Halftime: While you’re watching The Weeknd, rock out with some Super Bowl analysis
The Chiefs played so well for so long this season. But the first half of Super Bowl LV was a disaster.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rolled to a 21-6 lead at the break by outplaying the Chiefs in all phases.
And it could have been worse. The Chiefs came up with a goal-line stand.
How did things unravel?
The moments after the goal-line stand, made on a great individual play by linebacker Damien Wilson, did the most damage.
The Chiefs picked up one first down after taking over at their own 1-yard line and had to kick it away. On the punt by Tommy Townsend, Ben Neimann was was called for holding. The Chiefs punted again and Townsend shanked a 29-yarder.
Tyrann Mathieu came up with a deflected interception, but Charvarius Ward was flagged for holding. Still, the Chiefs were about to hold Tampa Bay to a field goal, and former Chief Ryan Succop’s 40-yarder was good. But Antonio Hamilton was lined up in the neutral zone.
The Bucs took full advantage of the resulting first down and cashed in on Tom Brady’s second touchdown pass of the half to Rob Gronkowski to take a 14-3 lead.
The Chiefs were assessed an uncharacteristic 100 yards’ worth of penalties in the first half. The Bucs: one flag for 5 yards.
The Buccaneers were content to run out the clock to end the first half, but the Chiefs took timeouts to stop the clock. That changed Tampa Bay’s strategy and allowed Brady to engineer a drive that included pass interference penalties on Bashaud Breeland for 34 yards and Mathieu in the end zone.
Brady finished the drive with his third touchdown pass of the half and a 21-6 lead.
What a disaster for the Chiefs, who at least get the ball to open the second half.
Nothing like the earlier game
In a Raymond James Stadium that featured more cardboard cutouts in the seats than fans, Super Bowl LV started nothing like the regular-season contest between the Chiefs and Bucs in the same stadium.
Then, the Chiefs jumped to a 17-0 first-quarter lead with Tyreek Hill collecting 215 of his 269 receiving yards in the first quarter. On Sunday, the Buccaneers succeeded in coordinating their pass coverage with the rush.
The deepest Chiefs penetration of the half came late in the half when they drove to the 14. But Shaq Barrett put pressure on Mahomes, whose incomplete pass on fourth down brought Harrison Butker on for his second field goal to cut into Tampa’s lead, but only a little.
About that stand
The fantastic goal-line stand by the Chiefs should have changed the momentum. Instead, it only served to momentarily slow the Bucs.
Linebacker Damien Wilson came up with the the monster play, stuffing Ronald Jones for no gain on fourth down from the 1. Chiefs opponents had been successful on all fourth-and-1 attempts this season.
Bucs coach Bruce Arians challenged the call but the great play by Wilson stood. The Bucs had a first down from the 6 and picked up 4 on first down. On second down, linebacker Anthony Hitchens broke up a pass to Joe Haeg on a tackle eligible play. Jones was stopped after 1 on the next play, setting up the fourth-down stuff.
Mahomes’ legs only early weapon
The Chiefs’ best offense over their first two possessions was Mahomes’ legs, and the Buccaneers seemed willing to give the Chiefs that option.
Mahomes rushed for a first down on each of the first two possessions, the first ending in a punt, the second in Butker’s 49-yard field goal.
It was a lousy half for the KC passing offense: Mahomes completed nine of 19 for 67 yards.
The Chiefs’ first play was a pass to ... Byron Pringle? Indeed, the Tampa native got the start and the first Chiefs reception. Did you have Pringle with the first catch in your prop bets?
Mahomes’ next six passes fell incomplete.
Playoff Shark
The Chiefs continued to get the best version of Frank Clark.
He didn’t rack up the stats during the regular season, but Clark snuffed out an end-around by dropping Scotty Miller for a 3-yards loss, then picked up the game’s first sack on the same series.
He dropped Brady for a 6-yard loss.