Super Bowl LV: 3 reasons why the Chiefs will crush the Buccaneers

It was Feb. 6, 2005 — the last time American R&B star Mario topped the Billboard Hot 100, and the last time a team won back-to-back Super Bowls.

The team? The New England Patriots. The song? Let Me Love You.

There will be plenty of love in Kansas City on Sunday if the Chiefs become the first team in 16 years to retain the Super Bowl title.

Led by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and with a ridiculously talented offense that features Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Chiefs have a very real chance to repeat.

Here are three reasons the Chiefs will crush the Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.

1. The magic of Mahomes

Last year’s Super Bowl MVP lives for big games. Mahomes lit up last year’s Super Bowl, with two passing touchdowns and another on the ground, as the Chiefs beat the 49ers, 31-20.

This year, Mahomes hasn’t taken his foot off the gas. He threw for 4,740 yards in the regular season and 38 touchdowns to just six interceptions. In his two postseason games, Mahomes hasn’t thrown an interception, added four touchdowns through the air and 580 yards, and completed 73.5% of his passes.

Mahomes dominated in the AFC Championship Game, as he completed 29 of his 38 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns. That was the 10th time he surpassed 300 passing yards in a game this year.

The Bucs will have nightmares about Mahomes this week, after he put in a hell of a performance in Tampa at the end of November. The Chiefs survived a scare in that game, and avoided a Tom Brady-inspired comeback, after they saw a 17-point fourth quarter lead cut down to just three.

Mahomes completed 37 of his 49 passes for 462 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 9.4 yards per attempt and posted a QB rating of 124.7.

Tampa Bay may have the best rush defense in the league, but its pass defense is vulnerable. The Bucs ranked 21st against the pass during the regular season, and in the postseason, Taylor Heinicke was able to throw for 306 yards against them in just his second NFL start. In the NFC Championship Game, Aaron Rodgers racked up 346 yards and three touchdowns.  

2. Tyreek Hill will torch Carlton Davis

In that regular-season game between the Chiefs and the Bucs, Hill ran wild. "Cheetah" hauled in 13 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yard effort. That was Hill’s best game in terms of receiving yards, as he absolutely schooled Bucs defensive back Carlton Davis.

Davis was in coverage on nine of Hill’s 13 grabs and was the closest defender on all three of Hill's touchdowns.

Hill caught eight passes for 110 yards against the Browns in the Divisional Round and hauled in nine catches for 172 yards in the AFC Championship Game against the Bills.

Davis will no doubt get a little more support from his safeties in Tampa this week, but will that be enough to hold Hill down?

3. The Chiefs run defense will shut down Leonard Fournette

Leonard Fournette only had more than 11 carries three times in the regular season, but he has seen that amount of work in each of Tampa Bay's three postseason games and has rewarded the Bucs with 211 yards and two touchdowns.

He has added 102 yards and a touchdown on receptions during the postseason.

But the Chiefs have quietly put in some impressive performances against the run.

The Chiefs haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in their last six games, and in the AFC Championship Game, they shut down the Bills run game completely. Buffalo running backs Devin Singletary and T.J. Yeldon had just nine carries for 32 yards.

Fournette managed just three carries for 10 yards against Kansas City in their regular-season matchup, and the Chiefs allowed just 75 yards rushing overall.

If Kansas City can nullify the threat of Fournette again, the Chiefs will crush Tampa.