Super Bowl LV: news summary for Monday 1 February

Super Bowl squares - which boxes to choose?

If you and your friends are planning on playing Super Bowl squares during Sunday's match-up in Tampa, you may wish to consult this video, courtesy of Sports Illustrated, in which Harvard Sports Analysis Collective alumnus Anthony Zanforelli explains which exact boxes to choose to give yourself the best chance of hitting the jackpot.

And if you don't know what Super Bowl squares is, you'll find a breakdown of the rules here.

Brady out to surpass Jordan's championship ring haul

Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady says he’s out to eclipse “idol” Michael Jordan’s haul of championship rings in Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Brady and NBA legend Jordan have both win six titles in their respective sports.

"Michael [Jordan] is one of my sports idols. I think he's pretty incredible and for me it's just about being a part of great teams,” Brady told reporters on Monday.

"To have the opportunity to play in this game means a lot to me. It's a lot of commitment and sacrifice by a lot of guys.

"Obviously we're one game away from the ultimate goal in this sport. I've been a part of that ultimate goal six other times so they are all different and have all meant something a little different to me. They've all been unique in their own way. 

"It would be cool to accomplish it this time, I don't compare them to the other times, those were all magical moment of my life and no one can ever take those away from me.

"Hopefully we can finish this season strong and win a Super Bowl. That's why we're here, that's why we're playing, to make for a really magical season for us."

More Americans can legally bet on the Super Bowl in 2021

PlayUSA, a website that covers legalized gambling, estimates that over $500 million will be legally wagered in the US at this year’s Super Bowl, compared with just $300 million wagered in 2020. With the addition of seven more states this year, now punters in 15 states can legally bet on the outcome of the Super Bowl.

Mahomes shares postgame conversation with Brady

"It was just kind of a, an affirmation of what I've been doing all year, that I was doing it the right way."

Can Mahomes beat Brady?

Mahomes is only in his fourth year in the league and playing for his second Super Bowl title.

He could be the third quarterback to win back-to-back Super Bowl MVP awards. The Kansas City Chiefs could be the first team to win back-to-back titles since the 2003-04 seasons when the New England Patriots did it.

Bucs and Chiefs uniforms confirmed

The Buccaneers who are actually playing at home are also the designated home side and so got the choice of jerseys - they've gone with the white jerseys and pewter pants they wore defeating the New Orlean Saints in the Divisional Round and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau to take the Conference title. 

The Chiefs then will be the same red jerseys they wore when the won Super Bowl LIV last year, defeating the San Francisco 49ers (pictured)

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Chiefs starting line-ups

Chiefs offensive line-up

QB: Patrick Mahomes 
RB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire 
WR: Tyreek Hill 
TE: Travis Kelce 
LT: Eric Fisher 
LG: Nick Allegretti 
C: Austin Reiter 
RG: Andrew Wylie 
RT: Mike Remmers

Chiefs defensive line-up

LDE: Tanoh Kpassagnon 
LDT: Chris Jones 
RDT: Derrick Nnadi 
RDE: Frank Clark 
LB: Anthony Hitchens 
LB: Damien Wilson 
LCB: Charvarius Ward 
RCB: Bashaud Breeland 
FS: Daniel Sorensen 
SS: Tyrann Mathieu 

Chiefs Specialists

K: Harrison Butker 
P: Tommy Townsend 
KR/PR: Mecole Hardman 

Chiefs main reserves

RB: Darrel Williams 
RB: Le'Veon Bell 
WR: Sammy Watkins
WR: Demarcus Robinson (on covid list)
FB: Anthony Sherman 
LT: Martinas Rankin 
LDE: Alex Okafor 
RDE: Mike Pennel 
ILB: Ben Niemann 
OLB: Willie Gay 
CB: Rashad Fenton 
FS: Juan Thornhill 

Buccaneers starting line-ups

Bucs offensive line-up

QB: Tom Brady 
RB: Ronald Jones 
WR: Mike Evans 
WR: Chris Godwin 
TE: Rob Gronkowski 
LT: Donovan Smith 
LG: Ali Marpet 
C: Ryan Jensen 
RG: Aaron Stinnie 
RT: Tristan Wirfs 

Bucs defensive line-up

DE: Ndamukong Suh
NT: Rakeem Nunez-Roches 
DE: William Gholston 
OLB: Jason Pierre-Paul 
ILB: Devin White 
ILB: Lavonte David 
OLB: Shaquil Barrett 
CB: Carlton Davis 
CB: Jamel Dean 
SS: Jordan Whitehead 
FS: Antoine Winfield Jr. 

Bucs Specialists

K: Ryan Succop 
P: Bradley Pinion 
KR/PR: Jaydon Mickens 

Bucs main reserves

RB: Leonard Fournette 
WR: Antonio Brown 
WR: Scott Miller 
WR: Tyler Johnson 
TE: Cameron Brate
OT: Joe Haeg 
DT: Vita Vea 
CB: Sean Murphy-Bunting
FS: Mike Edwards 
DT: Steve McLendon 
OLB: Anthony Nelson 
CB: Ross Cockrell 

Chiefs place Demarcus Robinson and Daniel Kilgore on reserve/covid-19 list

Chiefs’ wide receiver Robinson and center Kilgore have been put on the reserve/covid-19 list after due to close contact - they don't have the virus. This doesn’t mean they are OUT of Sunday’s Super Bowl - they now need five consecutive days of negative tests to get in.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said: “These guys were being as safe as they could be, and we'll just see how it goes. But the league has built-in rules and regulations, so we follow those, and it'll all work out. It'll all work out for them when it's all said and done."

This is the first coronavirus-related issue ahead of the season finale.

Tom Brady full of praise for Patrick Mahomes

Brady really bigging up his rival on Sunday.When he wasasked about Mahomes' progress from their meeting in the AFC Championship game in January 2019, when Brady's New England Patriots knocked off the Chiefs, Brady replied: "I think he's only elevated from that point on. 

"That year he was the MVP of the league, last year he came back and got off to a great start, dealt with some injuries, I know he separated his kneecap, that's a pretty tough injury, but fought through that, didn't have the same statistical year as he had in 2018, but goes on to win Super Bowl MVP."

Pitch details - font

The yard markings are one of the most recognisable parts of an NFL pitch, with the classic 10-to-50-and-back-to-10-again yards marked using a classic font, which seems to be the same at every ground.

Curiously though the typeface for the yard markings isn’t specified by the league. If you're interested, check out this article from ‘Fonts in use’. Quick summary, it looks like it’s a slightly modified version of Clarendon Bold or Black, but if you don’t have that (and both Word and Pages don’t appear to come with it as standard) and want to use NFL similar numbers your best bet is Century.

Chiefs availability update

Wide receiver Watkins was doubtful with a calf niggle, sounds like he's ok now.

Brady lobbing TD passes at 45? 48? 50?

Bucs quarterback Brady has made no secret that he’s keen to keep playing in the NFL until he’s 45, but he’s now admitted he’s considering going even longer. When asked during a virtual media availability about the possibility of playing beyond his 45th birthday in August 2022, Brady replied:

"Yeah definitely, I would definitely consider that. It's a physical sport and just the perspective I have on that is you never know kind of when that moment is. There's lot of training that goes into it. There has to be 100% commitment from myself to keep doing it."

The legendary quarterback says he’ll keep going as long as he feels he’s helping the team he’s playing for: "I don't know when that time will come but I think I'll know and I'll understand that I gave everything I could to give to this game. I don't think I can ever go at this game half-assed, I got to put everything into it."

All off the leash before the Super Bowl

In a bid to encourage animal adoptions, 70 puppies will compete in the ‘Puppy Bowl’ ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday. Teams ‘Ruff’ and ‘Fluff’ will chase soft toys, each other and actor Dan Schachner who is refereeing.

The Puppy Bowl is pre-recorded and the animals featured are usually all adopted before the Super Bowl itself. The show will stream on Discovery+ and air on Animal Planet on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET

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Tampa beer to drown Kansas tears

It's fair to say that the much-loved trash talking has begun.

“He communicated that he was very aware Tampa is the cigar capital of the nation, and so I told him I would be sure to supply him with some of the world’s best cigars,’’ Tampa mayor Jane Castor told USA TODAY Sports Monday.

“And in addition, I told him I would supply him with enough Tampa Bay craft beer to drown all the Kansas City fans’ sorrows when we hoist that Lombardi Trophy in our own backyard.’’

What will Tampa’s mayor get if Tom Brady and the Bucs prevail Sunday in Super Bowl 55 at Raymond James Stadium?

“We’ll take some of that barbecue Kansas City has,’’ she said.

Josh Peter reporting

Chief in the fight against covid

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif won’t be there to help his team defend their Super Bowl title this year. But to be fair, he did help them win it for the first time in 50 years.

A few months after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, the offensive lineman was working in a long-term care facility in Canada. Those who wondered why he would return to the medical field likely don't know how hard he worked to get it. The first active NFL player to graduate from medical school, he balanced a football career with his studies to honor his family's legacy.

Read the fascinating story by Anagha Srikanth about Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year.

"The ability to think players not play is really, really special"

Reinebold on Brady

"It's so phenomenal to watch him play ... there is nothing you can do to fool him"

Jeff Reinebold gives some specific examples of where Brady's experience comes into play.

Super Bowl HT memories

This year’s half-time show will be headlined by R&B superstar, The Weeknd, who expressed his excitement upon the announcement in November.

"We all grow up watching the world's biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position. I'm humbled, honored and ecstatic to be the center of that infamous stage this year," said the Grammy award winning singer.

Shakira will no doubt be watching on with her own fond memories.

Remember this Brady?

Back in 2015, the following play baffled onlookers...but delighted a certain Tom Brady.

QB praise: Brady on Mahomes

"He's just going to keep improving...he's got great maturity about him, great charisma"

Earlier in this blog we brought you some of the stats behind the two quarterbacks that will be lining up on opposing sides on Sunday.

As part of #SBOpeningNight, Tom Brady gives his view on how Patrick Mahomes career is going.

LAYing the SBLV foundations

There are cameos from Eli and Peyton Manning, Montana and Rice, Bradshaw and Bettis in this poetic preview.

But clearly the salty snacks are the headline acts!

NFL moments 2020/21

Clearly our main focus this week is building up to the big showdown on Sunday, but we'll be sure to bring you some of the best images and footage of the season that's brought us to this point.

In this carefully crafted montage, you can relive some of the best moments. Tingle, tingle.

A glimpse inside the SBLV venue

This short video clip has to get you excited.

On 7 February the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will make history, at least once, as they take to the field at the Raymond James Stadium. Just by stepping out they will be the first team to play in a Super Bowl on their home turf.

But with legendary quarterback Tom Brady now in their ranks, the Bucs want to be remembered for so much more as they face up against defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

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Tom Brady vs Patrick Mahomes: how many times have they faced each other?

Super Bowl LV: Brady vs Mahomes

Delightfully for us narrative writers, the scores between the two QB stars sit even at 2-2 in games played against each other. And as we eye another close contest it is positive to note that in those four previous games there was only one score between the sides at the end.

With a completion percentage of 65.4 and 348.8 yards per game across those match-ups, Mahomes has the edge over the veteran Brady who comes in at 63.3% and 300.5 yards. And the same advantage is seen for touchdowns with the Chiefs’ man slotting home 11 for Brady’s six.

How important will this be? Few are putting too much merit on it. Instead, a clean slate awaits both greats of the game, and a fresh chapter in Super Bowl history is about to be written.

Artificial crowd noise to give Super Bowl LV atmosphere

NFL will use artificial crowd noise for Sunday’s TV broadcast of Super Bowl LV - a procedure which has been used in almost all sports events during the pandemic. Sportico report that to give the game a more authentic feel, ambient audio from the last Super Bowl to be played in Tampa (Pittsburgh Steelers against Arizona Cardinals in 2009) will be used to boost the noise made by the 20,000-strong crowd at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.

Fifth time in Tampa

This will be the fifth time the Super Bowl has taken place in Tampa, Florida since 1967. The city hosted the Super Bowl in 1984, 1991, 2001 and most recently, in 2009.

Extra security measures in Tampa

At the stadium and behind the scenes, security officials in Tampa are bracing for a daunting range of potential threats to the Super Bowl this year, from Covid-19 and domestic terror attacks to unruly crowds cheering on their home team.

The National Football League championship, which requires security coordination from some 70 local, state and federal agencies, will be played under unprecedented threat conditions with a national domestic terrorism advisory in place following the US Capitol siege on 6 January and the Covid-19 pandemic raging. It will also be the first Super Bowl matchup featuring a team - the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - on its home turf.

Officials have been planning the event's security for a year, according to FBI Special-Agent-in-Charge Michael McPherson, but recent political and public health crises and the cancellation of Super Bowl week events have caused the massive operation to adapt to a shifting threat picture.

Super Bowl LV is classified as a SEAR-1 event by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), meaning it receives the highest level of federal resources, including explosive detection canine teams, cyber risk assessments and air security.

Fresh on their minds is an advisory issued by the DHS last week, which warned of the persistent threat of domestic terror attacks in the US by "violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition."

Chilly forecast

Cool weather expected for those cheering on the Chiefs in Kansas City this weekend with a wind chill factor making it feel even colder. Temperatures by the time the Super Bowl gets underway will be somewhere between 0-10 degrees C although it will be a little warmer in Tampa.

Halftime performers at Super Bowl LV

Jazmine Sullivan and Eric Church will perform the national anthem before the 2021 Super Bowl, the NFL has announced. Also providing musical entertainment will be the very excellent H.E.R. aka Gabriella Wilson (we absolutely love her here at AS English!), who will perform 'America the Beautiful'.

Sack analysis

Since Mahomes took over in 2018 he has been blitzed just 21% - the lowest average for any qualifying quarterback in that time. The hope for the Bucs, as set out in this article, is that blitz and pressure are different AND, "When it comes to facing actual pressure, the Chiefs' superstar passer at least shows some evidence of being an actual mortal."

Super Bowl LV Odds: Buccaneers and Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are three point favourites to win the Super Bowl, with the over-under at 56.5 (that’s from William Hill Sportsbook). The over-under is the prediction of the total points in the match, so if the total points scored is 55 and you bet under, you’re in the money.

QB matchup: the odds are favouring Mahomes over Brady.

Most Passing Yards: Mahomes -165 Brady +133
Longest Completed Pass: Mahomes -182 Brady +145
First Touchdown Pass: Mahomes -143 Brady +115
Most Touchdown Passes: Mahomes -190 Brady +150

If punting’s your thing, the Bucs are +122 for longest punt with the Chiefs -152 favourites. The odds on ‘Most punts’  suggests punters (sorry) again reckon that Brady and co are going to struggle, with the Bucs at -143 and the Chiefs at +115. 

If you like your odds really random, you can bet on the coin toss (we wouldn’t recommend doing this as you KNOW what the real odds are, and clearly you’re not being offered that)

Coin toss outcome: Heads -103 : Tails -103

How the Bucs and the Chiefs got to Super Bowl LV

The Buccaneers

The simple answer to how the Buccaneers got to the Super Bowl is… they signed Tom Brady. Even then they weren’t expected to make it, but they clinched a wildcard to get to the playoffs, finishing second in NFC South and beat Washington 31-23 to make the divisional play-off where they snatched the win over the New Orleans Saints 30-20, scoring an unanswered 17 points to win the game. Brady threw two touchdowns and ran another in.

That took them to the Championship game, where, as major underdogs they faced the Green Pay Packers at Lambeau Field. But Brady was not to be denied his 10th Super Bowl Appearance and despite a somewhat shaky second half, they had done enough in the first half-hour to take them to Super Bowl LV.

The Chiefs

Reigning Super Bowl champions had a solid run through to the Super Bowl. They topped AFC West, winning 14 and losing just two in the regular season, then won their divisional playoff 22-17 against the Cleveland Browns, and beat the Buffalo Bills 38-24 in the Conference Championship match.

Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl uniform

Check out the Chiefs uniform for the Super Bowl. Smart.

NFL

How many times has Tom Brady played the Super Bowl?

Tom Brady’s tenth Super Bowl

There are all number of narratives about the game, but front and centre in any consideration of this match has to be that this is Tom Brady’s TENTH Super Bowl appearance. It’s not just a record, it’s bonkers. Brady took the Patriots to nine Super Bowls. In their entire history the Patriots have been to 11 and no other TEAM has been to as many Super Bowls as Brady. After the Patriots, three teams have been to eight: the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos.

Brady’s record in the Super Bowl isn’t too bad either, winning six and losing three.

Super Bowl XXXVI vs St Louis Rams
Final score: 20-17 Patriots

Super Bowl XXXVIII vs Carolina Panthers
Final score: 32-29 Patriots

Super Bowl XXXIX vs Philadelphia Eagles
Final score: 24-21 Patriots

Super Bowl XLII vs New York Giants
Final score: 17-14 Giants

Super Bowl XLVI vs New York Giants
Final score: 21-17 Giants

Super Bowl XLIX vs Seattle Seahawks
Final score: 28-24 Patriots

Super Bowl LI vs Atlanta Falcons (aka the greatest comeback of all time)
Final score: 34-28 Patriots (OT)

Super Bowl LII vs Philadelphia Eagles
Final score: 41-33 Eagles

Super Bowl LIII vs Los Angeles Rams
Final Score: 13-3 Patriots

Bucs and Chiefs injury report

The Super Bowl is next Sunday - 7 February - but under league rules the teams had to provide injury reports on their roster on Friday as if the game were taking place on Sunday 31 January (it’s not a report this weekend taking into account the extra week, it’s as if the Super Bowl had been this weekend).

Good news for the Buccaneers, nobody has been completely ruled out. The Chiefs have Eric Fisher and Willie Gay listed as out, with achilles and ankle problems respectively.

Full list:

Buccaneers:

R Antonio Brown (knee) – Did Not Participate – DOUBTFUL (That's him in the picture above)

ILB Lavonte David (hamstring) – Did Not Participate – QUESTIONABLE

WR Mike Evans (knee) – Limited Participation

WR Chris Godwin (hip/quad) – Full Participation

DL Steve McLendon (not injury related) – Did Not Participate

OLB Jason Pierre-Paul (knee) – Did Not Participate

NT Vita Vea (ankle) – Limited Participation

S Jordan Whitehead (shoulder/knee) – Did Not Participate – DOUBTFUL

S Antoine Winfield Jr. (ankle) – Did Not Participate – QUESTIONABLE

Chiefs

RB Le'Veon Bell (knee) – Did Not Participate – QUESTIONABLE

RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle/hip) – Full Participation

CB Rashad Fenton (foot) – Full Participation – QUESTIONABLE

T Eric Fisher (Achilles) – Did Not Participate – OUT

LB Willie Gay (ankle) – Did Not Participate – OUT

QB Patrick Mahomes (toe) – Full Participation

OL Mike Remmers (groin) – Limited Participation

CB L'Jarius Snead (concussion) – Limited Participation – QUESTIONABLE

WR Sammy Watkins (calf) – Did Not Participate – QUESTIONABLE

OL Andrew Wylie (ankle) – Full Participation

Super Bowl LV - less than a week to go

Hello and welcome to our rolling coverage of the build-up to Super Bowl LV, where Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers face Patrick Mahomes’ defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs. The action takes place on Sunday, 7 February, with kick-off at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The game is being held at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida - the home ground of the Bucs. This is the first ever time a team is playing at their home ground.

In this live feed you'll get all the latest news on both the Buccaneers and the Chiefs, updates on players and injuries, up-to-the-minute odds, and everything else you need to know to enjoy the Super Bowl.