Well, that was something, wasn’t it? After a long season of delayed games and late starts, the 2020-2021 NFL season finally came to a close last night at the fifty-fifth annual Super Bowl. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Florida yesterday, playing in front of a limited crowd of about 25,000 people and an army of cardboard cutouts. However, many casual and hardcore fans alike were left disappointed. To be blunt, the game was surprisingly uneventful and a blowout. 

Going into the game, both teams had an impressive season. The Bucs had their best run since 2003 after picking up legendary quarterback Tom Brady, along with tight end Rob Gronkowski who came out of retirement last year. The Chiefs, on the other hand, were coming off of a Super Bowl win in 2020, led by rising star Patrick Mahomes, only dropping two games during the regular season. Notably, the Chiefs also defeated Tampa Bay in the regular season. Naturally, a rematch should have been an exciting event. 

In the first half, the Chiefs’ offense noticeably struggled against the Bucs’ defense. Mahomes was under constant pressure for the majority of the game leaving Chiefs fans to question where his protection was. Due to this, the only way the Chiefs were able to put points on the board were via field goals from kicker Harrison Butker. With the help of the Buccaneers’ outstanding defense, Brady threw four touchdowns last night, three of which happened before the flashy halftime show performed by The Weeknd. 

The second half slowed down even more. Another touchdown and a field goal cemented the Buccaneers’ lead and victory. Although the Chiefs displayed signs of life in the last quarter, Mahomes’ lack of defense prevented the team from capitalizing and the quarter went scoreless for both teams. The final score was 31-9.

The uneventfulness of the game should not take away from the Bucs’ feat, however. This is a major accomplishment for both the organization and all of the members of the team. Not only did Tom Brady earn his seventh championship ring and his fifth MVP title, the Bucs also won their second Super Bowl ever. Head coach of the Buccaneers, Bruce Arians, also became the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl at age 68. And it was all done over a year full of challenges. Both teams should be proud of themselves for overcoming the difficulties of playing during a pandemic. Hopefully, by the time the 2021-2022 NFL season begins, the world will be on its way back to normal.