The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. The Chiefs have a 9-1 record but have struggled in their last two games, winning by close margins over the Carolina Panthers and the Las Vegas Raiders via scores of 33-31 and 35-31, respectively. For their part, the Buccaneers struggled in their 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football in a game where Brady completed just 26 of 48 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.
Despite Brady’s struggles, the Chiefs expect Brady to be at his best when they face off on Sunday, with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo saying that he won’t leave anything to chance.
Reid says Brady not showing his age
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shared Spagnuolo’s sentiment, saying it’s hard to tell that the 43-year-old Brady is old, looking at his overall performance this season and with the 7-4 Buccaneers already surpassing their wins total last season. In a report by the Associated Press, Reid said Brady’s performance is a tribute to how he takes care of himself, “from diet to workout and everything.” Chiefs also called Brady unbelievable, a great player, and a Hall of Fame. “We’re lucky enough to have a chance to be in this era where we get to play him,” Reid stressed.
Mathieu claims Chiefs will have their hands full vs. Brady
For Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, he believes that Kansas City shouldn’t take anything away from Brady, whom he called as a very smart. Mathieu said the Chiefs would have their hands full because Brady has many weapons, particularly wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown.
Mathieu is familiar with the Buccaneers’ coaching staff as he played for Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians with the Arizona Cardinals for five seasons. He also had a chance to work with current Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Todd Bowles from 2013-2014 in Arizona, per Charles Goldman of USA Today.
Earlier, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, despite his recent Super Bowl LIV win, said he’s still not on the level of Brady, whom he described as a “global star.” The two quarterbacks split their two regular-season meetings, but Brady has the biggest win so far after leading the New England Patriots to an AFC title win over the Chiefs in 2018.
The Chiefs have entered the week as a four-point favorite over the Buccaneers.
Buccaneers make a roster move
According to a Luke Easterling report, the Buccaneers made several rosters moves ahead of their clash with the Chiefs. The Buccaneers placed veteran offensive lineman A.Q. Shipley on injured reserve after he suffered a potentially career-ending neck injury. Tampa Bay also activated reserve linebacker Jack Cichy after spending six weeks on injured reserve and elevated cornerback Herb Miller and rookie offensive lineman John Molchon from the practice squad to the active roster. The Buccaneers placed defensive lineman Vita Vea, who was out for the season with a leg injury, on the NFL’s Reserve/COVID-19 list.
