Betting on Brady and the Bucs tonight

By STEVE KING

I don’t like making predictions, but you have to do so in this business.

Your readers – you guys — demand it.

As such, then, let’s call Super Bowl 55 on Sunday night for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs 29-26.

I don’t think the offenses will be as prolific as everyone seems to believe they will be, because I think the defenses will be better than most people are predicting they will be.

But even with that, why not the Chiefs winning? After all, they’ve looked so good all season.

For starters, it’s because defending champions don’t repeat in the Super Bowl. They just don’t. The NFL is built so that the next step for a champ is not to get firm footing on the top of the mountain, but rather to start tumbling down the other side. What went well in the season they won it all, doesn’t go so well – or at least as well – the following year.

For instance, the Kansas City offensive line is hurting literally and figuratively, and so is quarterback Patrick Mahomes. That turf toe is still an issue, and with a good hit, it could be more of one. And I think Tampa Bay will go all out to try to get that hit. The Bucs will come after him with everything they’ve got, especially with subs having to play on the line for the Chiefs. They’re not about to sit back in a soft zone and pick them apart, as the Browns so foolishly did in the divisional playoffs. They will play press coverage and make it hard for Mahomes to consistently find open receivers.

And then, of course, there’s the Tom Brady factor. He wants to prove to everyone that he can win – not just games, but win it all – without Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels and the New England Patriots. And now that he has that chance, this fiery competitor isn’t about to squander it. At his age, this may be his last trip to the big game.