On February 7, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers obliterated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, earning their second Super Bowl win and Tom Brady’s fifth. In a game more accurately depicted as a massacre, the Bucs outpaced the Chiefs from the start to win 31-9.  

Tampa Bay’s defense outplayed the Chiefs’ offense all night. Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator Todd Bowles utilized two safeties to take away from Tyreek Hill, used linebackers Devin White and Lavonte David to contain Travis Kelce over the middle, and knew that his pass rush could destroy the Chiefs’ weakened offensive line.  

Bowles’ strategies kept Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in check, since he had to run deep into his own backfield to keep plays alive. In fact, Mahomes set a new NFL record—497 yards—for running before making a throw or taking a sack.  

The Bucs clearly had a better game plan, not allowing their defensive line to be penetrated and remaining able to counter anything Kansas City threw at them. The Chiefs also played badly in the first half, dropping passes and allowing a penalty for unnecessary roughness.

Overall, what this Super Bowl proved is Tom Brady’s legendary status as the greatest player of all time. The NFL is a dynasty-driven league, with the salary cap intended to bring in a new era of equality, preventing the extended success of one team or player. Brady built his own dynasty as a player, crushing others on his way, such as the Rams and Seahawks, and now potentially the Chiefs. Playing on a completely different team with a completely different system, Brady was still able to perform and take over the team in the offseason, taking them to the Super Bowl right away. His power as a player, even at 43, is undisputed, and it can be argued that Tom Brady is the greatest athlete of all time even beyond football. Overall, while the Super Bowl may have been easy work for the Bucs, the game proved an important point about Tom Brady’s legacy.