The Bucs and Chiefs go head-to-head for the first time since their Super Bowl LV matchup two seasons ago. One player who in particular is looking forward to the rematch is outside linebacker Shaq Barrett, who feasted on the grandest stage of them all.

Every Bucs fan knows how Tampa Bay’s 31-9 Super Bowl victory happened. Although quarterback Tom Brady won the Super Bowl MVP honors, it was the Bucs defense that led the way by preventing the Chiefs from reaching the end zone all game. Barrett was one of the main components of stifling the Chiefs defense with one sack and a career-high 11 pressures.

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Barrett took advantage of the Chiefs having backup tackles Mike Remmers and Andrew Wylie, as the starters due to injuries across the offensive line. Surely, two years later when both 2-1 teams face off again this week on Sunday Night Football that things would be different, right?

Not exactly, according to Barrett. Wylie is still starting for the Chiefs at right tackle while Orlando Brown, Jr. is on the left side. While much has changed since the last time these two teams met, but the offensive line isn’t one of them from Barrett’s viewpoint.

“I really don’t  think it’s too much of a difference,” Barrett said. “I think we have a lot of favorable matchups, I think we have an opportunity to really dominate the game. We just really have an opportunity to really impose our will as pass rushers, edge rushers this game. We can really have a coming out party. I know we had six sacks the other game [against the Saints], but we can really have a coming out party as a position group this game.”

Bucs Prepare For Mahomes

The Bucs are tied for third in the NFL with 11 sacks on the season. Getting to the quarterback hasn’t been an issue and they’ve spread it around the whole unit. Inside linebacker Devin White leads with three, Barrett is next with two. Vita Vea comes in third with 1.5 sacks and there are five other Bucs that have either recorded a sack or half sack.

Bucs OLB Shaquil Barrett and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes – Photo by: USA Today

Tampa Bay’s defense harassed Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, which never allowed the talented quarterback to settle in. He was running all over the field just to avoid getting sacks. To the Chiefs’ credit, they’ve only been sacked two times all season and that’s tied for lowest in the league. Mahomes’ escapability plays into it, and Barrett knows they have to make sure they take him down on the first hit before he can get out of the pocket.

“We know that hopefully, we won’t have to cover for a long time because the pressure is getting in,” Barrett said. “He’s a playmaker, he’s going to make guys miss and he’s going to extend plays and try to make a play, so we just have to limit that as much as possible. It’s hard to cover people for five, six seconds no matter who you are, no matter what caliber DB you are and we have a lot of great ones on our team. It’d be good to just get him on the ground when we get a first opportunity and not miss, if we don’t let him make us miss, it’ll help our defense out a lot.”