This was not the game we expected, nor the game we wanted, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers steamrolled the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9.  However, this game cements Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady’s legacy as the greatest of all time. He looked masterful in this one, as he completed 21 of 29 passes for 201 yards and three scores. He also won his fifth Super Bowl MVP trophy and his seventh title overall, which is more than any other franchise has won. Both New England and Pittsburgh have six, while Brady has seven.

This game was not all about Brady, as the Tampa Bay defense had a large say in the game.  Kansas City did not score a touchdown and only scored on three Harrison Butker kicks from 49, 34 and 52 yards. Butker is one of the best kickers in the NFL and has made 37 of his last 38 kicks inside of 40 yards. Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for Kansas City, looked unstoppable this season while making ridiculous throws or scampering for huge first downs. He did do this at times in the Super Bowl, but injuries to Kansas City’s offensive line really showed. The team lost its all-pro offensive tackle, Eric Fisher, in the AFC Divisional Round against Cleveland. 

That loss and other injuries to the line allowed the star-studded Tampa Bay defensive line to tee off on Mahomes. I have never seen the Kansas City quarterback in distress like that, as there were plenty of examples of him running 20 or more yards behind the line of scrimmage while twisting and turning to fire throws into the endzone.

The Tampa Bay defense and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles get an A+ from me for all the great adjustments after they were exploited in the first matchup of these teams in Week 12.  Mahomes threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, and star receiver Tyreek Hill accumulated over 200 yards. In the first half of the Super Bowl, Mahomes threw for only 67 yards and completed nine passes out of 19.

The distress of Mahomes is new, but the old connection of Tampa Bay tight end Rob Gronkowski and quarterback Brady highlighted itself in the first half.  They connected twice for touchdowns.

Some veteran quarterbacks would retire after a convincing win with a new team, but Brady is the best competitor and perfectionist that the NFL has seen. He announced after the game that he will be coming back for another season.  He can certainly play another few seasons at a high level because he gets the ball out quickly and is so smart on where to go with the football. Brady is the greatest that I will see in football, and it will be exciting to see what he does next in his career.