The LV Super Bowl begins Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET, when the Kansas City leaders defend their title against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bucs quarterback Tom Brady will be looking for his seventh ring – and first outside of New England – while Patrick Mahomes will try to win his second in three seasons as the Chiefs’ QB. Sunday will be the first Super Bowl between the two QBs who have already won the Super Bowl and the MVP title.
Our NFL team provides you with everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the Chiefs-Buccaneers game, including team previews, bold predictions and match tips. We also offer betting tips from our ESPN game experts, game plan analysis from our analysts, and detailed statistics from our ESPN Statistics and Information team. We also look at both quarterbacks, head coaches, and some X-factors. Finally, we look at the impact of COVID’s 19 minutes on Sunday’s game.
You’ll find everything here in a practical and unique information sheet. Let’s dive into the game, starting with an overview of the exciting game.
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When: Sunday, February 7, 6:30 p.m. Where:
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FloridaTV
: CBS (and ESPN Deportes)
Playing schedule: Chiefs | Buccaneers
2 Connected
Much of the hype for the game focused on the two quarterbacks, and if you look at their record, you’ll see why. When these two teams met in Week 12, Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady combined their shots for a total of 807 yards and six touchdowns. Each team’s star receiver had a multi-touchdown game. Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans scored twice after Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill had an incredible 269 receiving yards and three touchdowns en route to the Chiefs’ 27-24 victory.
It’s hard to imagine this revenge becoming a defensive battle. At the same time, as I thought more and more about the game, I focused more and more on the defensive coordinators. Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles and Kansas City’s Steve Spagnuolo are two of the most creative and productive minds in the business, and they had two weeks to come up with creative game plans. I was thinking mostly about how Bowles could try to accomplish what seemed impossible. How on earth do you try to stop the bosses? — NFL head writer Bill Barnwell
More information here: Full view of the Barnwell LV Super Bowl 
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- The REIT expects leaders to win 52.1% of simulations by an average margin of 0.7 points.
- Our game score is 98.7 on a scale of 1 to 100 of the Chiefs-Broncos. This is the second highest Super Bowl score since 2009, behind the 2014 Seahawks-Broncos game (99.6). It is also the highest-rated game of the 2020 season, just behind the Heads Bucks’ final game of Week 12 (98.1).
- The Chiefs were No. 1 in FPI this season, while the Buccaneers were No. 3. Both teams are also in the top five in terms of overall efficiency.
- In the preseason, according to the FPI, the Chiefs had a 36.2% chance of reaching the Super Bowl, while the Buccaneers had only an 8.9% chance.
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1:36
Patrick Mahomes talks about how lucky he was to end up with the Chiefs and describes the COVID-19 precautions he takes before the Super Bowl.
Who will win the game?
We asked 108 experts who would win.
Read more : ESPN staff forecasts … The Madden 21 simulation … Chris Berman’s picks
Important statistics to keep in mind
Team statistics : Cooks | Gingerbread
- The Buccaneers will be the first team to play the Super Bowl in their own stadium. This will be the second time the team has been in the Super Bowl, and the fifth time the Wild Card has done so since 2000. Each of the previous four teams has won. The Chiefs, meanwhile, are on their fourth appearance and are looking to become the first champion to repeat the feat since the 2003-04 Patriots.
- The Chiefs (303.4) and Bucs (289.1) ranked 1st and 2nd for yards per game in the regular season. According to a study by the Elias Sports Bureau, this will be the first Super Bowl where the top two passers in the NFL meet.
- Kansas City has pressured 35.8 percent of its opponent’s passers this season, ranking second in the NFL, while Brady’s pressure (10.6) ranks 27th in the CBI. According to ESPN/NFL Next Gen Stats, defender Chris Jones is the second-highest passer (20.3 percent) behind Aaron Donald this season. On the other side of the ball, Mahomes leads the NFL in QBRs under pressure (75.6), but Tampa Bay’s Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquil Barrett are in the top five for interception rates this season.
Sunday, February 7 at 6:30 PM (CBS
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- During the regular season, the Buccaneers ran the ball 34% of the time, ranking 26th in the NFL. They ranked 28th in running (94.9 yards per game). According to Elias, there was only one Super Bowl winning team that averaged fewer than 95 running yards per game during the regular season (2011 Giants).
- The Chiefs allowed touchdowns on 76.6% of possessions in the red zone, which is worse than any other team in the league and the worst Super Bowl team ranking in 20 years. Only five other Super Bowl defenses had red zone returns of 60% or more, and their combined Super Bowl record is 0-5. Tampa Bay’s Evans scored nine red zone touchdowns this season (including the playoffs).
- The Tampa Bay defense has arranged seven take-outs in the postseason. Cornerback Sean Murphy-Banting can join Rodney Harrison and Enis Williams as the only players to throw an interception in four consecutive playoff games if he catches one Sunday.
- Chiefs (418) and Buccaneers (398) rank first and second, respectively, in receiving yards when put in motion or moved, and are tied for the most TDs in these games (four).
bold predictions
Safety Tyrann Mathieu has two interceptions. He had more interceptions as a safety in the second half of the season, and he has had five interceptions in his last seven games, including one against Brady and the Bucks in Week 12″ — Adam Thacher, Chiefs reporter.
Rob Gronkowski will face his 13th touchdown of his career from Brady in the playoffs, tying him with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice for the most touchdowns by a duo in playoff history. Gronk hasn’t gotten a touchdown from Brady since December, but with two weeks of preparation and so much experience between them – plus Gronk’s 106-yard performance against the Chiefs in Week 12 – it should happen. Jenna Lane, Buccaneers reporter
Brady scores four touchdowns en route to his fifth Super Bowl MVP. Brady has scored four or more touchdowns in five games this season, but only in three playoff games in his career (the last in 2011). The Chiefs allowed 36 touchdowns during the regular season (sixth in number). The Bucks have already scored at least three offensive touchdowns in ten games in a row, and with Brady leading the way, there is a good chance they will do so again Sunday. Mike Clay, NFL analyst
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1:09
Rob Ninkovich is not ready to include Patrick Mahomes in the GOAT interview with Tom Brady.
The quarterback’s game
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs.
If Mahomes wins, he will be the first quarterback at age 25 to win two championships and an MVP title (which would put him on par with Emmitt Smith as the only player in NFL history to accomplish this). He surprised again this season, with 4,740 yards, 38 touchdowns and six interceptions and a QBR of 82.9. Mahomes is good at forcing and throwing the ball deep, and doesn’t have many weaknesses. Other bad news for the Bucks is that he has won 12 games in a row and won 3-1 in his last three games of the season while trailing by 10 points or more. Even a two-point lead for Tampa would not be enough to stop Mahomes.
Tom Brady, the Buccaneers …
Brady will play in his 10th Super Bowl, which means he will play in 48 percent of the Super Bowls he has played in since joining the NFL in 2000. Chasing his seventh title, Brady, 43, will be making his third Super Bowl start since turning 40 – no other QB has started at 40 or older. Brady has 33 wins in his career, on 28 active franchises, and has won the Super Bowl six times in his career,” Elias said. This season, the first time he left New England, he recorded 4,633 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, 12 steals and 72.6 QBRs overall. His 13 TDs on 20-yard throws from the field are his best in a season since he threw 13 TDs during his MVP campaign in 2007.
Read more : Stop the Brady-Belichick debate and enjoy what Brady has done this season 
… The Super Bowl trajectories of Brady 10, from the easiest to the hardest 
… Mahomes versus Brady: the battle of the ages … Mahomes could join the club of QBs to lead Brady to the Super Bowl … Even Brady has limits … And it was their embrace that brought him here 
… Mahomes’ fifth-round pick against Brady …
NFL national writer Dan Graziano: Brady. I think the problems with the Chiefs’ offensive line are enough to change this game, which should still be a lot of points. The Bucks’ offense is at a high level right now, and Brady will make enough plays on the field to win his seventh Super Bowl title.
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“The game is chosen by our NFL experts.
” “Who will win the Super Bowl?” ”
– PickCenter.
NFL analyst Mina Kimes: Mahomes. Yes, he is fortunate to be playing with the best combination of head coach, first wide receiver and NFL rearguard – but he is also playing behind an excellent offensive line that will be up against the Bucks’ formidable passing rush. He will have to play a splashy running game to prevail.
Jason Reed, undefeated writer: Mahomes. Mahomes, who shares the game’s biggest stage with the greatest quarterback in NFL history, closes the door on an era and adds a major accomplishment of his own.
Seth Wickersham, NFL Writer: Pierre-Paul. Bowles’ strength as a defensive coach is attacking the opponent’s offensive line, and the Chiefs are thin there. JPP will play a monster game.
Field Yates, NFL analyst: Mahomes. The Bucs will be well-rested in Kansas City, which means Mahomes should be in top form. Although he won the MVP Super Bowl award last year, his performance was disappointing and I expect a better performance this Sunday.
- Of the 108 experts who responded to the survey, 61 voted for Mahomes as Super Bowl MVP. See what all our experts voted.
- Mahomes is the favorite to bet at -120 in William Hill’s Caesar Sportsbook. Brady is 9-5, while Hill and Kels are 9-1.
As part of the play plan
I am now watching the Buccaneers draft Pierre-Paul and Barrett on the leaders’ offensive line. Until the Bucs play more split safety blankets Sunday night to limit Hill’s ability to go deep, let’s focus on Tampa Bay’s defensive line. Bowles will design isolation plays with his four forwards, giving Pierre-Paul and Barrett a one-on-one advantage against the Chiefs’ decimated offensive line. The idea is to squeeze the pocket and pressure Mahomes while playing a disciplined zone in the backfield. Matt Bowen, NFL analyst.
Buccaneer X-factor: Devin White, LB
White has the second highest success rate among off-backs this season (36%), behind Deion Jones. But there are questions in the turnaround. In the regular season, White allowed the third-highest number of points scored by a linebacker, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. — Seth Walder, Analyst
Chief X Factor: Andrew Wiley, Ol.
He should move to right tackle while Mike Remmers will move to left tackle due to Eric Fisher’s injury. And Wiley plays a crucial role on the outside along with Barrett, who ranks 10th for number of passes gained this season and has played more on that side of the line since his bye week with the Bucs. Wiley ranks 16th among defenders when it comes to pass blocking percentage, but it’s a whole different game on the road, especially against a player with a very good passing record. — Walder
Read more : Complete destruction of Bowen’s list 
… 
Bucs leaders and players rankings … Why Brady should find Mathieu in every game…. The secret to Eric Benimi’s unstoppable offense … Smoked sausage, black pearl, Ferrari right: that’s what the bosses call their wild games …
You’re wrong. The film specified.does not specified.play
1:17
Diana Rusini explains what the Chiefs plan to do to pressure and confuse Tom Brady.
How to bet on the LV Super Bowl.
Current line of William Hill’s Caesar Sportsbook: KC -3 (56)
PickCenter. What you need to know.
Total passing yards for Mahomes: Plus/minus 315.5
yards total for Brady: Plus/minus 295.5
sacks total for both teams : Total
touchdowns during game: plus/minus
4:
plus/minus 6.5.
The favorites have been covered in two Super Bowls in a row and in three of the last four big games. The favorites have a record of 27-25-2 in Super Bowl history. And in each of the last 11 seasons, the winner has also covered the spread. Mahomes has a record of 27-13-1 against the spread when he is not a double-digit favorite, but Brady has a record of 41-17-1 against the spread as an outsider in his career, both the best in the Super Bowl era.
Looking at the over/under, the total has been lower in the last two Super Bowls, but it is 10-10 in the last 20 games, plus a record of 26-26-1 (no total in Super Bowl I). — David Bierman, ESPN Mel
More information here: Betting nuggets … The 
best Super Bowl betting … The biggest sports betting sites in the US … Betting on Accessories … An “incredible” number of bets on the Super Bowl draw …
Who is inside and who is outside?
Trauma reports: the chefs | Gingerbread
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Head receiver Sammy Watkins is optimistic that he can play for the first time since Week 16 due to a calf injury, although he began practice Wednesday as a limited participant. The return of Le’Veon Bell’s sore knee raises doubts about his ability to play, though he has slipped on the depth chart and doesn’t think he can handle a heavy workload even if he plays. — Teicher
Defender Antoine Winfield Jr. (ankle), receiver Antonio Brown (knee), defender Jordan Whitehead (shoulder) and linebacker Lavonte David (hamstring) have been practicing this week, but in a limited way. For Winfield and Brown, it’s about keeping an eye on the swelling; for Whitehead, it’s more about using his arm. David injured himself in the third quarter against the Packers and played all the way to the end, so it looks like we’re less worried about him. — Lane
Read more : Leaders activate Robinson from reserve list/COVID-19 … Bell, Watkins, Brown and Winfield expected to play Super Bowl … Chief LT Fisher coming off an Achilles tendon tear … Watkins is optimistic about playing in the Super Bowl …
Coaches
Andy Reed, Chiefs.
Reed is fifth on the head coaches’ all-time wins list, but is the only top-five coach not to have won multiple championships. Sunday will be his third Super Bowl as a head coach (1-1). Since taking over as head coach in 2013, he has averaged 27.2 points per game. He is the best in the AFC and second-best in the NFL during that time, behind the Saints (28.0).
Bruce Arians, the Buccaneers…
According to Elias, Arians will be the second longest serving head coach to reach the Super Bowl (after Marve Levy). This is the second year he has coached the Buccaneers after retiring in 2019. He has two Super Bowl titles as an assistant, but has never won a major game as a head coach.
More information here: Luck is with the bold for the Aryans…. Success, trust and burnt ends: Why everyone loves Reid…. Why the Bucs were the only team to bring the Arians back to training…. Brady says everyone wants to win for the Arians….
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2:22
Mike Greenberg, Ryan Clark and Domonic Foxworth wonder if Tom Brady versus Patrick Mahomes will be the best Super Bowl game ever.
How did the Chiefs and Bucks get here?
The Chiefs started the 2020 season by winning the Super Bowl and continued their winning streak with a 34-20 victory over Houston on opening night. They had to survive overtime against the Chargers in Week 2, but quickly moved to 4-0 to start the season. The Chiefs suffered their first defeat of the season in mid-October, by 40 points against the Raiders. Kansas City won 10 consecutive games to be on top in Week 17, has already won the AFC Western Conference and is ranked No. 1. The Chiefs went 14-2 in the playoffs after Mahomes beat the Browns and then knocked the Bills out of the Conference championship with 172 receiving yards from Hill.
The Bucs started the season in the losing column, but after a loss against the Saints in their first week, they quickly got going, winning seven of their next eight games. The mid-season hibernation was marked by a 38-3 loss against New Orleans, a narrow loss against the Rams and a loss against the Chiefs in Week 12, but Week 13 served its purpose and the Buccaneers finished the season with four wins and secured fifth place in the NFC with an 11-5 record. In the playoffs, Brady passed Washington Tampa Bay by 381 yards and then passed Drew Brees in the divisional round. Although Brady threw three interceptions against the Packers in the conference championship game, Tampa Bay won and advanced to the Super Bowl.
Game of the Week 12: Chiefs defeated Bucs 27-24 earlier this season. This will be the 14th Super Bowl the teams have met in the regular season. The winner of the regular season has won seven of the last thirteen awards. Hill had 13 receptions for 269 yards and three TDs in Week 12. The two teams combined for 807 yards, but neither reached 100 yards when running.
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Referee Carl Chaffers will work with a top team for his second Super Bowl in five seasons, which includes the first female referee, Sarah Thomas. Chaffers’ team averaged 16 flags per game in the NFL during the 2020 regular season, an exceptional position given the league’s decline in penalty kill rates. He and his team will take the field after the championship game under the watchful eye of the NFL Officials Department (only six flags were thrown in the NFC championship game, while the NFL Replayers Department reviewed and resumed the unreviewed play in the AFC championship game). — Kevin Seifert, NFL national writer
Read more : Sarah Thomas becomes first woman to play in Super Bowl … Explaining the NFL playoff controversy …
Current COWID-19 Protocols
How does the NFL approach the game?
The NFL has ordered Chiefs and Buccaneers players to undergo the COVID-19 test twice a day before the Super Bowl. Any player who tests positive for coronavirus will be removed from the game. But if a player is on the COVID-19 reserve list and does not test positive – he is considered high risk/ close contact, as was the case for Demarcus Robinson and Daniel Kilgore, the Chiefs – he has a chance to play if he continues to test negative. Both teams are working overtime to reach their goal for the season, and the Chiefs have the home field advantage. NFL writer Jeremy Fowler
Will there be fans?
The NFL announced this week an update on its plans to accommodate 25,000 fans at Raymond James Stadium, which has a normal capacity of 65,000. Of those, 7,500 will be vaccinated health professionals who received free tickets to the league. Most of them will be from the Tampa Bay area, but each of the 32 teams in the league has received an allocation for local prizes. All fans are asked to wear masks, sit in pods that leave extra seating between unaffiliated parties, and follow other COVID-19 protocols. — Seifert
Read more: NFL tests twice daily on COVID-19 before Super Bowl … How the NFL handled COVID-19 this season 
… Tampa mayor orders mask to be opened for Super Bowl … Chiefs place Robinson, Kilgore on COVID-19 reserve list … Fauci warns against Super Bowl games … No COVID-19 scenario where Super Bowl is postponed … Chief’s hairdresser’s test proved positive
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1:01
Adam Schefter describes the circumstances under which the Chiefs used a COVID-19 barber to cut the hair of Patrick Mahomes and more than 20 other players.
Learn more about the preview
Still hungry for Super Bowl content after all that? Check out our best articles from the past two weeks.
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Frequently asked questions
Who should win the 2021 Super Bowl?
What is the prediction for the Super Bowl?
LV Super Bowl prediction: why the Chiefs will beat the Pirates. No one has won more Super Bowls than Tom Brady, but Patrick Mahomes has a slight advantage in the high-scoring game. After last season’s magical game, almost everyone expected the Kansas City Chiefs to return to the Super Bowl this year.
Can the Pirates win the Super Bowl?
Chad Johnson: The Bucks will win the Super Bowl in 2021.
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