The 2020 Super Bowl pregame thread

[Lagaffe_07]

Not good.

Didn’t Hightower played with the same kind of injury in SB 49?

 

[The Brandon Five]

Didn’t Hightower played with the same kind of injury in SB 49?

...and stopped Beastmode at the 1 yard line, setting up 2nd down where Butler picked the ball.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Hill and Kelce are both really unique players. Neither one of them are traditional weapons; teams don’t have answers defensively for a midget speed demon or a jumbo size receiver. Curious how San Francisco approached it with two weeks to gameplan. It worked for almost the whole game.

It’s weird how perception of these teams is so out of whack with statistics.

The perception is that Kansas City has an unstoppable, all-time great offense, but Tampa Bay scored more points this season (492-473) and may have even if Mahomes had played week 17.

Kansas City overall hasn’t really been better than Tampa in the postseason either.

Tampa beat New Orleans and Green Bay by a combined 15 points; KC beat Cleveland and Buffalo by a combined 19 points. Cleveland had a -11 point differential on the season.

 

[amfootball]

Really like Eisen's big picture summations.

 

[Uptown]

Hill and Kelce are both really unique players. Neither one of them are traditional weapons; teams don’t have answers defensively for a midget speed demon or a jumbo size receiver. Curious how San Francisco approached it with two weeks to gameplan. It worked for almost the whole game.

It’s weird how perception of these teams is so out of whack with statistics.

The perception is that Kansas City has an unstoppable, all-time great offense, but Tampa Bay scored more points this season (492-473) and may have even if Mahomes had played week 17.

Kansas City overall hasn’t really been better than Tampa in the postseason either.

Tampa beat New Orleans and Green Bay by a combined 15 points; KC beat Cleveland and Buffalo by a combined 19 points. Cleveland had a -11 point differential on the season.

Yep; KC was much better offensively in ‘18-‘19.

 

[The Brandon Five]

Hill and Kelce are both really unique players. Neither one of them are traditional weapons; teams don’t have answers defensively for a midget speed demon or a jumbo size receiver. Curious how San Francisco approached it with two weeks to gameplan. It worked for almost the whole game.

It’s weird how perception of these teams is so out of whack with statistics.

The perception is that Kansas City has an unstoppable, all-time great offense, but Tampa Bay scored more points this season (492-473) and may have even if Mahomes had played week 17.

Kansas City overall hasn’t really been better than Tampa in the postseason either.

Tampa beat New Orleans and Green Bay by a combined 15 points; KC beat Cleveland and Buffalo by a combined 19 points. Cleveland had a -11 point differential on the season.

If the divisional game was properly officiated the the AFCCG would have been in Buffalo. The league magically reemphasized helmet-to-helmet since last week so they called it immediately in the NFCCG agaisnt Tampa.

 

[amfootball]

Apparently a Steelers writer wanted Pitt to sign Brady. This article is pretty funny.

Tim Benz: As Tom Brady prepares for Super Bowl, time for Steelers fans to do some reassessing

I know what Steelers fans will think as they read this post. “Tim, this is nothing but one giant ‘I TOLD YOU SO!’” Let me tell you in advance, yes. Yes, it’s exactly that. No more. No less. It is one giant “I told you so.” Because I did. Now

triblive.com

 

[Uptown]

Tom Brady won three Super Bowls before he lost a playoff game.

 

[Ring 6]

On Bradys 1st INT, he had the Crosser underneath for about 10 yards and a 1st down. Instead, Brady threw into double coverage.

Makes sense that Arians was pushing Brady to go deep.

If Brady ignores crazy Biochemist Arians and plays his game of taking the Bucs on long time consuming drives, Tampa wins. If Brady listens to Arians and gets in a basketball shootout with KC the Bucs will lose. The proven Brady/Belichick formula for winning these big games is a 10 round heavyweight fight that always goes the distance.

I wouldn’t bet on it.

 

[NE_Zealot]

They clearly can turn it on when they feel like it. They're in control of almost every game. They are loaded on offense and have a good enough D. They remind me of the 2000's Pats as they miles ahead of everyone. Difference is, I think the Chiefs are built for a 3 peat. And if that happens, we Pats fans better start sweating on the Chiefs chasing the Pats 6 Lombardi's. And it won't take 20 years to do so.

Fortunes change pretty quickly in the NFL, salary cap will get them eventually too. They’ve been pretty lucky in the injury department as well but they’ll have some major ones at some point.

There will also be other great QBs entering the league during Kermit’s career so I’m not super-worried about him catching Tom yet. 6 rings with 10 appearances is an insane bar! Only way he surpasses is with more Lombardis unless he wins 6 and goes to 11 bowls.

 

[Guts]

Fortunes change pretty quickly in the NFL, salary cap will get them eventually too. They’ve been pretty lucky in the injury department as well but they’ll have some major ones at some point.

There will also be other great QBs entering the league during Kermit’s career so I’m not super-worried about him catching Tom yet. 6 rings with 10 appearances is an insane bar! Only way he surpasses is with more Lombardis unless he wins 6 and goes to 11 bowls.

Kermit is injury prone too

 

[The Brandon Five]

The chiefs OL vs bucs DL is one of the biggest mismatches entering a SB:

LT Mike Remmers vs Jason Pierre-Paul

Remmers started the season as the swing tackle. This will be his first game at LT since 2016. JPP was 22nd among EDGEs in pressures.

Interior OL Allegretti, Reiter & Wisniewski vs Vita Vea & Ndamukong Suh

Allegretti & Reiter aren't starting caliber players. Wisniewski was signed late after being cut by the Steelers. Suh was 9th among DTs for pressures & Vea is arguably a top 3 DT in the NFL.

RT Andrew Wylie vs Shaq Barrett

A JAG at guard will start his second career game at RT. Shaq Barrett led the league in pressures & is coming off a 3 sack game against the packers.



This really is an ass kicking on paper. They struggled the last few weeks of the season & Bowles should use this to his advantage with light boxes.

18-0 Pats vs. 13-6 Giants was probably the biggest mismatch on paper, and that all changed b/c of the ass kicking the Giants DL put on the Pats OL. Mankins and Light were Pro Bowlers in 2007.

There are no Pro Bowlers on the KC OL. Fisher would have been the only one.

 

[carmelo15]

If Tampa attacks short like they did after the bye and before the playoffs those blitzes won’t reach Brady in time as Godwin/AB will be open all day

 

[TB12TheGoat]

If Tampa attacks short like they did after the bye and before the playoffs those blitzes won’t reach Brady in time as Godwin/AB will be open all day

you would think so but this is Arians and Leftwich we’re talking about

i hope they prove my ass wrong

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

If Tampa attacks short like they did after the bye and before the playoffs those blitzes won’t reach Brady in time as Godwin/AB will be open all day

 

[sb1]

This KC team is not the same team that won it all last year or took the Pats to the limit the year before. Even the Pats with no QB and no practice gave them a game for 50 out of 60 minutes.

The Bucs look really good on both sides of the ball. They've been unstoppable since the winning streak started. Now they're at home for the Super Bowl.

Maybe I'm being too optimistic but I really think Bucs win and this game will not be as close as people think. I think my optimism annoyed people in the NFCCG thread (hi @Lagaffe_07!) so maybe I'll be more subtle about it for this one

 

[carmelo15]

Tampa shouldn’t have one play with only one safety deep

 

[TB12TheGoat]

This KC team is not the same team that won it all last year or took the Pats to the limit the year before. Even the Pats with no QB and no practice gave them a game for 50 out of 60 minutes.

The Bucs look really good on both sides of the ball. They've been unstoppable since the winning streak started. Now they're at home for the Super Bowl.

Maybe I'm being too optimistic but I really think Bucs win and this game will not be as close as people think. I think my optimism annoyed people in the NFCCG thread (hi @Lagaffe_07!) so maybe I'll be more subtle about it for this one

yeah this offense is no where near as good as the one in 2018. that offense had 3.25 points per drive, 2nd in history behind 2007 patriots 3.37. I know different era now and way easier to score but still.

their defense is a lot better than that 2018 team though

hope you’re right. i could use a 10 point win instead of another end of game heart attack

 

[BradytoMosstoGronk]

31-28 Bucs

 

[sb1]

31-28 Bucs

I'll go with something like the Saints game score. 30-20 TB. I think two scores sounds about right.