Best ever vs. best now offers the league real match made in heaven
While the Texans continue interviewing candidates to become their new head coach, life goes on in the NFL.
Once again, the closest the Texans will get to the Super Bowl is a high-definition television, but that doesn’t mean Super Bowl LV won’t be intriguing for their loyal, confused, frustrated and infuriated fans.
That intrigue starts with the quarterbacks — Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes versus Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady.
Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady? That still looks weird, doesn’t it?
Super Bowl LV features Mahomes versus Brady, young versus old, youth versus experience. Brady, 43, the greatest quarterback of all time versus Mahomes, 25, the greatest playing today.
Brady is competing in his 10th Super Bowl, and he’s trying to win a seventh ring. Because of Brady, Tampa Bay is the first team to play for a Super Bowl title in its home stadium after winning three consecutive road games in the playoffs over Washington, New Orleans and Green Bay.
Mahomes is playing in his second Super Bowl, and he’s trying to achieve something no quarterback has done since Brady — win back-to-back Lombardi Trophies.
Brady led New England to consecutive Super Bowl victories after the 2003 and 2004 seasons when the Patriots defeated Carolina and Philadelphia by three points each. They earned three championships in four years under coach Bill Belichick.
After the 2019 season, Mahomes ignited the Chiefs to three consecutive come-from-behind victories in the playoffs over the Texans, Tennessee and San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV. Mahomes was voted the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player.
Since Brady led the Patriots to a repeat in Super Bowl XXXIX against the Eagles, 14 teams tried and failed to win consecutive titles. Mahomes is trying to make sure it’s not 15 in a row.
Nobody is counting out Mahomes and coach Andy Reid winning another Lombardi Trophy.
This game is a rematch of the Chiefs’ 27-24 regular-season victory over the Bucs at Raymond James Stadium, where Mahomes and Brady put on an extraordinary show.
Mahomes completed 37 of 49 passes for 462 yards and three touchdowns. He didn’t throw an interception, and the Bucs sacked him twice.
If the Bucs are going to win the Super Bowl, they have to do a better job against Mahomes, similar to what they were able to do in their NFC Championship Game victory at Lambeau Field, where they sacked Aaron Rodgers five times.
In that loss to the Chiefs, Brady connected on 27 of 41 throws for 345 yards and three touchdowns. Kansas City intercepted him twice and sacked him once.
The Chiefs were in control, leading 27-10 in the fourth quarter before Brady completed two touchdown passes to receiver Mike Evans to make it close.
After disposing of opponents in the playoffs, Kansas City and Tampa Bay enter the Super Bowl riding hot streaks.
Dating to the 2019 season and including the playoffs, the Chiefs are 25-2. Only one defeat was legitimate. That was a 40-32 loss to Las Vegas this season. That second defeat was in the last game of the regular season when Reid rested Mahomes and a lot of his starters, causing the Chiefs to lose to the Chargers.
There was some concern in Kansas City and around the NFL about the Chiefs failing to reach another Super Bowl. They weren’t blowing out opponents down the stretch. In their last seven games of the regular season and the playoff victory over the Browns, the Chiefs had won by an average of four points a game. During that eight-game stretch, they failed to win a game by more than six points.
Then the Chiefs turned it on and dominated Buffalo 38-24 to reach Super Bowl LV, and there are no more concerns they might be unable to make it two titles in succession.
The Chiefs take a 16-2 record to the Super Bowl, including playoff victories over Cleveland and Buffalo at Arrowhead Stadium. Mahomes was magnificent in the regular season with 38 touchdown passes, six interceptions and a 108.2 rating.
Brady’s first season with the Bucs didn’t start well. He was learning a new coach in Bruce Arians, a new offensive coordinator in Byron Leftwich and new teammates. But he had more talented receivers than at any time during his days in New England.
After losing to Kansas City, the Bucs were 7-5. Brady turned it around, and he’s led them to seven consecutive victories. They’ve averaged 34.2 points during that seven-game winning streak. They’ve scored at least 30 in each of their last six games.
In the regular season, the Bucs were 5-3 at home. Brady finished his first season in Tampa with 40 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 102.2 rating.
In the Bucs’ last two victories at New Orleans and Green Bay, Brady beat Drew Brees and Rodgers, with all three quarterbacks guaranteed of being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
Brady’s place in Canton, Ohio, has been secured for years. Now he’s got to defeat Mahomes, another quarterback who appears destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame even though he’s been a starter for only three seasons.
Mahomes is that good. So is Brady.
Super Bowl LV is historical, full of intrigue and an exciting way to end an unprecedented and unforgettable season.