The Shenoa Report
February 7, 2021
Super Bowl LV
The 2020 season of the NFL will go down in history as one of the strangest, most unprecedented seasons of all time. It will be known as the Pandemic Season. Many players opted out before the season even started, we had a virtual draft, no preseason, and I was sure there wouldn’t be any playoffs let alone a Super Bowl. Even the Pro-Bowl was virtual. But here we are and Super Bowl 55 will kick off this Sunday. Some of the fans in attendance will have been vaccinated, all fans will have to wear masks, and there will be more empty seats than filled seats for the first time in Super Bowl history. The only normal thing about this game will be Tom Brady, because of course he has made it to the Super Bowl again. How did he get there? Let’s recap the Conference Championship.
Buccaneers @ Packers 31-26
The Packers never led in this game, and even though the score was close, it didn’t look, or feel like a close game. Late in the 4th the Packers had a chance to tie the game, needing only a touchdown and the two point conversion. After three straight incompletions, on fourth and goal they kicked the field goal, instead of relying on Aaron Rodgers to get it done. Unfortunately, the Packers never got the ball back and lost by 5. Ironically it was the Packers defense that had kept the game close, picking off Brady 3 times on three straight drives, it was the offense that couldn’t get it together. It was a truly disappointing game, and one in which I got the pick wrong. The Bucs are heading to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2003.
Bills @ Chiefs 24-38
Sorry Bills fans. It was a good run. Maybe next year? The Bills started off really strong taking an early 9-0 lead after Mecole Hardman’s muffed punt. But the Chiefs bounced back with the Patrick Mahomes / Travis Kelce duo. Kelce had two touchdowns on the day and the Chiefs defense picked apart Josh Allen and the Bills offense. I think there are two Josh Allen’s and the young inexperienced one showed up during the game. It was the same Josh Allen who played against the Chiefs earlier in the season. He just didn’t make good decisions. Instead of extending plays he took too many sacks for so many lost yards. It was hard to watch. I was sad for the Bills, but happy for the Chiefs. I will say that the Bills players have a lot of heart and passion for the game. With under 4 minutes to go in the game a fight broke out on the field after a Josh Allen sack (shocking). The defender, Alex Okafor, finished the play and a very frustrated Josh Allen pitched the ball in Okafor’s face. Offensive linemen Jon Feliciano and Dion Dawkins rushed to Allen’s defense and leveled Okafor, hilarity, fighting, and penalties ensued. So, the reigning Super Bowl Champion Chiefs are headed to the Super Bowl again.
Sunday, February 7th
Super Bowl LV
Chiefs VS Buccaneers
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida
Vegas line: Chiefs -3 (O/U 56) as of Saturday afternoon
National Anthem: Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan
Kickoff: 6:30pm
TV announcers: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, Evan Washburn, Jay Feely and Gene Steratore
Halftime show: The Weeknd
Cost of a 30-second commercial: $5.5 million. The economic impact of COVID-19 has prompted some brands to skip the game. For instance, you will not see a Budweiser commercial at all for the first time ever. Budweiser donated the airtime it purchased to the Ad Council for public service announcements regarding COVID-19 vaccination.
Super Bowl 55 will be televised nationally on CBS & ESPN Deportes.
There will be seven officials for the game and each official will have an alternate, because of, you know. Carl Cheffers is the Referee and Sarah Thomas (Down Judge) will be the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl!
This is the 11th Super Bowl write up from the Shenoa Report and the first year I won’t host or go to a Super Bowl party. It doesn’t even feel like the Super Bowl is this Sunday as I write the final report for the 2020 season.
This Super Bowl will be the first one where one of the teams will have home field advantage. It’s really just another home game for the Buccaneers. They can practice in their facility all week, they don’t have to travel, and they can sleep in their own beds. They definitely have the advantage. In the age of COVID-19, the Chiefs were not able to travel the normal week to 10 days before the big game to get acclimated. Instead they arrived on Thursday, just 4 days before the game. The Chiefs have no choice but to treat this game as any away game.
The “home” team alternates between the two conferences annually, and it’s the NFC’s year to be the home team, so it’s just coincidence that the Bucs actually are the “home” team, they could’ve been the “away” team if it was an even year. As the designated home team, the Buccaneers elected to wear their white jerseys with pewter pants. The Chiefs will wear their red jerseys with white pants. The league is treating this as a neutral site game, and will not allow the Buccaneers to fire the stadium’s signature cannons like they normally do after every touchdown and other big plays, so there’s that.
I’ll be rooting for and picking the Chiefs to win their second Super Bowl appearance. 1st reason- I like the Chiefs. 2nd reason- Patrick Mahomes was my starting quarterback in fantasy all season. 3rd reason- I already have a KC t-shirt from last year's game. 4th reason- I don’t like Tom Brady and will not cheer for any team that he is under center.
That pretty much covers it. Just for fun, if I were betting the Vegas line, I don't think KC will cover the spread but I would take the over. GOOOOOOOO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for reading #theshenoareport ! Until next season….
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