Super Bowl 55: Opening Night Predictions and Schedule for Chiefs vs. Buccaneers

Super Bowl Week is finally here. As the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers prepare to face off in the most important game of the year, fans are getting ready too.

Fans won't just have to sit and wait for the game to come to them, though. There are plenty of events to take in during the coming days. While Super Bowl Week will be largely virtual because o the coronavirus pandemic, you can still follow along at home.

Super Bowl Opening Night—previously known as Media Day—will still take place in its usual Monday slot, while the NFL Honors will still be a thing. According to Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, "Radio Row" will still take place during Super Bowl Week.

"About 35 stations or podcasts are expected at Radio Row next week in Tampa Convention Center ahead of Super Bowl LV, which NFL VP/Communications Brian McCarthy said is about a third of the usual crowd. Those outlets on hand will fill the available space due to social-distancing protocols," Fischer wrote.

For many fans watching and listening from a distance, Super Bowl Week will feel normal. And, of course, the game itself will be played—unlike the Pro Bowl.

Here's a look at the schedule for Super Bowl Week along with some predictions and top storylines.

Super Bowl Week 2021 Schedule

2021 Super Bowl Opening Night

Date: Monday, February 1

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: NFL Network

NFL Honors

Date: February 6

TV: CBS

Super Bowl LV

When: February 7, 2021

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: CBS, CBS All Access

Line and Over/Under: KC -3.5, 56.5

Prediction: Kansas City 31, Tampa Bay 28

*From DraftKings Sportsbook (odds correct at the time of writing)

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Aaron Rodgers is Likely MVP

Though Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't make it to the Super Bowl, he may still take home some hardware this week. According to Nick Shook of NFL.com in December 2020, 10 candidates have emerged for the regular-season MVP award, with Rodgers leading the pack.

Seeing as how Rodgers passed for 4,299 yards with 48 touchdowns and just five interceptions this season—and rushed for three more scores—the award is probably his to lose.

Other worthy candidates include Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara.

While plenty of players had terrific seasons in 2020, our guess is that Rodgers takes home this one during the NFL Honors.

Tom Brady Continues to Make History

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is also an MVP candidate. However, he's unquestionably more interested in winning on Sunday than on Saturday. Brady is about to play in the 10th Super Bowl of his career—and his first away from the New England Patriots.

Brady is also 43 years old, a remarkable feat given the limited career span of pro athletes and NFL players especially.

Brady's career arc can be viewed as an ultimate goal—both for young NFL players like Mahomes and for aging stars looking to continue winning:

Brady was already won six Lombardi Trophies and has been named Super Bowl MVP four times. Mahomes has just one Super Bowl title and one Super Bowl MVP on his resume, but he's also only been a full-time starter for three seasons.

Injuries Could Loom Large in Super Bowl LV

As for the game itself, it's going to be a fun battle between well-balanced teams. However, talent alone isn't going to win Super Bowl LV. Injuries—and specifically, two big ones along the Kansas City offensive line—are going to play a factor.

The Chiefs will be without starting left tackle Eric Fisher, who suffered a torn Achilles in the AFC title game. They're also unlikely to have starting right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, who has been out since Week 6 with a back injury.

Against Tampa's fearsome defensive front, that could prove costly.

"That loss of Fisher is, I think a really, really big deal, this time of year," former NFL quarerback Jordan Palmer said, per Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star.

The good news for Chiefs fans is that Mahomes is one of the best in the business at buying time in the pocket and turning disaster into a positive play. Watching Mahomes battle Brady will be fun, but the 25-year-old versus the Buccaneers defense will be the real game-within-a-game on Sunday.

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