The NFL was placed in a tough spot to start this season; how should they handle playing games with the pandemic? Many did not think that they would finish this season because they were the first major sports league to not form a ‘bubble’ where nobody can go in or out. This would help teams keep track of where players go and helps tremendously with reducing the risk of COVID-19 infections between players, coaches, and the training staff. Many did not think the NFL could reach this point in the season, but here we are getting closer and closer to Super Bowl Sunday and the excitement could not be higher.
The game might be the Buccaneers versus the Chiefs, however there are many storylines surrounding this game. The legacies of these quarterbacks and coaches will forever be affected by the outcome of this game.
Let’s start with the most notable storyline surrounding the game which is of course the two quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes is making his second Super Bowl appearance after he won his first one last year and was awarded Super Bowl MVP. For Tom Brady, this is hardly his 1st, 2nd, or even 9th rodeo. He will make his 10th appearance in the big game on Sunday. Brady has been widely recognized as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. However with how well Patrick Mahomes has started his career in the NFL, some believe that he is Brady’s heir apparent. If these end up being the two greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, what happens this Sunday will be brought up in many debates about who is better.
The second of the many storylines is around the coaches. Both have had lengthy careers in the NFL. The Chief’s head coach, Andy Reid, finally won his first Lombardi trophy after many years of falling short in the biggest games of his career. Reid’s Chiefs may have last year, but winning back-to-back is hard to do and it would put him on a short list of head coaches who were able to do such a task. This is Bruce Arians’ first Super Bowl as a head coach. He has had a tough time in the past with health issues and wasn’t sure at some points if he was going to coach again, so a Super Bowl would do a lot for him. This is the biggest game of both of these coaches’ long careers.
The last storyline that I want to focus on is not about the coaches or players, but more about the fans. This is the first Super Bowl where one team has home field advantage. The Bucs will be playing in the Super Bowl at their home stadium. We don’t know how a home field crowd will affect the visiting team. The Chiefs were able to beat the Bucs in their home stadium back in week 12. However, the noise they heard on that day was nothing compared to what they are going to hear this weekend. It should be interesting to see how loud it will get on Sunday.
Alright, now you know all you need to know for the big game. Happy Super Bowl Sunday!