Many fans (me included) believed that Super Bowl LV was going to be a blowout. We were right about that; however, the thing that we didn’t get right was who would be blown-out. That left many fans wondering how the Bucs were able to stop such a high-powered offense that only lost one game when playing with their starters. Here’s why I think the Bucs pulled off this massive upset.
They Got Pressure to Mahomes
The Buccaneer pass rush was one of the best in the league, and they showed that against the Chiefs. They pressured Mahomes a Super Bowl record 29 times. This led to plenty of incomplete passes and quick scrambles. It also forced Mahomes to get the ball out quickly and didn’t allow Tyreek Hill to get down field. I understand that you have two backup tackles, but I was surprised the Chiefs didn’t try to do much about it. I think they needed to perhaps keep the running back and maybe a tight-end back in pass protection to give Mahomes time to find his big playmakers.
The Offense Was Dominant
The Buccaneers beat the Chiefs on the offensive side as well. The Chiefs’ defense managed to pressure Brady on just 4 dropbacks; the lowest Brady has faced in a Super Bowl. Additionally, Rob Gronkowski looked like the Rob Gronkowski of old, running through the middle of the Chiefs’ secondary for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns. The run game was excellent as well, as Fournette and Jones III combined for over 140 yards to help ice the game.
They Won the Penalty Battle
The Chiefs were their own enemy in this game. They had 11 penalties for a whopping 120 yards. Even worse, many of these penalties were on the defensive side and on crucial third downs. The penalties allowed the Buccaneers to keep driving, and the Chiefs’ defense would have to get at least 2 or 3 stops due to the penalties. This not only allowed the Buccaneers to drive down the field and put up points but also meant that they controlled the football for long amounts of time.
That’s it for this article. If you have any thoughts on these players or the Super Bowl, please let me know in the comments section.
