TAMPA BAY, FL — To say it’s been a strange and unpredictable NFL season would be an understatement and yet, here we are on the doorstep of Super Bowl 55 with two of the best quarterbacks in the game squaring off in Tampa.
43-year-old Tom Brady and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking on the 25-year-old Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s Brady’s tenth Super Bowl appearance and Mahomes’ second, with the Chiefs looking to repeat as World Champs.
It’s a rematch of sorts as we look back to week 12 of the season when the Chiefs beat the Bucs by 3, 27-24. Mahomes and Brady combined to throw for 807 yards… and K.C.’s Tyreek Hill finished the game with 269 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns.
So, do I expect this to be a repeat? Possibly! Vegas has the Chiefs coming in as three-point favorites. But I really think this might come down to the Chiefs back-up offensive linemen who are charged with protecting Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City will be missing two offensive linemen on Sunday: left tackle Eric Fisher, who tore his Achilles in the AFC title game, and another offensive tackle, Mitchell Schwartz, who’s been out with a back injury for most of the season.
The bottom line for me is… I believe Kansas City has the better offense (don’t take offense, Tampa fans) and I’m not sure if Brady and company can keep up. That said, I do think this will be a close game and won’t be a low-scoring one. Whoever has the ball last, might just win this one!
I’m going with the odds-makers on Sunday.
Prediction: Chiefs 34, Buccaneers 31
