The story of Super Bowl LV is one Chiefs fans probably won’t want to revisit, at least for some time. While last year’s big game brought us Jet Chip Wasp, this game felt more like a barrage of wasp stings: startling, scarring, hopefully short-lived. 9-31 is an ugly combination of numbers, especially when the 31 doesn’t come first.
The score tells us the result, but it doesn’t speak to the moments, the heart of the game, the time-splices that told the story of Super Bowl LV. So, let’s dive into the impactful plays that played a big role in the disappointing outcome. As the Chiefs found themselves with little margin for error, a handful of miscues made it even tougher sledding for the Chiefs to pull out a win.
Below, I’ve presented some of the most consequential plays in this years Super Bowl. Unfortunately, a 9-31 loss will be defined by mostly blunders. That part just comes with the territory, I’m afraid.
1. Niemann’s hold and Townsend’s shank
(9:09 – 2nd Quarter) 4th & 16 at KC 9
Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend has 3 punts tonight so far for just 107 yards and 1 touchback.
— Spectrum Sports 360 (@SpecSports360) February 8, 2021
This short 29-yard punt gives the Bucs a short field at the KC 38 yard line.#SBLV | #GoBucs | #BN9SBLV https://t.co/HyxGSszgmN
Down 7-3 following an impressive goal-line stand, the Chiefs were situated at their own 1-yard line. After a 14-yard completion to Tyreek Hill, the offense looked like it had found a spark. But the drive stalled after a couple of incompletions, including a tough miss between Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce (see below). Rookie punter Tommy Townsend booted the ball away, but the play was called back thanks to a holding call.
Townsend punted again, this time from inside the end zone. Townsend, unfortunately, shanked the punt. The errant kick went only 29 yards and set up the Bucs in phenomenal field position. Tampa Bay marched the short 38 yards and punched the ball in for a touchdown.
This play felt like a microcosm of the game, on some level: A penalty negates an effective play, and a big mistake follows. The combination of a penalty and shanked punt resulted in a net gain of 32 yards (From the TB 30 to the KC 38) in field position for the Bucs. While I’m not confident the Chiefs defense would have stopped the Bucs sans penalty, a 32-yard flip thanks to a penalty and shoddy punts a pretty massive change in field position, surely making it a bit easier for the Bucs to score on their drive.