After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South) defeated the Green Bay Packers, 31-26, on January 26, the Bucs will be the first team in NFL history to play in the Super Bowl in their home stadium. In Super Bowl LV, Tampa Bay will face off against current national champion Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West). 

Tampa Bay will be in the Super Bowl this year for the first time since they last won it in 2003. Although the Bucs’ newest addition quarterback, Tom Brady, has done much of the work in getting the team there. Brady is well-known for leading his former team, the New England Patriots, to ten Super Bowls, six of which he won. 

“You know it’s been a long process for the whole team and today was just a great team effort,” he said to Fox’s Tom Rinaldi after his win against the Packers. “We played sporadically a little bit but the defense came up huge and we’re gonna need it again in a couple weeks. I know it’s a big game coming up. We’ll get to enjoy this for a little bit and then get ready to go against whoever we play. It’s gonna be a great game.” 

But Super Bowl Sunday will be no walk in the park for the Buccaneers. Reigning champs, the Chiefs, who defeated the Buffalo Bills 38-24 for the AFC Champion title, are ready for a back-to-back win. 

“The work’s never done. You could always work to get better as a team, so that’s what we’re going to do here in the next couple of weeks. We’re playing a heck of a football team in the Buccaneers,” QB Patrick Mahomes stated in the press briefing after the victory of the Bills.

As far as predictions go, it’s a close call. But with Tampa Bay’s record at 11-5 and Kansas City at 14-2, and the fact that during a regular season game the Chiefs beat the Bucs 27-24, the Chiefs are favored to win. Although, a Super Bowl with an unprecedented home team advantage may be a large factor as well. And in an unprecedented time such as this, anything can happen.