“Historical” is the word that best sums up the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2020-2021 season. On February 7th, they will become the first team to ever host a Super Bowl inside of their home stadium. The Buccaneers will now have their choice of locker room, sideline, and uniform combination for the Super Bowl. However, per the NFL rules, the cannon fire must be neutral for both teams. That means either no cannons for scoring plays, or cannons for both Buccaneers and Chiefs scoring plays. Either way, the road to get home-field advantage in the Super Bowl was a rather treacherous one.
Three Road Games, Three Road Wins
It all started in Washington, where the Buccaneers were favorites to win but were put to the test by a mobile quarterback with everything to prove and a great young defensive line. Buccaneers win 31-23. Then Tom Brady and the team traveled to New Orleans to face a Saints team that beat them convincingly twice in the regular season. This time around, when it mattered, the Buccaneers likely retired Drew Brees in his own stadium and knocked off the Saints 30-20. Then in the NFC Championship game, at Lambeau Field against the likely league MVP Aaron Rodgers, in the freezing cold tundra, the Buccaneers punched their ticket to the Super Bowl by beating the Packers 31-26.
Tampa Bay Joins Elite Company
Aside from becoming the first-ever team to play a home Super Bowl, Tampa Bay could become just the seventh wild card team ever to win the Super Bowl, and just the fourth team to ever do so with three road playoff wins. The other teams to do so were the 2005 Steelers, 2007 Giants, and the 2010 Packers.
Super Bowl LV Matchup
The Kansas City Chiefs finished with the NFL’s best regular-season at 14-2, with one of those losses coming during a game they rested most starters, including phenom Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs are looking to win back-to-back Super Bowls, which hasn’t been done since you guessed it, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots (2003-2004). This will be Brady’s incredible 10th Super Bowl appearance and could be his seventh Super Bowl victory.
It has already been an incredible season for the Buccaneers, but defeating the Chiefs to win the second Super Bowl in franchise history would be the cherry on top!
