Four NFL Network analysts see potential obstacles to a Chiefs win in Super Bowl
The Chiefs offensive line, the Buccaneers’ attack, Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady and the success of KC offensive weapons not named Tyreek or Kelce.
Those are the potential obstacles for the Chiefs to repeat as Super Bowl champions, according to quartet of NFL Network analysts.
Brian Baldinger, DeAngelo Hall, Terrell Davis and Kurt Warner offered their thoughts on what could stop the Chiefs from winning Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Here is more on what each person said:
Brian Baldinger
Baldinger took note of the reconfigured offensive line because of injuries to Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz.
“I think it’s protecting the quarterback, Patrick Mahomes,” Baldinger said. “In the AFC Championship Game, they lost their starting left tackle Eric Fisher. They played 17 snaps to finish that game with the reconstituted offensive line of (Mike) Remmers and (Nick) Allegretti and (Austin) Reiter and Stefen Wisniewski and Andrew Wylie, and through the course of the season, they lost both starting offensive tackles. So, when I think about repeating, I think you’ve got to protect the MVP, Patrick Mahomes, and can they do that, against the fierce pass rush, with a rebuilt offensive line by a lot of guys playing out of position and in new positions?”
DeAngelo Hall
Hall, the former Washington/Falcons defensive back, said Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has to come up with a solid plan to stop the Buccaneers offense.
“I’m interested to see how does Spags attack this Tampa offense, right?” Hall said. “Is Tampa able to get their run game going? Does Spags feel comfortable with that dime package and let his guys up front really go hunt after Tom Brady because Spags understands if he can pressure Tom Brady, he has a chance to win this game, no matter what happens on the back end. And so I’m gonna be really interested to see what kind of packages does he put on the football field, does he go with more speed. Is Tampa able to run the football. This is going to be a chess match that’s going to play out through the better part of this ballgame. And we’ll see late in the ballgame how Spags says, ‘Hey, this is how we’re gonna attack Tom Brady,’ because to me that’s the biggest obstacle.”
Terrell Davis
Davis, the former Broncos star running back, said the Chiefs will need to find options on offense other than wide receiver Tyreek Hill or Travis Kelce.
“It’s really how the guys not named Hill or Kelce play in this game,” Davis said. “You know, you have to imagine right now that (Buccaneers defensive coordinator) Todd Bowles is going to do everything in his power to make sure that those two guys do not wreck this game. And so we looked at last Super Bowl with Sammy Watkins (who) had a real big game, he had five receptions, 98 yards, and then Damien Williams has 17 attempts, 104 yards and a touchdown. Those guys stepped up in the big moment. So this year, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, he’s gonna have to step up. Remember last year, for LSU in that championship game, he was big in that game. Mecole Hardman, and of course, Sammy Watkins if he’s healthy in this game. And (Byron) Pringle, don’t forget (Byron) Pringle. So guys like that, in my opinion, have to step up and have a real big game if the Chiefs, want to repeat.”
Kurt Warner
Warner, the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV when the Rams beat the Titans, said one man is standing in the Chiefs way of another title.
“For me guys it’s easy,” Warner said. “Two words: Tom and Brady. I mean, we’re talking about the guy that’s been in 10 Super Bowls that’s done it better than anybody in this moment, and so you’ve got to find a way to get after him. You got to find a way to get him off his game. DeAngelo, you were talking about it a little bit. Spags did a great job in their first meeting of making Tom uncomfortable with pressure early on. He got better as the game went along and I heard Tom talk a little bit this week that the kids and the family have been out of the house. He’s had it to himself, he’s watched a lot of film and he said, the more film I watch, the more I start to understand what they were trying to do. And so that is going to be a key is does Tom Brady have a bead on what they’re trying to do defensively and play like Tom Brady throughout the course of this game. That to me is going to be the biggest problem for the Chiefs.”
Here is the clip:
This story was originally published February 4, 2021 at 8:53 AM.
