5 Bold Predictions for Super Bowl LV

While professional sports are unpredictable by nature, millions of viewers across the globe can't help but weigh in with their unofficial analyses of star players, championship caliber teams, and other miscellaneous coverage. However, even the most astute sports analyst could not have projected a more perfectly scripted Super Bowl LV matchup for February 7, 2021.

The headlines circling a winner-take-all contest between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs are nothing short of iconic. 43-year-old Tom Brady (presumably the greatest quarterback in NFL history) against 25-year-old Patrick Mahomes (indisputably the greatest quarterback of the new generation). 

Mahomes was merely in Kindergarten when Brady clinched his first Lombardi Trophy in February 2002. Will the Chiefs' superstar usher in a new era by upending Brady to claim his second consecutive title? Or will the former Patriot singlehandedly surpass all 32 NFL franchises by snagging his seventh trophy in his 10th career Super Bowl appearance?

The tale of the tape is quite impressive. Kansas City boasts an unbelievable record of 26-1 in their last 27 games. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has won seven straight to fuel their improbable run as NFC champions. Although the Buccaneers are officially the first team in NFL history to host a Super Bowl in their home stadium, the Chiefs remain favorites to steal eternal glory from Brady and company next Sunday night.

On a personal note (having supported the Atlanta Falcons since the early 2000s), I find little joy in making the following projections. However, I'm comforted by this small disclaimer: it's perfectly possible that none of my remarks come true. Feel free to return on February 8 and laugh at how horribly inaccurate the following statements are. 

Without any further ado, here are five "bold predictions" for Super Bowl LV.

1. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pull off the upset

Admittedly, this doesn't jump off the page as a terribly improbable pick. The Buccaneers riding their six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback en route to their second title, becoming the first team in NFL history to clinch the Lombardi Trophy in their own stadium. It almost seems obvious, right?

Perhaps... until you scroll back to the aforementioned statistic: the Kansas City Chiefs are 26-1 in their last 27 contests. Patrick Mahomes and company have lost only one football game since November 2019 -- a run that includes their victory in Tampa Bay on November 29, 2020.

Meanwhile, despite the Buccaneers' recent success, they have suffered through an unpredictable season, at times looking completely lost as a unit. Only three short months ago, Tampa Bay was embarrassed by a 38-3 New Orleans Saints' victory in their own building. Furthermore, the NFC Champion Buccaneers held an unimpressive record of 5-3 at Raymond James Stadium this season, including a brutal loss to the lowly Chicago Bears.

So why am I picking Tampa Bay? An inexplicable combination of destiny and momentum. I'll conclude with this statistic: the last three Wild Card teams to reach the Super Bowl after winning three road playoff games (the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2007 New York Giants, and 2010 Green Bay Packers) won it all. The Buccaneers aren't going down without a fight.

2. Tom Brady surpasses 400 passing yards for the first time this season

I'd like to preface this projection by taking a look at Patrick Mahomes' career statistics. 

In the 2018 NFL season, Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns. In 2019, Mahomes threw for 4,031 yards and 26 touchdowns. This year, Mahomes threw for 4,740 yards and 38 touchdowns. 

The 25-year-old phenom has already set countless records in his young career, including becoming the fastest quarterback in NFL history to 10,000 career passing yards (34 games) and 100 career touchdowns (40 games). 

If you're impressed by these statistics, let me quickly point out that I haven't addressed the damage that Mahomes can inflict on the ground. In other words: he's likely to present a major problem, even against Tampa Bay's stout defensive unit. 

While Brady has failed to surpass 400 passing yards in any game this season, doing so might be a necessity if the Buccaneers are to "upset" the Chiefs on Sunday. But don't despair, Tampa Bay fans: merely three years ago, a 40-year-old Tom Brady threw for 505 yards in a Super Bowl matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Just ignore the final score on that one.

3. Tom Brady never appears in another Super Bowl

If you've followed professional sports for any length of time, you've likely heard the phrase "one-and-done". However, in my estimation, "ten-and-done" seems a bit more noteworthy.

Although Tom Brady has dominated the NFL for the better part of two decades, "Father Time" is likely to catch up with the perennial superstar eventually. Brady will be 44 years old when the 2021 regular season (presumably) kicks off in September. How much longer can he realistically continue to compete at the highest level?

Admittedly, predicting that a player won't appear in another Super Bowl doesn't seem tremendously bold, as there are 32 NFL franchises and only two annual spots available in the big game. However, it is a risky assumption to make about a player who's qualified for the Super Bowl in 10 of his 21 NFL seasons thus far (at an unbelievable rate of 47.6%), especially considering that Brady is seemingly uninterested in retiring anytime soon.

I hate to be the guy making this call, but I'll do it anyway: Tom Brady wins his seventh Super Bowl in Tampa Bay on Sunday, singlehandedly surpassing all 32 NFL franchises, and never returns to the promised land. In any case, I can't be proven wrong until at least February 2022.

4. Patrick Mahomes suffers multiple turnovers for just the second time this season

If you read the description of my second "bold pick" (or haven't been living under a rock), you're likely well aware that Patrick Mahomes is very good at his job. In fact, he's so immensely talented that Kansas City signed him to a 10-year, $503 million contract extension in the summer of 2020. 

With that being said, the Chiefs' quarterback does not frequently commit turnovers. On December 13, Mahomes threw three interceptions against the Miami Dolphins, marking the superstar's only contest of the 2020 NFL season in which he turned the ball over on more than one occasion. 

This narrative will almost certainly have to change if Tampa Bay is to outlast Kansas City's potent attack on Sunday. Although the Buccaneers have led the NFL in run defense over the past two seasons, their secondary now faces the nearly impossible task of slowing down explosive receiving threats such as Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Mecole Hardman.

Perhaps this isn't entirely logical, but I'm doubling down on Tampa Bay's defense in Super Bowl LV. I firmly believe they will find a way to pressure Mahomes with the Lombardi Trophy on the line, forcing him into multiple turnovers for just the second time this season.

5. Patrick Mahomes loses by more than one possession for the first time in his career

This unfathomable statistic has been repeated on an endless loop since the Chiefs' fearless leader broke into the NFL three years ago: Patrick Mahomes has never lost a pro football game by more than one possession. For this very reason, I'm picking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win by nine points on Sunday.

To put my boldest prediction into perspective, Mahomes has appeared in 46 regular season games and seven playoff games since entering the league in 2017. He's had 53 chances to lose a game by two possessions or more. It's never happened.

This is an absolutely wild prognostication. It's completely improbable. There's no way it will happen. And for that reason alone, it just might.

*Bonus Prediction*

6. Patrick Mahomes wins Super Bowls LVI and LVII

As previously mentioned, the general narrative of Super Bowl LV is one of storybook proportions -- the greatest quarterback of all-time (seeking his seventh Lombardi Trophy) against the next generation's most untouchable star (seeking to repeat as a Super Bowl champion).

If the Buccaneers manage to win this game, Mahomes' legacy will immediately be called into question, despite his wealth of impressive accomplishments at the age of 25. Should the story proceed in this manner, I can only assume that the lifeblood of Kansas City sports will rebound in dominant fashion.

Tom Brady once claimed the Lombardi Trophy three times in his first four seasons as the New England Patriots' starting quarterback. I like Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to match his success by emerging with victories in Super Bowls LVI and LVII over the next two seasons.

In fact, if Mahomes remains healthy, it wouldn't be altogether surprising to see him follow in Brady's remarkable footsteps in the years to come. If you close your eyes, you can almost see Patrick Mahomes marching onto the field in February 2039 to do battle in Super Bowl LXXIII.

How's that for a bold prediction?

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