Super Bowl 55: Winner, Final Box Score Predictions for Chiefs vs. Buccaneers

Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill produced the best games of their respective seasons in the first meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Mahomes torched the Tampa Bay secondary for a season-high 462 yards, 269 of which were earned by Hill on his way to a three-touchdown game. 

Since the Week 12 contest, the Buccaneers defense has made plenty of adjustments to thwart some of the best offensive players in the NFL. 

Tampa's loss to Kansas City marked a third concession of over 400 total yards in a four-game span, but since that defeat, it has not allowed any of its six opponents to reach 400.

The key to Tampa Bay's success has been its pass rush, which could take advantage of left tackle Eric Fisher's absence on the offensive line and get to Mahomes on a few occasions. 

But if Kansas City is able to game-plan properly for its weakness on that side of the O-line, it could achieve more success versus the Tampa Bay defense. 

Super Bowl 55 Box Score Predictions

Patrick Mahomes: 27-of-35, 290 yards, 3 TD

Tom Brady: 25-of-38, 285 yards, 2 TD

Leonard Fournette: 15 carries, 72 yards, TD

Clyde Edwards-Helaire: 10 carries, 45 yards

Travis Kelce: 10 catches, 115 yards, 2 TD

Tyreek Hill: 8 catches, 95 yards, TD

Mike Evans: 4 catches, 50 yards

Chris Godwin: 7 catches, 80 yards, TD

Projected Winner

Kansas City 34, Tampa Bay 27

In Week 12, Mahomes eluded Tampa Bay's pass rush and worked the ball downfield with ease to Hill. Mahomes likely will not reach the 400-yard mark through the air again, but he should put up solid numbers. 

In Super Bowl 54, Mahomes totaled 286 passing yards off 26 completions from 42 pass attempts. He had three touchdown passes to beat the San Francisco 49ers. The Super Bowl champion has three or more scoring throws in four of his seven postseason appearances. 

Tampa Bay can attempt to keep Mahomes at bay through its pass rush, which gained Vita Vea back for the NFC Championship Game. 

Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquil Barrett combined for five sacks of Aaron Rodgers in the NFC Championship Game, but getting to Mahomes will be a tougher task. He was sacked once in the last two games, and the Chiefs staff has two weeks to install the right protection schemes to deal with Fisher's injury absence. 

The 25-year-old was sacked on 22 occasions in the regular season and was sacked once or not at all in 11 of his 18 games. 

If the Chiefs shore up their protection for Mahomes, they could also open up a few rushing lanes for Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Kansas City could use a combination of Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams in the rushing attack, which may hamper the totals each player puts up.

Leonard Fournette has the most potential to put up the most rushing yards in Super Bowl 55 since the Buccaneers have relied on him more in the last three games. 

The former Jacksonville Jaguar has 211 rushing yards off 48 carries in three postseason games. He found the end zone in each of those contests. Fournette's ground production, combined with Brady's penchant for spreading the ball around, could lead to lower totals for Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Hill and Kelce should receive more opportunities to catch passes, and they could ultimately end up as the game's biggest difference-makers. 

Kansas City's top two receivers each recorded over 100 yards in the first two playoff games and can find mismatches in the second level of Tampa Bay's defense. 

Hill's speed on the outside and Kelce's physicality across the middle could lead to a few big plays and red-zone trips that result in touchdowns instead of field goals. 

Hill and Kelce combined for 351 receiving yards in Week 12, and they were responsible for 290 of the 325 yards Kansas City earned through the air in the AFC Championship Game.

If Mahomes' connection with Hill and Kelce is as effective as it was in those two games, Kansas City could start fast and continue to put up points on the way to back-to-back championships.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.