ITH’s Super Bowl LV Predictions
One way or another, history will be made on February 7th. The Chiefs have the potential to forge a dynasty, but they must first get past the dynasty himself. Of course, we’re referring to Tom Brady, the ageless wonder now attending his NFL record tenth Super Bowl. The best quarterback right now versus the best quarterback of all time… who’s complaining? Here are our predictions:
Prediction: Chiefs 34, Buccaneers 30
Micah Jimoh
I’m torn. While I do believe the Chiefs are the slightly better team, I’ve spent the better part of the last decade learning not to bet against Brady-led teams. They simply find ways to win. So why not just choose TB? Well, I’ve also spent the better part of the last two years learning not to bet against Mahomes-led teams. They also simply find ways to win. Even if you’re someone who believes the NFL is scripted, which storyline would benefit the league more? Are the Chiefs forging a dynasty or the G.O.A.T getting #7? My point here is that this game is simply dead even in every ridiculous way you can measure it. My gut says KC, but I’ve developed a second gut from watching Tom Brady ridicule me for ten years. I’ll go with my first one-- I think.
Prediction: Chiefs 41, Buccaneers 34
Kevin Rakas
This has the makings of a high-scoring affair, and that is what I am predicting. However, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the winning score ended up being in the mid-to-upper-20s. While this should be a fairly even matchup between two potent offenses, I think the Chiefs will try even harder to prove a point on the scoreboard after offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy failed to land a head coaching position for the second straight year. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is trying to become just the third player in NFL history to win two straight Super Bowl MVP awards (Packers quarterback Bart Starr in Super Bowls I and II, and Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw in Super Bowls XIII and XIV), but I think if the Chiefs do win, the honor will go to either wide receiver Tyreek Hill or tight end Travis Kelce.
Prediction: Chiefs 38, Buccaneers 28
Ben Schwartz
If you are a “the NFL is rigged” type of person, then the matchup this Sunday is most likely what you were expecting. Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, is looking to move past the final obstacle on his road to championship #7. Patrick Mahomes, the brightest star in the game, looks to propel his team to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl Champions since Brady’s ‘03 and ‘04 Patriots. It’s old versus new, and I think new will win out. It is very difficult for me to imagine a scenario where the Chiefs are not able to expose the young Buccaneers secondary and throw the ball all over the field throughout the entire game. This Bucs defense made Taylor Heinicke look like a seasoned veteran and Aaron Rodgers had a very successful game as well, despite the loss. Just like their regular-season matchup in Week 12, I see the Chiefs jumping out to an early lead, but this time they don’t let up and ride a 350-yard, 4-touchdown night from Mahomes to their second straight title.
Prediction: Chiefs 31, Buccaneers 21
TJ Mathewson
In my opinion, Sunday’s big game is going to be the passing of the torch from the current GOAT to the future GOAT. That’s just how good Patrick Mahomes has been in his first three years as a starter, and I’m predicting he’ll add to that on Super Bowl Sunday. The Bucs have surprised me with their performance this postseason, mostly because the defense has played out of its mind. Yeah, Tom Brady this Tom Brady, but Brady has been far from the reason the Bucs have been winning in the playoffs. He won’t get away with completing less than 56 percent of his passes (Hasn’t done that in any game) and throwing three picks against Mahomes, or Andy Reid putting his tail between his legs on a fourth and goal (LaFleur, seriously??). The Bucs feasted off of a strong pass rush and capitalized on turnovers. The Chiefs sleep-walked through the regular season then blew through both the Browns and the Bills when the bright lights turned on and Mahomes was on the field. They blew through the Bucs in three-quarters of their regular-season matchup before letting off the gas and Tampa making the score respectable (27-24). Sorry, Tom, there won’t be a Belichick defensive game plan to bail you out of this Super Bowl. Chiefs repeat.
Prediction: Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 28.
Jacob Keppen
I will be going against the consensus at Inside The Hashes for one reason: It’s Tom Brady. Even if all logic tells me to, I just cannot bet against the greatest football player of all time. He simply finds ways to win it in the big game, even when everyone doubts him. I believe the Buccaneers offense will be firing on all cylinders, backed by their home crowd. They will run the ball, looking to keep the ball out of Patrick Mahomes’ hands. Brady will be surgical and smart when he has to pass. If Antonio Brown is on the field, he will have a big play for a touchdown. This ultimately will be a close game that goes down to the wire. The Chiefs will put up points when they have the ball, I believe Travis Kelce will have a massive game. Kelce might break Gronkowski’s record for receiving yards by a tight end right in front of him. Ultimately I believe Kansas City’s line will lead to their downfall. Without a true run game, especially against a stout Tampa Bay run defense, Mahomes will be forced to drop back… a lot. That line will not hold up all game long. The Bucs will be able to get to Mahomes, and I’m expecting Shaq Barrett to have a big game. I’m predicting that it’s back and forth all game, the Bucs force a big turnover late, and Tom Brady does what he does best: win.
Prediction: Buccaneers 27, Chiefs 21
Richie Dordas
Are the Chiefs favored? Yes. Are they the better team? Yes. Should they win? Yes. After all that, I am still taking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the Super Bowl because of the man running the show, QB Tom Brady. If his six Super Bowls have not told you already, Brady just knows how to win the game. Despite this, I feel that Tampa Bay has a good system in place to attack the Chiefs defense and keep QB Patrick Mahomes off the field. If they can run the ball with RB’s Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette, they can force the Chiefs to play from behind and make Mahomes throw. This would be an opportunity to get pressure in his face, which is the perfect way to beat a great quarterback. The key to the Bucs victory will be getting to Mahomes, as well as stopping the Chiefs from getting to Brady. Everything is telling you to take the Chiefs and rightfully so, but Tom Brady has shown time and time again that he has that extra gear that just gets it done in the Super Bowl.
Prediction: Chiefs 37 Bucs 31
Sam Kirk
One would think betting against Brady in his tenth Super Bowl would make zero sense. If Brady and his new team were hosting any other team in the NFL in Super Bowl LV they would most likely be favored but Bruce Arian’s squad will have the best offense in the league to go up against. Tampa Bay’s defense has been everything any Bucs fan could ask for. But, before this team's Week 13 bye they were only sitting at troubling 7-5. They lost an ugly game in Chicago on a Thursday Night at the beginning of the year as well as barely holding on against a Giants team on a last-second two-point conversion attempt. This Tampa Bay team is loaded on all sides of the football when you are looking at the roster on paper, but Brady has yet to play a Super Bowl without Bill Belichick and the Patriots staff the combination of that and the injuries so far during the week of linebacker Lavonte David, wide-receiver Antonio Brown, and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. not practicing should set up for some Mahomes magic on Sunday. That Buccaneers secondary has had it coming to them for weeks now consistently on social media talking up a storm, and from my perspective, Mahomes will put them in their place by Sunday Night. I know Brady’s fourth super bowl loss is hard to believe but has he ever went up against a Quarterback who we all knew was as good if not better than the six-time champion?
Prediction: Buccaneers 35 Chiefs 31
Juan Pablo Guarín-Camargo
There are titillating matchups on nearly every level of this game; the trenches, the secondary, even the coaching staff!! But ultimately, it’s the QB matchup that’s going to be dominating every sports television debate, newspaper op-ed, and open-bar discussion. Tom Brady, the all-but-accepted GOAT of the sport, going up against a young buck, the answer to who the “next Tom Brady” is in Patrick Mahomes. One looking to cement his legacy as the greatest to ever have done it. The other, trying to overtake his predecessor and begin a new dynasty in this league. Ultimately, these are two guys built for clutch, high-scoring situations; Brady using his tactician-like mind to analyze an opposing defense and adjust his game plan accordingly, while Mahomes is just “sling it and praying” to his top-tier targets in Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, which is the minimum effort that offense needs to do in order to go up early. It’ll be a high scoring affair down at Raymond James, but it’ll come down to which defense can ultimately make a stop against these two historic arm-talents. And with that being said, I have much more faith in Todd Bowles’ unit holding up than I do in Stephen Spagnuolo’s.