It really happened Bucs fans. Your team ended an unbelievable season with a 31-9 victory over the Chiefs to secure the team’s second world championship.
Below are the most impressive Bucs on the offensive side of the ball.
QB Tom Brady
The GOAT delivered in near perfect form on Sunday. Tom Brady, who now has seven Super Bowl wins, was virtually flawless going 21-of-29 for 201 yards, three touchdowns and a QB rating of 125.8. It can’t be underestimated what Brady has meant to the entire organization – from the players to the grounds crew to the person sweeping the halls. The Brady effect is real and without Brady’s leadership – and stellar play – this season a Lombardi Trophy doesn’t happen in 2020.
TE Rob Gronkowski
With his second touchdown reception of the game, Rob Gronkowksi and Brady set an NFL record with 14 touchdown connections in the Super Bowl, surpassing Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. While all the pre-game talk was about the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, and rightfully so (10 catches for 133 yards) it was the old man Gronkowski who was the focal point of Brady on Sunday night. Brady slipped on his favorite pair of blue jeans and the duo traveled back in time and rekindled the magic that has made the two so special. On the night, Gronkowski finished with six receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns.
RB Leonard Fournette and RB Ronald Jones II
It is hard to decide who had the better game as both Jones and Fournette were dominant at times behind an offensive line that eventually sucked the will out of the Chiefs’ defense. The two combined for 150 yards on the ground and Fournette added 46 as a receiver plus a touchdown. The ability of the two to keep the chains moving and keep Patrick Mahomes on the sidelines was crucial in the Buccaneers notching the win. Fournette had 89 yards on the ground and Jones added 61.
Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich
When you look at the final stats and only see 340 yards of total offense, you might assume the play-calling wasn’t up to par considering the weapons on the Bucs offense. Yet, this game may have been Leftwich’s best of his career. His commitment to the run was a huge key in the Bucs win and every three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust call was another chunk of time off the clock keeping Mahomes on the sideline. And even with only 340 yards the Buccaneers still came away with 31 points. Leftwich has really grown as a coordinator in just his second full-time season on the headset and deserves a lot of the credit for making all the pieces fit and work all season long.
Buccaneers Offensive Line
145 yards on the ground and just one sack all game is really all that needs to be said about this unit. I wrote early last year that the Bucs offense will only go as far as the offensive line takes them, and it took them to eight straight wins and the team’s second Super Bowl win.
WR Mike Evans
Seeing Evans name on the most impressive list may seem odd on the surface, but the Bucs leading receiver in 2020 was a big part of the offense despite only officially recording one catch for 31 yards. Evans drew at least three penalties in the game giving the Bucs first downs each time and extended drives. Sometimes a player’s value in the game doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but should still be recognized.