The Chiefs had a hot start coming off of the momentum of last season’s Super Bowl win, so it was no surprise to see them in the running for another championship. Last year they showed that a young team with some experience could hold with older, more experienced teams. Once again this year they were a force to be reckoned with.

Kansas City has been dominant all season, and especially the Kansas City offense. The Chiefs have been a steamroller when it comes to moving the ball down the field led by the young phenomenon Patrick Mahomes and veteran tight end Travis Kelce. 

Mahomes has proven himself to be one of the most elite quarterbacks in the NFL and is looking to add another trophy to his case to build onto his stellar young career. He has led a powerful offense with speedy receivers like Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman, backed up with power from Travis Kelce and young running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.  

Edwards-Helaire came into the league as running back drafted in the first round that few people expected. The elusive back out of LSU came out of the gates ready to play, and while they didn’t use him much during the regular season, the young rookie has proved himself in the playoffs with the help of a veteran presence in Le’Veon Bell.

This powerhouse of an offense not only led in passing yards, but led the whole league in total yards of offense. Mahomes, being fourth in the league in touchdowns, only threw 6 interceptions all year. On average, the Chiefs’ offense scored 30 points per game.

The Kansas City defense is led by defensive end Chris Jones and safety Tyrann Mathieu. Their defense has played just about average, right in the middle of yards given up in the league. 

Although they have had trouble bringing down the quarterback, ranking below average in sacks, that didn’t stop them from forcing turnovers. The Kansas City secondary had the fifth most interceptions in the league, shutting down the passing game for many teams, including the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills.

Head coach Andy Reid finally shed off a 20-year legacy of failure with his first Super Bowl victory last year. Now he is looking to repeat and add on to his resume as a hall of fame coach.

On the other sideline, the Buccaneers have a strong passing game and a moderate run game. If the Chiefs can slow down Tom Brady, the Kansas City offense will have a good chance to overtake the Buccaneers without much of a struggle. 

For the Chiefs, their biggest problem is going to be slowing down the passing game with threats like Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski. They must force a Buccaneers into the run game. Tampa Bay ranked second worst in the league during the regular season in rushing.

With Tom Brady contained, Kansas City is looking forward to adding to the trophy shelf with a bright future still ahead of them.

Prediction: Kansas City 24, Tampa Bay 17 in overtime