The Super Bowl LV matchup is officially set, with the quarterback of the last few generations meeting the guy who will define the NFL in the coming years.
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers outlasted Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, with the Bucs capitalizing on early turnovers and getting big stops late. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes hardly appeared to be limited by injuries, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
NFL fans will witness quite the spectacle at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 7. The game presents plenty of intrigue beyond just the quarterback matchup. Tampa Bay is the first team in NFL history to compete in a Super Bowl in its home stadium. As for the Chiefs, they are hoping to become the first repeat champions since Brady and the New England Patriots went back-to-back in 2003 and 2004.
Before turning the attention to the Super Bowl, however, there is plenty to be gleaned from this year's NFL Championship Sunday. Here are five takeaways from the two games.
5. The Bills need a run game
It is hardly a secret the Buffalo Bills cannot run the football.
Buffalo ranked 20th in the NFL in rushing yards and yards per carry during the regular season. The rotating duo of Devin Singletary and Zack Moss both showed some promise at times, but not enough to prompt Brian Daboll to dial up more runs.
As a result, the Bills have consistently relied upon Josh Allen to make plays with both his arm and his legs. That worked well enough during the regular season, but eventually came back to bit Buffalo in the playoffs.
Allen gave his all against Kansas City. He was also under constant pressure. The 24-year-old was sacked four times for 54 yards and was also intercepted. Allen completed just over 58 percent of his passes, his lowest mark in three playoff games. But even more generally, the constant duress Allen was under made it tougher for him to make proper downfield reads.
The Bills hardly even tried to run the ball. Allen carried seven times for 88 yards, mostly because he was flushed out of the pocket. But Singletary and T.J. Yeldon combined to get nine carries for just 32 yards.
Kansas City generated pressure with the four-man rush and limited Stefon Diggs to just two catches for 12 yards through the first 42 minutes of action. That is a pretty easy recipe for success when the opponent is not a threat to run the ball.
Buffalo simply cannot rely on Allen to make every play. Even Mahomes and the Chiefs can lean on a surprisingly balanced rushing attack; it's part of what makes Kansas City's offense that much more dangerous.
The Bills need a true rushing attack to get to that next step to NFL glory.
4. Aaron Rodgers' issue with the Packers runs deep
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has had cause to be frustrated with the organization for months now.
The Packers, rather than upgrading at wide receiver or on defense, used their first-round selection to draft Utah State quarterback Jordan Love last April. It mattered little, considering Rodgers put together an MVP-caliber season in 2020.
But, after another NFC Championship shortcoming, Rodgers is clearly frustrated.
The two-time NFL MVP said after Sunday's loss his future is uncertain, adding he felt “gutted” following a second straight loss in the NFC Championship Game. Rodgers also noted Green Bay's roster could look a whole lot different next season, hinting at some skepticism regarding his own place in the Packers' future.
Maybe this was a “heat of the moment” sort of thing. Despite a passive-aggressive answer regarding head coach Matt LaFleur's decision to kick a field goal rather than go for it on fourth down late in the fourth quarter, Rodgers has lauded LaFleur all year. He has also seemed to play with a genuine joy.
Yet, as spectacular as Rodgers has been, he has very little to show for it in the way of playoff success. The Packers have not even made it back to the Super Bowl since winning the Lombardi Trophy to cap off the 2010 season. Perhaps A-Rod feels it is time for a change.
Granted, the Packers are more likely to add to the roster and spend to surround Rodgers with talent than they are to move on, especially this offseason. Green Bay would hardly save against the salary cap while also paying over $30 million in dead money if it moved on from Rodgers this spring.
Still, it would seem this is an imperative period for general manager Brian Gutekunst.
3. Eric Fisher's injury, Bucs pass rush
The Chiefs might have won another Lamar Hunt Trophy on Sunday, but they paid a price in the process.
Pro Bowl offensive tackle Eric Fisher suffered a torn Achilles and will obviously be out for the team's Super Bowl matchup with the Bucs.
The timing of the loss could not be worse, especially considering the Chiefs will be facing a Bucs front coming off an exceptional performance against Green Bay.
Tampa Bay pressured Rodgers 22 times during Sunday's win. Defensive end Shaquil Barrett was a nuisance, pressuring Rodgers seven times and notching 3.0 sacks.
Why did Barrett in particular have so much success? Well, the Packers were without starting left tackle David Bakhtiari, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 17. Barrett appeared to capitalize on Bakhtiari's absence, routinely winning his matchup and also forcing Rodgers into inside pressure. Will a similar scene play out in the Super Bowl?
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is every bit as mobile as Rodgers in terms of moving around in the pocket and extending plays. But will the turf toe issue play a role going forward?
It is fair to wonder whether the loss of Fisher gives Tampa Bay's front seven an advantage, which is undoubtedly a major key to victory for the Bucs. If they can make Mahomes uncomfortable, the Bucs stand a better chance at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in nearly two decades.
2. Tale of two Brady's
Granted, the Buccaneers will need Brady and the offense to execute scoring drives, which the six-time Super Bowl champion struggled to do Sunday.
Brady looked strong in the first half, throwing for 202 yards and a pair of scores, including a 39-yard strike to Scotty Miller at the end of the half after blown coverage by Packers cornerback Kevin King. He then found Cameron Brate for his third touchdown following an Aaron Jones fumble.
It was an exceptional performance from Brady early. He hit on checkdowns and sucked the Packers' secondary in with play-action fakes. However, the second half could not have been any different.
Th 43-year-old lost all his sharpness. He threw three interceptions, including one where he overthrew a wide-open Mike Evans across the middle and cost the Bucs at least three points on a potential scoring drive.
In fact, all three of Brady's miscues came when targeting Evans. He mistakenly led Evans up the field rather than the sideline on the first pick. Brady then missed on the overthrow, and threw his third interception when he tried a prayer to Evans while under heavy pressure from a Packers blitz.
As ugly as the interceptions looked, they did not tell the whole story. Brady missed multiple sideline throws to Chris Godwin and really struggled to get a feel for things as the game wore on. Tampa Bay should have had the game done and dusted early in the fourth quarter, but instead needed a late stop to ensure victory.
The Bucs need Brady to raise his level of play in the Super Bowl as the contest rolls along, especially since Mahomes and the Chiefs can orchestrate a quick-strike drive at any given moment.
Speaking of that offense…
1. Chiefs cannot be stopped
Patrick Mahomes was under the microscope for pretty much the entirety of this past week.
The former NFL MVP entered concussion protocol after taking a hit from Cleveland Browns linebacker Mack Wilson during the AFC Divisional Round, subsequently sustaining a neck injury. Then, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid revealed Mahomes was nursing a foot injury.
Mahomes was cleared to play, but it was anyone's guess as to how he would perform in light of recent physical setbacks. Needless to say, the 25-year-old looked just fine.
Mahomes completed 29-of-38 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns. He had no problem finding Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce in space, which bodes exceedingly well for a rematch with the Buccaneers.
One of the other reasons Tampa Bay had success pressuring Rodgers was the inability for Green Bay's receivers — outside of Davante Adams — to create leverage at the line of scrimmage and get depth. This should not be an issue for the Chiefs' receivers.
Both Hill and Kelce ate against a pretty strong Bills secondary Sunday, combining for 22 receptions and 290 yards receiving. The diversity in Kansas City's play-calling and the weapons the Chiefs have on the field always seems to allow the two NFL All-Pros to produce. Moreover, Hill and Kelce dominated the Bucs last time out.
Hill torched Tampa Bay for over 200 yards receiving in the first half alone in Kansas City's Week 12 win over the Bucs. Kelce hauled in all eight of his targets for 82 yards in that contest. Considering the Bucs struggled to contain Adams Sunday and also got hit on some deep passes, how will they contain Hill over the top and Kelce in the seams and running drag routes?
Perhaps Eric Fisher's injury will loom large. Maybe Mahomes' turf toe will limit his ability, and the Bucs can cause havoc in the backfield.
But as of now, the Chiefs look downright unstoppable with Mahomes on the field, regardless of his physical condition. Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles will have his hands full preparing for the most explosive offense in football.
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