Can the Bucs Beat the Chiefs? 3 Things the Buccaneers Must Do on Defense to Slow Down the Chiefs

Can the Bucs Beat the Chiefs? The Buccaneers defense has a massive challenge ahead of them on Sunday in Super Bowl LV. The Chiefs had the best offense in football in 2020, which allowed them to go 14-2 and win their fifth straight AFC West title.

When you think of the Chiefs, the first person that comes to mind is Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is the reigning Super Bowl MVP and a three-time Pro Bowl selection. In 15 regular season starts, Mahomes threw for 4,740 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Mahomes is not the only weapon on the Chiefs offense. Kansas City has a plethora of athletes that terrorize opposing defenses.

Even though Kansas City is a terrific offensive team, they will have to defeat one of football’s best defenses. Tampa Bay had the best run defense and the sixth ranked unit overall in the NFL in the regular season.

The Kansas City offense versus the Tampa Bay defense will be fun to watch in Super Bowl LV. I give the talent nod to the Kansas City offense, but I would still not be surprised if the Buccaneers’ defense wins the battle in Super Bowl LV.

Here are three things that the Buccaneers must do to slow down the Chiefs on Sunday.

1 | Tackle Travis Kelce

The Chiefs have two weapons in the passing game that the Buccaneers cannot forget about at any point on Sunday night. One of those threats is Tyreek Hill, and the other is Travis Kelce. Opposing defenses need to pick their poison with these two players.

It’s impossible to neutralize both threats. I think the Buccaneers will sway their attention towards Tyreek Hill. This emphasis will open up Travis Kelce to have a big night.

Kelce can catch passes, but the Buccaneers cannot allow Kelce to extend plays after the catch. Tampa Bay needs to hit Kelce hard and not allow him to catch passes in stride.

Kelce is the best tight end in the game of football because of his athleticism. Lavonte David and Devin White are going to be critical in the effort to tackle the Pro Bowl tight end. The Buccaneers fly to the football, so if any unit can succeed in this area, it’s Tampa Bay.

2 | Blitz Patrick Mahomes

The Chiefs defeated the Cleveland Browns in the Divisional Round because they were not aggressive enough on defense. Suppose Cleveland would have dialed up a few more pressures. In that case, the defending champs may not be playing in their second consecutive Super Bowl.

The Buccaneers cannot play scared on Sunday. Bruce Arians needs to blitz Patrick Mahomes and make the Chiefs’ offensive line uncomfortable.

Chiefs’ LT Eric Fisher will not play on Sunday because of a severe Achilles injury. Tampa Bay must try to take advantage of this hole in Kansas City’s offensive line.

The Buccaneers have been successful on defense in 2020 because of their fearless style of play. They need to trust what got them to this point in the season and stay aggressive.

If Tampa Bay rushes four and plays zone, Patrick Mahomes is going to tear them apart. The Buccaneers must blitz early and often on Sunday in Super Bowl LV.

3 | Force an Early Turnover

The Chiefs didn’t frequently turn the ball over in 2020. Kansas City lost the football 16 times, which made them the fifth-most efficient offense in this area.

Mahomes threw six interceptions in 15 starts, and the Chiefs collectively fumbled nine times this year. Forced turnovers win football games. This is magnified in a contest like the Super Bowl, where momentum plays such a significant role.