Ray Lewis said he quit watching Super Bowl LV after rash of penalties on Chiefs
There was no definitive turning point in Super Bowl LV, but a pivotal stretch came late in the first half of the Buccaneers’ 31-9 win over the Chiefs.
At the two minute warning, Tampa Bay led 14-3 but the Chiefs had a first down at the Buccaneers’ 18-yard line. The Chiefs managed just 4 yards on their next three plays and settled for a 34-yard field goal from Harrison Butker with 1:01 left in the quarter.
The Buccaneers got the ball back and drove 71 yards in 55 seconds for a touchdown. The Chiefs were called for a pair of pass-interference penalties that accounted for 42 yards on the drive.
It was at that point that former Ravens star Ray Lewis turned off the television. Lewis, a seven-time All-Pro linebacker who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was disgusted by the penalties on the Chiefs, who were flagged eight times for 95 yards in the first half.
During an interview Thursday on ESPN’s “First Take,” Lewis mentioned the Super Bowl when talking with Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman about how defenses are treated in the NFL these days.
“It’s hard. It’s hard to watch the game,” Lewis said. “I’m going to give you a few names and you tell me why you guys remember them. When you think about Jack Lambert, when you think about Dick Butkus, when you think about Mike Singletary, when you think about Ronnie Lott, when you think about those type of players, what do you think about?
“You think about physical football. You think about defenders having the offensive coordinator fear you, because on the other side you could deliver that hit. But now, Stephen, Max, I turned the TV off in the Super Bowl once they made those few calls against Kansas City, because you can’t call those types of calls, but that’s the way the game has gone.
“And the essence of the game, right, the essence of the game is you buckle both chin straps up, and you pay a price if you come across the middle. And that isn’t the answer anymore man. And it’s just really hard to watch football, even from the collegiate level.”
Lewis later praised the Buccaneers defense for shutting down the Chiefs in the Super Bowl and mentioned how the Ravens shut down the Giants in a 34-7 win in Super Bowl XXXV.
“When you talk about dominating a Super Bowl, you’ve got to remember ... 20 years ago in that same stadium, Raymond James Stadium, they didn’t score,” Lewis said. “The Giants didn’t score and to watch Kansas City not score, Todd Bowles and that defense, defense wins championships.”
Here is the clip:
This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 10:33 AM.
