Tampa, Fla.
Tom Brady made his seventh Primary Bowl title stare familiar – despite bright south to a new team and convention at some stage in an epidemic.
Brady threw two touchdown passes to passe friend Opt Gronkowski and one to splendid splendid friend Antonio Brown, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Patrick Mahomes and Kansas Metropolis 31-9 on their home field in Primary Bowl 55 on Sunday.
The GOAT earned his fifth Primary Bowl MVP award and prolonged his Primary Bowl titles’ file in his 10th appearance, his first without Patriots coach Invoice Belichick. The 43-year-passe Brady broke his have designate for oldest player to put off a Primary Bowl and joined Corridor of Famer Peyton Manning as the correct quarterbacks to put off one with multiple franchises.
“I’m no longer making any comparisons,” Brady talked about. “Experiencing it with this group of guys is amazing.”
Stunningly, it became once furthermore more uncomplicated than any of his old Primary Bowl victories, which got right here by a imply margin of 5 aspects. This became once furthermore the first time Mahomes lost by double digits in his four-year profession.
The Buccaneers (15-5) received their 2nd NFL title and first in 18 years whereas becoming the first team to play the astronomical sport at home, capping an uncommon and no longer easy season played thru the recent coronavirus. They received three avenue games as a wild-card team to reach the Primary Bowl, and joined the NHL’s Lightning as a 2020 season champion. The Rays furthermore went to the World Series but lost to the Dodgers.
“I’m so ok with all these guys,” Brady talked about. “We had a rough November but we got right here collectively at the elegant time. We knew this became once gonna happen. We played our simplest sport of the year.”
Tampa’s victory averted Mahomes and the Chiefs (16-3) from becoming the first repeat champions since Brady’s Patriots did it in 2003-04.
The NFL accomplished its 269-sport season on time with none cancellations, a noteworthy accomplishment that required just about 1 million COVID-19 assessments for gamers and team personnel.
On account of the virus, ideal 25,000 camouflage-carrying followers had been allowed in, in conjunction with approximately 7,500 vaccinated health care workers who had been given free tickets by the NFL. About 30,000 cardboard cutouts made the stadium stare plump.
A streaker carrying a hot-red onesie eluded security and slid into the tip zone with 5: 03 left within the game. Mahomes and Kansas Metropolis’s excessive-powered offense never bought that a long way against Tampa’s ferocious protection.
Bruce Arians became the oldest coach at age 68 to put off the Primary Bowl. His mom, 95-year-passe Kay Arians, witnessed it in individual. Brady, Gronk and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles helped Arians get that Vince Lombardi Trophy.
“This truly belongs to the coaching workers and our gamers. I didn’t attain a rattling thing,” Arians talked about after he became once handed the trophy.
Bowles devised a masterful conception to frustrate Mahomes and shut down the Chiefs, your entire opposite of Kansas Metropolis’s 27-24 put off in Tampa in Week 12, when the Chiefs jumped to a 17-0 lead within the first quarter. Tyreek Hill had 269 yards receiving and three TDs in that one. He became once held to 73 yards on seven catches.
After the Chiefs took a 3-0 early lead, it became once all Brady and the Bucs.
Brady accomplished a profession-first when he tossed an 8-yard TD jog to Gronkowksi to offer the Buccaneers a 7-3 lead with 37 seconds left within the first quarter. Brady’s 9 Primary Bowl groups in Unusual England produced elegant three aspects total within the first quarter. Gronkowski, who got right here out of retirement to play alongside with his buddy, caught his 13th and 14th postseason TDs from Brady. That broke the file they shared with Jerry Rice and Joe Montana, who combined for 12.
In spite of playing at home, the Buccaneers weren’t allowed to fireplace the cannons from their notorious pirate ship after touchdowns and astronomical performs. They did it soon after the clock expired as red, white and dark confetti fell onto the field.
Followers aloof enjoyed the thud of Gronk’s thunderous spike after his first catch.
Tampa uncared for an opportunity to lengthen the lead when Brady’s 2-yard jog to offensive lineman Joe Haeg became once knocked out of his palms by Anthony Hitchens within the tip zone. Ronald Jones became once stopped short on consecutive carries as Arians caught to his “No possibility it, no biscuit” philosophy and went on fourth down.
However the Chiefs didn’t designate any momentum off the pause. As an different, they made one costly mistake after one other.
First, All-Pro tight stop Travis Kelce dropped a jog that can maybe maybe’ve been a astronomical designate on third down. Then punter Tommy Townsend shanked a 29-yarder after a penalty forced him to kick again. The Bucs started at Kansas Metropolis’s 38 in way of their 27.
A preserving call on Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward negated an interception by All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu. Kansas Metropolis’s protection held but an offside penalty at some stage in Ryan Succop’s a hit field fair gave the Buccaneers a first down. Sarah Thomas, the first lady respectable in a Primary Bowl, threw that flag.
Brady wanted one play, firing a strike to Gronkowski for a 17-yard TD and a 14-3 lead. Gronk hesitated sooner than spiking the ball, waiting to make sure the flag on the play became once again against the Chiefs.
Mahomes drove the offense for a 34-yard field fair by Harrison Butker that slice it to 14-6, but Kansas Metropolis’s protection fell apart within the final minute of the first half — allowing 42 yards on two jog interference penalties. One against Mathieu within the tip zone situation up Brady’s TD jog to Brown for a 21-6 halftime lead.
It became once Brady who cheerful his new team to offer Brown a giant gamble after the nervous gentle All-Pro got right here off suspension. His TD toss to Brown became once his 50th of the season, in conjunction with 10 within the postseason.
Mathieu took an unsportsmanlike penalty after the TD jog for entering into it with Brady as he ran to the sideline.
Leonard Fournette, esteem Brown an in-season addition, ran 27 yards untouched for a touchdown within the third quarter, extending Tampa’s outcome in 28-9. Arians pumped his fist after that catch and pointed in direction of offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, who made the resolution.
Succop’s 52-yard field fair increased the outcome in 31-9.
Final year, Mahomes rallied the Chiefs from a 10-level deficit within the fourth quarter against San Francisco and earned MVP honors in leading Kansas Metropolis to its first NFL championship in a half-century. But Tampa’s jog dash gave him no chance in this one.
Shaq Barrett had one of three sacks on Mahomes, who spent most of the game searching to flee Jason Pierre-Paul, William Gholston and a relentless group.
Brady became once 6-3 in Primary Bowls at some stage in 20 seasons in Unusual England sooner than he signed a $50 million, two-year contract with Tampa in March. The Buccaneers hadn’t reached the playoffs since 2007 and hadn’t received a postseason sport since Jon Gruden led Tampa over Oakland in Primary Bowl 37.
In spite of the home-field advantage, it wasn’t except Brady tousled with Gronkowski for a 21-6 lead that followers chanted: “Let’s Hasten Bucs!” They had been roaring within the fourth quarter.
There had been plenty of red-clad Chiefs followers doing the tomahawk slice for segment of the first half except the Bucs made it a rout.
Brady avenged his loss against Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who held the similar way for the Giants when Unusual York stifled the Patriots within the 2008 Primary Bowl, stopping Unusual England from a excellent season.
The hotter climate suited Brady completely. He passed Michael Jordan for more championships and it doesn’t appear he’s ready to gradual down. He already talked about he might well maybe also play previous age 45,
