Talkin’ MVP
February 3rd, 2021
Needs a dirty jersey at halftime.
The Bucs can win Super Bowl LV. That’s what one former suit believes.
But to do so, there are a couple of things the Bucs must do.
Michael Lombardi, former NFL general manager and coffee fetcher for Bill Walsh, Bill Belicheat and Al Davis, typed a column for The Athletic where he spells out how the Bucs can win.
In Lombardi’s mind, the Bucs almost have to play perfect football. He pointed out the Chiefs have won 25 of their last 27 games (one loss was an inconsequential final game of the 2020 regular season). The other loss was when the Chiefs got caught with their pants down playing Chucky.
This, Lombardi writes, demonstrates that the Chiefs are currently the NFL’s version of the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. Nothing really works against them because they are so dominant and versatile.
In Lombardi’s eyes, if two Buccaneers don’t have good games, it will be the Chiefs celebrating a Super Bowl victory on the Bucs’ home turf.
It is the same thing Joe has harped on for years: put the quarterback on his arse! In this case, Lombardi said the Bucs must act out Al Davis’s First Commandment of Defense: The quarterback must go down, and he must go down hard.
Most importantly, they must win convincingly against the Chiefs’ backup tackles. Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul must dominate Mike Remmers and Andrew Wylie to the point that both Barrett and Pierre-Paul are the MVPs if the Bucs win. If the Bucs don’t win that matchup, the game will be an easy win for Kansas City. Barrett and Pierre-Paul must be in Patrick Mahomes’ face all game and make him feel pressure from every angle.
So Lombardi is typing that the Chiefs win if Shaq or JPP is not Super Bowl LV MVP?
Joe can’t go that far, but Joe is in the same boat as Lombardi. With two backup tackles likely to start for Kansas City, Mahomes better have a dirty jersey by the second half.
February 3rd, 2021 at 8:38 am
And containing Hill obviously. I think the Bucs will score lots. Just need a few stops and force some punts.
February 3rd, 2021 at 8:39 am
I’ve followed Lombardi this year on Hammer Dahn. He is a terrible bettor, but has a lot of football knowledge… it seems. He has picked against the Bucs all playoffs and expected them to be blown out by Green Bay. He’s already picked the Chiefs for the Super Bowl. Hope the d-line shows out and Shaq and JPP ball out! Although I hope he continues to be wrong about the Bucs.
February 3rd, 2021 at 8:51 am
25 of the last 27! Man, I did not know they were that good. Everyone here saying we will win….this makes me nervous!
February 3rd, 2021 at 8:52 am
All these analysts seem to think Mahomes can’t miss a throw and completes 100% of all the passes he throws. Rather than the 66% in reality.
Yes, he is definitely talented, mobile, and can make completions out of highly improbable throws. But the more of those passes you throw, the more likely it is to catch up to you 2019 you know who style.
I have a feeling Sunday is going to be that day.
February 3rd, 2021 at 8:57 am
i think we are making too much out of this backup tackles. one has been injured since week 6 so they’ve learned to deal with it. left tackle is the bigger issue but i do agree we need pressure
February 3rd, 2021 at 9:23 am
Agree with the need for sacks. They also need the safeties to sell out and play over the tops of Kelce and Hill.
Most important is a Bucs run game working well enough that they keep the ball away from the Chiefs offense.
February 3rd, 2021 at 9:32 am
I fully agree.
The game will be won or lost by their OT play…
February 3rd, 2021 at 9:41 am
How does our offense stack up with Spagnolo’s D….Spags got the best of Brady in two SB’s.
Our D will hold their own against Mahomes and get a few stops.
Can our offense give Brady enough time to throw?
February 3rd, 2021 at 9:46 am
Throw in White blitzing…..that’s a lot of chaos.
February 3rd, 2021 at 9:50 am
@Karma. Spags got the best of Brady’s O line. If Bucs O line continues to play good he has no answers. Offensively that’s what it comes down to.
February 3rd, 2021 at 10:07 am
@Kentucky…yikes…I am so excited I can’t even focus on my work and it’s only Wednesday!
February 3rd, 2021 at 10:25 am
WTF with the Chiefs worship. I’m over it. They are just as beatable as every other team in the league. Keep up the Buc disrespect it’s more fuel for the fire
February 3rd, 2021 at 11:03 am
gotta do to mahomes what the ny giants did to brady in the superbowl of their 16-0 season…
gotta pulla a spags on the chiefs
February 3rd, 2021 at 11:57 am
People forgetting that we literally played KC this season and it was a one score game that came down to letting Mahomes pick up a third down late in the fourth. If we start off a little bit better (we are a better team since then) this becomes a tossup. We have the fire power to hang, just gotta score points early and often. Go Bucs!
February 3rd, 2021 at 7:55 pm
The blueprint for beating the team with the racially insensitive nickname was created by the Falcons in their 17-14 loss. This was when they actually had Eric Fisher healthy. Kermit the Frog admitted that Atlanta confused him all game long. The Falcons should have won that game because one of their DB’s dropped an interception late that would have sealed the win. Kermie had one interception but there was another that was dropped as well so he should have had 3. Falcons kept a safety over the top of Hill and double teamed Kelce forcing Mahomes to constantly throw that ball away when he couldn’t find his favorite targets. 24 of 44 passing for 278. The advantage we have is that JPP plus Shaq and Vea in the middle coming back should make life hell for Mahomes. Remember, he didn’t have a toe issue in that game, either. When we dirty him up and force him to look for his other options and continue with the pressure and CATCH the ball on defense, I expect we get those 3 interceptions (at least) and get a big lead on them. Never taking our foot off the gas. Our offense is better than their defense and unlike SF last year, we will not stop scoring. I think Tampa Bay beats Kansas City by double digits. And rather comfortably.
February 3rd, 2021 at 10:42 pm
Seemore Bucs that’s the game I’m hoping for. Basically like the last time we won a super bowl lol