By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
Super Bowl 55 is so full of compelling storylines, it could fill a season of TV programming.
Tom Brady is going for his seventh ring in his 10th Super Bowl with his second team.
Patrick Mahomes, the apparent heir to the quarterbacking summit, is seeking a second straight title with Kansas City — something no team has done since Brady led New England to the double in the ‘03 and ’04 seasons.
Brady's new team, the Buccaneers, happen to call Tampa home. As in, Tampa, Florida, where the Super Bowl is being played this year.
The Buccaneers become the first team in NFL history to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Brady is happy to stay in his new home, but he’s been solely focused on what Kansas City brings to the table.
"They're explosive," Brady said of the Chiefs. "We're going to have to score points. We're not going to shut them out - I know that. They're going to gain plenty of yards and I'm sure they're going to score points. We just have to be able to match it. We're going up against an explosive defense.
"That's why they're in this game. They're one of the great teams in the NFL."
On the flipside, Andy Reid can still remember when his Eagles battled Brady in Super 39 back in 2004.
Fast forward 17 years, Reid says Brady looks, well, pretty much the same as he did then.
"He's a special guy," Reid said. "He's done a great job keeping himself football young. His arm is still alive. His will to win is alive, and he's been fun to watch through the years."
Mahomes joked early in the week that the first time he remembers watching Brady play was "Sept. 17, 1995," the day he was born.
"He's been around for awhile," Mahomes smiled.
Indeed, Brady is only seven years younger than Mahomes' father, Pat. Needless to say, Mahomes relishes the opportunity to once again go head-to-head against one of the best.
"I grew up watching him play," Mahomes said of Brady. "He's still here playing, and he's still at the top of the game. I continue to watch what he does on and off the field in order to figure out the best way to make me the best player possible."
Brady and Mahomes have split their first four meetings as NFL quarterbacks, with Mahomes winning the most recent one in Tampa on Nov. 29, 27-24.
When it comes to judging the best quarterbacks of all, Brady has been in that discussion for some time. Mahomes has been quickly solidifying his legacy among the greats. Yet, all of these great quarterbacks seem to have at least one deficiency.
If it’s pocket passers like Brady or Peyton Manning, they may not be the most mobile.
If it’s deadeye accurate QBs like Brees and Joe Montana, they might lack the elite arm strength.
Or strong-armed throwers like Elway or Favre weren’t always the most accurate.
For others, the missing ingredient might be decision-making, poise or leadership. But that’s what makes Mahomes so special - there’s really nothing he isn’t good at.
Brady has seen and recognized his counterpart's extraordinary ability.
"He's got a great maturity about him," Brady said of Mahomes. "He's a great leader, has great charisma. I think it says a lot when the players he plays with says great things about him."
If Mahomes hopes to beat Brady a third time, chances are he’ll look toward Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. As one would expect.
In the Chiefs' two playoff games, Mahomes and backup Chad Henne threw to either Hill or Kelce for 47 of the 75 pass attempts - more than 62% of the time. They’ve combined for 509 yards in the postseason, with Kelce having three touchdown catches.
Mahomes says he doesn't play favorites - they’re just that good.
"I'm never someone that chooses who I'm throwing to," Mahomes said. "I just throw it to whoever's open. Those guys have been getting open, and I've been getting them the ball, and I'm sure the Bucs have seen that as well, and they'll have a game plan to slow those guys down and we'll have to adjust to that."
One thing the Chiefs have adjusted well to is playing away from home.
Yes, Tampa gets a home game for the Super Bowl, but the Chiefs are a perfect 8-0 away from Arrowhead this season.
Kelce says once the ball is kicked off, none of that will really matter.
"Everybody is going to be fired up, geared up, ready to go for this one," Kelce said. "It doesn't matter if it's home or away. Both sides, both teams are going to be locked in and doing everything they can to win the football game."
While it's not fully normal yet, Sunday's Super Bowl will at least feel a little more normal with about 25,000 fans inside Raymond James Stadium.
One reason the stadium won't be empty is because Kansas City proved it was possible to have people at the game safely.
The Chiefs hosted the Houston Texans in the kickoff to the season on Sept. 10. They had a plan from the start for about 22 percent capacity — or 17,000 fans — for each game at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs never experienced an outbreak traced back to their fans. Team president Mark Donovan says they are proud, having been the first, and last team, to host fans safely, before the Super Bowl.
"The pride we have as an organization for what we were able to do this year, and hosting the last playoff game before the Super Bowl, and sort of be able to close that window, and do it successfully...that'll be a memory I share around here for a long, long time."
The Chiefs and Buccaneers kick off in Super Bowl 55 on Sunday at 5:30 central. The game will be carried on KFEQ (680 AM, 95.3 FM) and Q Country 92.7 FM in St. Joseph.
You can can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.