reduced the lead to 8 after another Butker field goal (34-yards) but Tampa Bay, with .55 seconds before halftime, wanted more points. 5-plays and 29 yards later, Brady (21-29, 201 yards, 3 it’s, no it’s) throws his third touchdown of the half, this time a 1-yarder to wide receiver Antonio Brown extending the lead to 21-6 effectively ending the game. Said Mahomes, “we battled to the very end. We played not very well football today.”
Tom Brady decided to leave the New England Patriots after 20 years and 6 Super Bowl rings. He had to learn a new system and new players. At one point head coach Bruce Arians called Brady out after a shaky performance in a blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints. The team went on to make the playoffs having to win 3 road games (Washington, New Orleans and Green Bay) in order to host the Super Bowl. Said Brady after, “It’s been an amazing year. We got off to a good start at 7-2 and then had a little rough stretch where we kind of found our identity. I’m just really proud of all the guys, proud of all the coaches and the efforts we put in. We knew we were playing a god football team tonight. We got the job done.”
There is no question now as to who the National Football League G.O.A.T is. Tom Brady will be 44 years old next year when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look to repeat. The last team to win consecutive Super Bowls was the New England Patriots and the quarterback was none other than…Tom Brady.
