Super Bowl LV is days away at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa as Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. 

The 5th seed Buccaneers booked their ticket to the big game as they had an incredible winning streak, beating the Washington Football Team, the New Orleans Saints, and most recently, the Green Bay Packers in the NFC (National Football Conference) Championship game. As expected, the reigning champion Chiefs used their first round bye and home field to their advantage as they took out the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills. 

While this Super Bowl is shaping up to be great, it’s also notable to look at new history being written. Tom Brady is looking to capture his 7th Super Bowl ring in his NFL-record 10 Super Bowl appearances. Patrick Mahomes has also made history as the youngest quarterback to appear in back to back Super Bowls. 

While the Chiefs have played in the Super Bowl more recently, this is the first Super Bowl in history in which a team has had the opportunity to play on their home field during the Super Bowl. This could prove to be a huge advantage to the Buccaneers as they play in an environment that is comfortable to them, and they have the majority of the fans cheering them on. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

The Buccaneers haven’t played in the Super Bowl since 2002. Over the past few years, the Buccaneers have had a quarterback roulette situation on their hands, which has caused them to underperform and stagnate, but that has all changed with a new key addition to their team: Tom Brady.

This past offseason the Bucs signed the six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, who has been a strong leader and great example for the younger players on the roster. With the added wisdom of Brady, the Buccaneers have become one of the premier teams in the league, giving Bucs fans a feeling of excitement they haven’t felt in a while. 

“It feels surreal to see my Bucs in the Super Bowl, as for the last 18 or so years we have been rather pathetic, and did not have a winning culture,” said Buccaneers buccaneers fan and junior Colby Quist. “I’m still getting used to the feeling of actually being a good ball club, but it’s great to see something I care so much about succeed.” 

With the vast experience of being in nine Super Bowls and being one of the most clutch players in NFL history, several more students cannot root against Tom Brady this weekend. 

“It’s never wise to bet against Tom Brady despite the offensive firepower of the Chiefs,” said junior Miles Eastman. “The man is a magician”.

“I believe the Buccaneers will win the Super Bowl because they have an older and much more experienced roster than the chiefs, said junior Tommy Mattecheck. “I believe Tom Brady’s experience will lead the Bucs to victory”.

Even less experienced football fans know the magnitude of Tom Brady’s impact.

“I don’t know a ton about either team but I know that Tom Brady always finds a way to win in the Super Bowl, which is why I am going with the Bucs,” said junior Zach Jett.

While Brady has had the offense meshing, the defense has hit a rhythm going into the playoffs. Most recently in the NFC Championship game, the bucs defense forced two turnovers and sacked Aaron Rodgers five times. This defense is going to have to perform at the highest level if they want a chance of containing the Chiefs high scoring offense. 

When asked on the biggest key to a Buccaneers win, Eastman said,“ The biggest difference in the game will be whether the Bucs defense can contain the Chiefs offense enough for Brady to get to work”.

Kansas City Chiefs:

The Chiefs are no strangers to the game, as they won the Lombardi trophy in last year’s Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers. This year is an entirely different story, as they are arguably more dominant and fluid together. 

The Chiefs seemed to be a step ahead of the rest of the league as they finished the regular season with a record of 14 wins and 2 losses gaining themselves the first seed in the AFC (American Football Conference) playoffs. Patrick Mahomes, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL (National Football League) once again had himself a spectacular season and put his name in the Most Valuable Player conversation. 

While the Chiefs had a few bumps in the playoffs, their offensive firepower propelled them onward. The Chiefs most tantalizing threats are wideout Tyreek Hill, who finished the year with 1276 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, and tight end Travis Kelce who came second in receiving yards of all receivers and tight ends. 

It’s also notable that these two teams faced off during the regular season and the Chiefs won 27-24. While the score may look close, the game was wrapped up early as the Buccaneers had absolutely no solution for the speedy Tyreek Hill. Hill demolished the opponents and had a record high number of 269 receiving yards,and tacked on a trifecta of touchdowns. 

Jesuit High students noticed the Chief’s incredible offense, and have some theories about the results of the game.

“I think the Chiefs will win because they have an unstoppable offense,” said junior Jordan Lambino. “I believe the Bucs offense will get off to a hot start, but once the Chiefs get into rhythm, there’s no stopping them.”

The previous contest against the Buccaneers and the Chiefs offensive abilities are why the Chiefs are also favored highly in the Super Bowl.

The current anticipation of the Super Bowl is leading up to be a great one and, regardless of the victor, this year’s Super Bowl will be unforgettable.