It’ll be close, but the defending champs will get their repeat.

Super Bowl LV is set to pit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against last year’s champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. Every year, speculation goes around as to who will escape with the title this year. Will the newly formed Buccaneers, led by All-Pro quarterback Tom Brady, win in this David and Goliath story? Or will the Chiefs stay strong with the help of Patrick Mahomes and become the eighth team in the NFL to win back to back Super Bowls?

My money is on the latter for a number of reasons. Here’s why I think the Chiefs will be this year’s Super Bowl champions.

Mahomes is having a stronger post-season

Offensive chemistry is imperative when forming a winning team, and the key to an offense’s chemistry is the quarterback. On paper, Mahomes and Brady are pretty similar. Mahomes has Brady beat in pass completion and total yards. Brady isn’t that far behind Mahomes in either area, but the glaring blemish on his record is his 15 interceptions compared to Mahomes’ 6. 

Three of Brady’s 15 interceptions came in the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers. Having watched Brady before, I’m aware he has his bad days; however, consistency is key in the postseason. You could throw a beautiful Hail Mary in the fourth quarter to win one game, but if you can’t do that every game, you can’t guarantee a championship.

Mahomes has been much more consistent throughout the playoffs, having one of the top two overall ratings out of all quarterbacks in the divisional rounds and conference championships. Brady wasn’t in the top two for either of those playoff stipulations. Brady is no doubt a great player, but he will have to step it up as Mahomes has a  rock-solid offense and defense on the Chiefs.

The Chiefs have better team chemistry

Yes, Brady is playing with his old Patriots teammate Rob Gronkowski on the Bucs, but this year’s Buccaneers are still gelling together. Eventually, this will end up being a good thing for the Bucs in future seasons. As their bond grows, so will their success. 

The Chiefs have already put that extra time into working as a team. While they did have people come and go, many players from last year’s roster remained on the Chiefs’ 53-man team. They know what to expect during a Super Bowl. More than that, the Chiefs know what to expect from each other in the Super Bowl. The pressure likely won’t get to Brady since this is his 10th Super Bowl appearance, but the confidence of one man is nowhere near as strong as a team that knows they can win. The Chiefs have done it before and are looking to do it again. 

I know I’ve been talking a lot about Brady, but that’s because…

Without Brady, the Bucs aren’t all that

Last year, the Brady-less Bucs had a record of 7-9. This year, after picking up one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, they went 11-5. It’s pretty clear that Brady has done wonders for the Bucs, so it’ll come down to the Chiefs’ defense.

The defenses in this Super Bowl will be as competitive as ever. While the Bucs have a better defensive record this season, the Chiefs weren’t far behind. No team has a significant defensive edge over one another, meaning it’ll come down to strategy.

The strategy is simple: neutralize Brady. That’s the strategy for every defense, but by removing Brady from the play or limiting his passing options, the Bucs will suffer more than the average team. 

Overall, this Super Bowl is the experience of Tom Brady versus the experience of an entire team that has won before. While both teams are talented, I’m putting my money on the team that’s already proven that they can win, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Check out ZUNews’ other prediction piece here, where we share why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be the favorites