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SUPER BOWL LV PREVIEW FACTS & FIGURES BATTLE AT STAKE National Football League Championship for FOR THE PATRICK the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Chiefs are MAHOMES seeking their third trophy and second in a row after a 50-year drought; the Buccaneers are seeking their second trophy to go with TOM the one they hoisted after the 2002 season. BRADY KICKOFF Sunday, Feb. 7, at 5:30 p.m. Central SAUPERSTAGR QBs BRAEDY, MAHSOMES PARTICIPANTS Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC) and TO FACE OFF IN SUPER BOWL LV Kansas City Chiefs (AFC). This is the fourth appearance for the Chiefs (2-1), who lost to BY ARNIE STAPLETON the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl 1 in AP Pro Football Writer regulation was negated by Dee Ford’s 2007, five years after winning their only 1967, then beat Minnesota in Super Bowl 4 in 1970. It took them 50 years to get back but offsides penalty when he lined up in the Super Bowl. they beat San Francisco in Super Bowl 54 last om Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes. neutral zone. Brady went on to lead the Moreover, Brady had to adjust to head year in Miami. The Buccaneers (1-0) are making The ageless quadragenarian Patriots past the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in coach Bruce Arians, offensive coordina- their second appearance. They beat the Oak- quarterback and the magnificent Super Bowl 53. tor Byron Leftwich and his new team- land Raiders in Super Bowl 37. Tmillennial are the superstar attractions in Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he appreci- mates save for old buddy Rob Gron- VENUE Super Bowl 55 at Raymond James Stadium, ated Brady coming into the Chiefs’ locker kowski without the benefit of a normal Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla., home the pinnacle of the NFL’s pandemic season room after the conference championship to offseason because of COVID-19. to the Buccaneers, the first team ever to play marked by Zoom calls, juggled schedules, console a young Mahomes, who never got Despite some early stumbles, Brady led a Super Bowl in its home stadium. This is the nasal swabs and mandated masks. his hands on the ball in overtime. third Super Bowl at Raymond James and fifth Mahomes is the defending Super Bowl “He talked to Patrick, and Patrick re- his star-studded cast that included wide in Tampa. MVP who will become the only quarterback sponded like a young guy would respond to receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown, running backs Ronald SEATING CAPACITY to start two Super Bowls by age 25. He’ll the G.O.A.T.,” said Reid, using the sobriquet The stadium seats 65,000 normally and is try to secure a second straight title for the that stands for “greatest of all time.” Jones and Leonard Fournette and tight ends expandable to 75,000 but attendance will be Kansas City Chiefs (16-2), who ended a Mahomes said Brady’s gesture meant the Gronkowski and Cameron Brate to an 11-5 limited to 22,000 because of the pandemic record and a return to the playoffs. with 7,500 tickets going to healthcare workers half-century drought last year with a furious world to him. who have received the COVID-19 vaccine. fourth-quarter rally to beat San Francisco in “He just kind of re-emphasized that I was A 1-5 mark against teams that reached the Super Bowl 54. doing things the right way, that I was put- playoffs made the Bucs a longshot to win the HALFTIME SHOW A week after beating scrappy Cleveland ting in the right work and that I would have George Halas Trophy as the NFC’s champ, The Weeknd (yes, that’s spelled 22-17 in the divisional round for their more opportunities to be in these games,” but behind a terrific defense and Brady’s correctly) will perform in his first Super Bowl halftime show. The eighth consecutive victory by six points or Mahomes recounted. “I’ve been lucky steady leadership on offense Tampa Bay Canadian singer-songwriter is a less, the cardiac Chiefs earned a return trip enough to be in two more of them since and joined the 1985 Patriots, 2005 Steelers, 2007 three-time Grammy winner whose giv- to the Super Bowl by rolling over the Buffalo win both of those.” Giants and 2010 Packers as the only teams en name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye. Billboard Bills 38-24 in the AFC championship. Now Mahomes gets another crack at named his song“Blinding Lights”as the No. 1 to reach a Super Bowl by winning three road song of 2020. Brady is seeking his record seventh ring beating Brady with the Lombardi Trophy on playoff games. but first with Tampa Bay after leading the the line. The Bucs dispatched Washington 31-23 NATIONAL ANTHEM Buccaneers (14-5) to their first NFC title in The superstars separated by 18 years, one and New Orleans 30-20 before beating the Country artist Eric 18 years. It’s his first Super Bowl without Bill month and 14 days have split four previous Church and R&B vocalist Belichick, whom he teamed up with in New matchups, with Mahomes winning the last Packers for their eighth consecutive road Jazmine Sullivan with sing England to make nine Super Bowl appear- two: 23-16 over New England in 2019 and win. “The Star Spangled Banner.” Now, they’re the first team that won’t have ances over two decades of dominance in the 27-24 in Week 12 at Tampa Bay. FIRST FEMALE AFC. Brady is playing in his 10th Super Bowl to hit the road for the Super Bowl. SUPER BOWL OFFICIAL In beating Green Bay 31-26 in the NFC of a 21-year career and not only can he “That’s the scary thing about having the Down judge Sarah Thomas will become championship at Lambeau Field behind strengthen his claim as the greatest QB in Super Bowl at home — we’ve been playing the first woman ever to officiate a Super Bowl. She also was the first woman to offi- Brady’s three touchdown passes and Shaq history by winning one without Belichick, so good on the road,” said Arians. ciate a major college football game before Barrett’s three sacks of Aaron Rodgers, the he can join his pal and one-time rival Pey- This is Arians’ first Super Bowl appear- being hired by the NFL in 2015. “Her elite Bucs became the first team to get to play a ton Manning as the only starting quarter- ance as a head coach at age 68. performance and commitment to Super Bowl in their home stadium. backs to win Super Bowls with two different “I don’t think about what it means for excellence has earned her the “That’s not where history has to end,” teams. right to officiate the Super Bowl,” me,” Brady said. “I do think about what it said Troy Vincent, the NFL’s ex- Barrett said. “We could be the first team to Manning won Super Bowl 41 with the means for everyone else.” ecutive vice president of football win it, as well, and that’s the key.” Indianapolis Colts and Super Bowl 50 in Like Arians, a three-time cancer survivor operations. Carl Cheffers, a 21-year veteran At 43, Brady will be the oldest player at his fourth and final season with the Denver who stepped down as Arizona’s coach in NFL official, will referee his second Super any position to play in the Super Bowl. Broncos a month before he retired. Bowl. He also was in charge during Super 2017 and came out of retirement two years Bowl 51 in 2017, when Brady and the Patriots Mahomes and Brady have squared off Brady faded down the stretch in his final overcame a 25-point deficit and beat the four times before, including once in the season with the Patriots in 2019 but his de- ago, leading the Bucs to a 7-9 record in 2019 before Brady’s momentous arrival. Falcons in the biggest comeback and first playoffs. parture from New England and subsequent overtime game in Super Bowl history. That was in the AFC championship at signing with Tampa Bay stunned the NFL. “There were times when I never thought Arrowhead Stadium two years ago when the While Brady had led the Patriots to 17 it would happen,” Arians said. “I never GAME COVERAGE thought I would get a head coaching job. Game can be watched on CBS television Patriots won 37-31 in overtime. AFC East titles in 18 seasons as a starter (he affiliates and on the CBS All Access app. Mahomes nearly prevailed that night but was a backup as a rookie and suffered a sea- After the cancer scare in Arizona, sitting out Charvarius Ward’s game-sealing intercep- son-ending knee injury in the 2008 opener), that year and coming back, this has been the tion of Brady’s pass in the final minute of the Bucs hadn’t reached the playoffs since most rewarding year of coaching in my life.” CONTENT BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.