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| Date | February 7, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida[a] | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Tom Brady,quarterback | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Chiefs by 3[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Carl Cheffers[2][3] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 24,835[b] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Eric Church andJazmine Sullivan[4] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coin toss | Suzie Dorner,ICU nurse representing medical personnel during theCOVID-19 pandemic | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | The Weeknd[5] | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | CBS ESPN Deportes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Jim Nantz (play-by-play) Tony Romo (analyst) Tracy Wolfson andEvan Washburn (sideline reporters) Jay Feely (special teams analyst) Gene Steratore (rules analyst) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 38.2 (national) 59.9 (Kansas City) 52.3 (Tampa Bay) U.S. viewership: 96.4 million[6] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of 30-second commercial | $5.6 million | ||||||||||||||||||
| Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Westwood One | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) Kurt Warner (analyst) Laura Okmin andTony Boselli (sideline reporters) | ||||||||||||||||||
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Super Bowl LV was anAmerican football game played to determine the champion of theNational Football League (NFL) for the2020 season. TheNational Football Conference (NFC) championTampa Bay Buccaneers defeated theAmerican Football Conference (AFC)Kansas City Chiefs, 31–9.[7] The game was played on February 7, 2021, atRaymond James Stadium inTampa, Florida, the home stadium of the Buccaneers, marking the first time a team played a Super Bowl in its home stadium.[8][9][10] Due toCOVID-19 protocols limiting the stadium's seating capacity to 25,000 fans, it was the least-attended Super Bowl.[11]
The Buccaneers' victory was their second and made them one of two teams, along with theBaltimore Ravens, to be undefeated in multiple Super Bowls. They finished the regular season with an 11–5 record and awild card berth to advance to their second Super Bowl appearance through the guidance of several new acquisitions, most notably 21-year veteran quarterbackTom Brady in his first season away from theNew England Patriots. The Chiefs, aided by their top-ranked offense, finished the regular season with a league-best 14–2 record to advance to their fourth Super Bowl appearance and were the defendingSuper Bowl LIV champions, seeking to become the first repeat champions since the Patriots in2004.[12]
For the first time under quarterbackPatrick Mahomes, the Chiefs failed to score a touchdown and lost by double-digits, making them the third Super Bowl team not to score a touchdown.[c][13] They also committed 11 penalties for 120 yards, including a record eight penalties for 95 yards in the first half, most of which were called against the defense.[14][15][16][17] The Buccaneers capitalized on these struggles to take a 21–6 lead at halftime and dominated the remainder of the game. Brady, who also extended his player records for Super Bowl appearances to ten and wins to seven, was namedSuper Bowl MVP for a record fifth time and was the first to receive the award with multiple franchises.[18][19][20] He became the oldest player to receive the honor and win a Super Bowl as the starting quarterback at age 43,[21] breaking additional personal records, whileBruce Arians was the oldest head coach to win the Super Bowl at 68.[22]
The game was televised nationally byCBS.Country music singerEric Church andR&B singerJazmine Sullivan performed thenational anthem, while thehalftime show was headlined by Canadian singerthe Weeknd.[5] On television, Super Bowl LV was seen by 91.63 million viewers, the lowest ratings for the game since 2006. Combined with viewership on other platforms, viewership was down by 5% overall in comparison to Super Bowl LIV, but with a 69% increase in average streaming viewership.
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On May 19, 2015, the league announced the four finalists for hostingSuper Bowl LIII in 2019 andSuper Bowl LIV in 2020. NFL team owners voted on these cities on May 24, 2016, with the first round of voting determining the host for Super Bowl LIII, and the second round deciding the site for Super Bowl LIV. In a development not known in advance, a third round of voting was added to select a Super Bowl LV hosting site.[23] Atlanta and Miami were awarded Super Bowls LIII and LIV respectively, removing them from the running for LV. Los Angeles was not eligible for Super Bowl LIII, as their stadium was under construction and would not yet be finished; it was eligible for LIV and LV, and opted to bid only on the latter.[24]
The two candidates were:
Los Angeles was originally chosen as the host site for Super Bowl LV in a vote on May 24, 2016.[24][25][26] However, due to construction delays, authorities announced that the stadium would not be completed until the start of the2020 NFL season.[27] On May 23, 2017, NFL owners voted unanimously, with the Rams' approval, to move Super Bowl LV to Tampa. The City of Inglewood instead hostedSuper Bowl LVI in 2022.[28]
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As of the start of the 2020 NFL season, the league had forbidden on-field entertainment, such ashalftime shows andnational anthem performances at games with fans. These elements, which have historically been cornerstones of the Super Bowl entertainment, would have been produced off-site had restrictions remained in place.[29] In case a COVID-19 outbreak forced the postponements of regular season and playoff games, the league stated that Super Bowl LV could have been delayed as far as February 28.[30]
The state of Florida removed capacity restrictions for sporting events in October, although the three Florida-based teams have voluntarily maintained 20–25% capacity limits.[31] As of late October 2020, the NFL was planning a minimum attendance of 20% of capacity, in hopes that a larger capacity would be possible by game day.[32]
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On January 22, 2021, the NFL had originally announced that the game would have 22,000 fans in attendance, 7,500 of whom would be health care workers who had received aCOVID-19 vaccine, primarily from the Tampa and central Florida region.[33] The NFL also filled in the empty seats by selling 30,000cardboard cutouts to fans.[34][35][36] On February 2, the league increased the expected attendance to 25,000.[11] Super Bowl LV was the least-attended NFL championship game since1949, where 22,245 attended because of weather.[37]
NFL protocols for the 2020 season required that the closest rows of seats be blocked with tarps to reduce spectator proximity to the field.[38] For the Super Bowl, they were covered with additional LED video boards.[39]
The traditional events held during Super Bowl week were significantly reduced. Capacity at theSuper Bowl Experience at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park was limited due to health and safety protocols.[40] Instead of holding practices and participating in media events during the entire week in the Super Bowl host city, the Chiefs flew into Tampa on the day before the game as they had during the regular season (had another NFC team advanced to the Super Bowl instead of the Buccaneers, they would have done this as well).[41] The "Super Bowl Opening Night" festivities on the Monday preceding the game were cancelled and replaced with a virtual media availability.[42]
In March, health officials inHillsborough County, Florida determined that Super Bowl LV was not asuperspreader event. The officials cited 53 cases (out of 14,809 confirmed cases overall in a one-month span surrounding the game) that were traced to official Super Bowl events, three of those being people who attended the game itself; they also noted that unofficial house parties were likely far greater causes of spread during that time span.[43]
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As defending Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs recorded an NFL-best14–2 record in 2020 under eighth-year head coachAndy Reid.[44] Other than a 40–32 loss against theLas Vegas Raiders in week 5,[45] their only defeat was in the final game of the season against theLos Angeles Chargers, when they rested most of their starters because they had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. This appearance was the Chiefs' fourth trip to the Super Bowl. They lostSuper Bowl I (1967), but won Super BowlsIV (1970) andLIV (2020).[46]
Kansas City's offense ranked first in the NFL in yards (6,653) and sixth in points scored (473). QuarterbackPatrick Mahomes made the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season, throwing for 4,740 yards (second in the league) and 38 touchdowns, with only six interceptions, while also finishing the season as Kansas City's second leading rusher with a career high 308 yards and two scores. His main target was Pro Bowl tight endTravis Kelce, who caught 105 passes for 1,416 yards and 11 touchdowns, making him the NFL's second leading receiver and setting a new league record for receiving yards by a tight end.[47] Pro Bowl receiverTyreek Hill had 87 receptions for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also rushing for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Mahomes also had receiversDemarcus Robinson (45 receptions for 466 yards),Mecole Hardman (41 reception for 561 yards and 360 return yards on special teams), andSammy Watkins (37 receptions for 421 yards). The team's leading rusher from 2019,Damien Williams, opted out of the 2020 season due toCOVID-19 concerns and because his mother had recently been diagnosed with Stage IV cancer.[48] In his place, rookie running backClyde Edwards-Helaire stepped up to fill the void, rushing for 808 yards and four touchdowns, while also catching 36 passes for 297 yards and another touchdown. TackleEric Fisher led the Chiefs offensive line, earning a Pro Bowl selection. However, he was forced to miss the Super Bowl after suffering a torn achilles tendon in the AFC championship game.[49]Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a starting guard for the 2019 season, was first NFL player to announce he would not play the season because of COVID-19, instead working as anorderly at a Montreal long-term care facility during the pandemic.[50][51] On special teams, kickerHarrison Butker made 25-of-27 field goals, including all four of his attempts from over 50 yards.[52]
The Chiefs defense was ranked 16th in the league in yards allowed (5,733). The Chiefs defensive line was led by Pro Bowl selectionsChris Jones (71⁄2 sacks and two forced fumbles) andFrank Clark (6 sacks). LinebackerAnthony Hitchens ranked second on the team with 78 tackles. Kansas City's secondary was led by Pro Bowl strong safetyTyrann Mathieu (68 tackles, six interceptions, and one fumble recovery) and free safetyDaniel Sorensen (91 tackles, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles).[52]
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the 2020 season with an11–5 record under second-year head coachBruce Arians. Prior to this, the team had not won a playoff game sinceSuper Bowl XXXVII in2003 and had not made the playoffs since2007–08.[53] The team also recorded only three winning seasons since 2008 and had gone 7–9 the previous year.[54]
During the 2020 off-season, the Buccaneers chose not to re-sign quarterbackJameis Winston, whom they selectedfirst overall in2015. To replace Winston, they made arguably the biggest off-season acquisition by signing 20-year veteranTom Brady, one of the NFL's most decorated players.[55] The signing marked the first time that Brady would play for a team other than theNew England Patriots, where he was considered the offensive engine of the franchise'sdynasty. Tight endRob Gronkowski, Brady's teammate in New England and considered one of the greatest in his position, was lured out of retirement and acquired through a trade with the Patriots.[56] Further off-season acquisitions included running backLeonard Fournette,[57] running backLeSean McCoy, and placekickerRyan Succop.[58] In the2020 NFL draft, Tampa Bay bolstered their offensive line by selecting tackleTristan Wirfs 13th overall.[59] After Week 6, they signed accomplished, but controversial wide receiverAntonio Brown, who had been out of the league for over a year.[60]
Tampa Bay's offense was ranked seventh in league yards (6,145) and third in points scored (492). The 43-year old Brady threw for 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and rushed for three touchdowns. His main targets wereMike Evans who caught 70 passes for 1,006 yards and 13 touchdowns,Chris Godwin who caught 65 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns, and Rob Gronkowski who caught 45 passes for 623 yards and seven touchdowns. Brady also had other receivers to go to withScotty Miller (33 passes, 501 yards and three touchdowns), Antonio Brown (44 catches, 483 yards and four touchdowns), andCameron Brate (28 catches, 282 yards and two touchdowns).Ronald Jones was the team's leading rusher with 978 yards and seven touchdowns, while also catching 28 passes for 165 yards and another touchdown. Leonard Fournette also added 367 rushing yards and six touchdowns, while also hauling in 36 passes. Kicker Ryan Succop ranked sixth in the NFL with 136 points, making 28-of-31 field goal attempts.[61]
Tampa Bay's defense was ranked sixth in the league in yardage allowed (5,234). The defensive line was anchored by defensive endsNdamukong Suh (six sacks) andWilliam Gholston (20 quarterback hits and eight tackles for loss). The line was also aided by edge rushing outside linebackersJason Pierre-Paul, the team's lone Pro Bowl selection (91⁄2 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries), andShaquil Barrett (eight sacks and two force fumbles). The team also had linebackersDevin White (140 tackles and nine sacks) andLavonte David (117 tackles and three forced fumbles). CornerbackCarlton Davis led the team with four interceptions, while rookie safetyAntoine Winfield Jr. added 94 tackles, one interception, and three sacks.[61][62]
The Chiefs won theAFC West division title for a fifth consecutive year and the top seed in the AFC playoffs with a league-best 14–2 record.[63] After clinching a first-round bye, the Chiefs defeated theCleveland Browns 22–17 in the Divisional round to send them to their third straightAFC Championship Game. They then won 38–24 over theBuffalo Bills for their second straightLamar Hunt Trophy. However, the victories proved costly. In the divisional round, quarterbackPatrick Mahomes suffered aturf toe injury before being removed in the third quarter due to aconcussion.[64] The former continued to afflict Mahomes entering the Super Bowl, with him required to undergo toe surgery after the game.[65] Additionally, left tackleEric Fisher departed the conference championship with a torn Achilles, forcing him to miss the Super Bowl.[66] The loss of Fisher compounded the Chiefs' offensive line troubles, as right tackleMitchell Schwartz had been lost earlier in the season with a back injury.[67]
Meanwhile, the Buccaneers finished as the fifth seed and second place in theNFC South with an 11–5 record.[68] They were the first team under quarterbackTom Brady to reach the playoffs as awild card. In the wild-card round, the Buccaneers defeated theWashington Football Team 31–23,[69] to advance to the divisional round against theNew Orleans Saints, who had swept them in the regular season. The Buccaneers then defeated the Saints 30–20 to advance to the NFC Championship Game.[70] The Buccaneers then upset the top-seededGreen Bay Packers in theNFC Championship Game 31–26 advancing to the Super Bowl. The Buccaneers became the fifth team to win three away games en route to the Super Bowl. They also became the first team to make the Super Bowl as a Wild Card team since the2010 Green Bay Packers.[71] The Buccaneers became the first team to play and win a Super Bowl in its home stadium, and only the third to play in their home metro area (alongside the1979 Los Angeles Rams and1984 San Francisco 49ers).[72]
This was the final Super Bowl in the 16-game schedule era, which began with the1978 NFL season. The following season, the NFL went to a 17-game schedule.
The Buccaneers were the designated home team for Super Bowl LV, as the home team alternates between the two conferences annually.[73] The fact that the Buccaneers were designated as the "home" team in their home stadium was a coincidence. As the designated home team, the Buccaneers elected to wear their white jerseys with pewter pants. The Chiefs wore their red jerseys with white pants.[74][75]
Even though the game was played in the Buccaneers' home stadium, the league treated this as a neutral site game. The Buccaneers were only allowed to fire the cannons from the stadium's signature pirate ship for player introductions and after the end of the game, but not during every scoring play and when the offense enters thered zone as they usually would. In addition, the stadium decor including the replica pirate ship sails were accordingly changed from Buccaneers' logos to those promoting the Super Bowl.[76]
Gambling establishments had the Chiefs as three-point favorites and projected 57 points scored.[77]
The Chiefs and Buccaneers played each other during the regular season. The Chiefs won the Week 12 game in Tampa, 27–24. This marked the 14th time the Super Bowl featured a rematch of a regular season game and the first time this has happened sinceSuper Bowl XLVI in2012.[78]
This was the first time that both Super Bowl starting quarterbacks –Patrick Mahomes andTom Brady – have won theAP NFL MVP andSuper Bowl MVP awards; as Brady is Mahomes' senior by 18 years, some billed the matchup as comparable toMichael Jordan versusLeBron James.[79]
Since the Buccaneers reached the Super Bowl, Tampa was nicknamed "Champa Bay", as all three of the area's major professional sports teams had made their league's championship round during the past five months; A few months prior, theTampa Bay Lightning had won the2020 Stanley Cup Finals, while theTampa Bay Rays had advanced to but lost the2020 World Series.[80][81][82]
With Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians aged 68 and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid aged 62, Super Bowl LV set the record for the oldest combined age between both coaches.[83]
Chiefs linebackers coachBritt Reid, the son of head coach Andy Reid, was involved in a car accident on February 4, 2021. Two young children were injured in the crash. The younger Reid admitted to consuming two to three alcoholic drinks and being onAdderall, a prescription medication, while driving. He did not coach in the game.[84][85]
In addition to becoming the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium, the Buccaneers became the first non-California team to play in a Super Bowl in their home state. The previous instances of teams with a home-state advantage were theOakland Raiders (Super Bowl XI atPasadena andSuper Bowl XXXVII atSan Diego),Rams (Super Bowl XIV at Pasdena) and49ers (Super Bowl XIX atStanford).
Super Bowl LV was televised byCBS. AlthoughNBC was to air this game under the current rotation, they traded the game to CBS in exchange forSuper Bowl LVI, which fell during the2022 Winter Olympics and is the first to be scheduled during an ongoing Olympic Games, and the second time that it fell on an Olympic Year (this also upheld agentleman's agreement between the NFL's broadcasters not tocounterprogram the Super Bowl,[86][87][88] as NBC also holds the U.S. broadcast rights to the Olympics). This trade was reminiscent of NBC tradingSuper Bowl XXVI to CBS forSuper Bowl XXVII to allow CBS a strong lead-in to its coverage of the1992 Winter Olympics.
CBS, to an extent, also benefited from holding rights to the Super Bowl in the same year that it held the rights to theNCAA Final Four, which is cycled withWarnerMedia Entertainment channels on a two-year cycle withTBS, as well as theAFC Championship Game in primetime, which contractually alternates between afternoon and primetime on a two-year cycle with theNFC Championship Game onFox.[89][90]
CBS used 120 cameras in total, including ten 4K cameras, two 8K cameras, a crane camera, a Trolley Cam running parallel with the field, and two Sony Venice cameras that were used to produce cinematic and "3D-like" scenes reminiscent of video games. Production was decentralized due to COVID-19 protocols, with some production duties being conducted remotely from theCBS Broadcast Center in New York City and at individual employees' homes.[91] CBS officially introduced a rebranding of theCBS Sports division during Super Bowl LV, as part of a larger reimaging and standardization of CBS and its main divisions.[92][93]
Building upon its involvement in ayouth-oriented broadcast of one of the Wild Card games,Nickelodeon contributed family-oriented social media content, including "Nick-ified" highlight videos with similar augmented reality effects to the aforementioned Wild Card broadcast (and featured during a highlights package seen on the CBS broadcast at halftime). Nickelodeon also aired a half-hour preview special for the game, and an NFL-themed edition ofUnfiltered aired as a segment during CBS's pre-game showThe Super Bowl Today.[94][95][96]
This was third and final Super Bowl televised by CBS in whichESPN Deportes aired the Spanish-language broadcast. Unlike NBC and Fox, CBS does not have a Spanish-language network.[97] The sublicense for CBS's next Super Bowl broadcast,Super Bowl LVIII was sold toUnivision.
On December 3, 2020, CBS announced that itslead-out program would be the series premiere ofThe Equalizer.[98] After late local programs, CBS also aired a special Sunday-night episode ofThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[99]
The estimated cost of a 30-secondcommercial at Super Bowl LV remained steady with 2020, with CBS reportedly charging around $5.5 million. The economic impact of COVID-19 prompted some brands to skip the game, includingAvocados from Mexico,Budweiser (its first absence in 37 years), Coca-Cola, Hyundai, and Pepsi (focusing more on its halftime show sponsorship).[100][101] Budweiser announced that it would donate the estimated cost of a Super Bowl ad to theAd Council to fundpublic service announcements forCOVID-19 vaccination.[102][103][104] However, parent companyAnheuser-Busch still aired commercials for other brands during the game (with a spend in line with that of Super Bowl LIV), including Bud Light, Bud Light Seltzer, and Michelob Ultra, as well as its first-ever corporate spot, directed by filmmakerDavid Fincher.[102][103][104]
Companies such asDraftKings,Fiverr,Logitech, andVroom made their Super Bowl debut as advertisers.[105][106][107][108]Reddit ran a five-second ad in nine of the top tenmedia markets, saying that was all it could afford.[109]
Amazon Studios andUniversal Pictures aired commercials for upcoming films during the game, includingComing 2 America andOld.Disney aired commercials for its upcoming films andDisney+ series.[110][111] CBS promoted the upcoming relaunch of its subscription streaming serviceCBS All Access as Paramount+.[112]
The game was streamed onCBS All Access (whose then-upcoming relaunch as Paramount+ in March 2021 was promoted during the game),[112] CBSSports.com, and the CBS Sports mobile app.[113]
It was also available with exclusive camera angles through the NFL mobile app andYahoo! Sports mobile app. Viewers with an iPhone 12 who were in the stadium could see seven exclusive angles, and viewers at home could see five.[114]
Around 91.6 million viewers watched Super Bowl LV onlinear television, an 8% decline over Super Bowl LIV and the least-watched game since 2006. CBS reported a total of 96.4 million viewers when combined with viewership of the Spanish-language broadcast and digital platforms, a 5% year-over-year decline overall. CBS reported an average of 5.7 million streaming viewers per-minute, a 69% increase year-over-year that made it the most-streamed Super Bowl to-date.[115][99][116]
In Canada,CTV andTSN televised this game in English andRDS in French.[117][118] As with the 2020 edition, CTV invokedsimultaneous substitution over U.S. network signals (including ads) distributed in Canada, as aCRTC ban on such substitutions during the Super Bowl had been overturned by a December 2019Supreme Court of Canada decision.[119]
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the game was televised on the free-to-air channelBBC One and paid-subscription channelSky One (as well as its sister channelsSky Sports Main Event and NFL). It was carried on radio viaBBC Radio 5 Live.[120] In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, free-to-air channelProSieben broadcast the event through itsran format;[121] 2.2 million Germans watched the game, which encouraged the NFL to further consider adding Germany to theInternational Series in the future.[122] In Belgium and Portugal the game was televised by paid-subscription channelEleven Sports.[123] In Poland the game was broadcast on the free-to-air channelTVP Sport, marking the first time an NFL game was available on a Polish open channel.[124]
Subscription streaming platformDAZN also streamed the Super Bowl in several countries including Canada, Germany, and Japan.[118] In Australia, the game was broadcast by Melbourne radio station1116 SEN and commentated byGerard Whateley[125]
A special pre-game concert for the invited health care workers attending the game—theTikTok Tailgate—was held in the afternoon prior to Super Bowl LV, and was headlined byMiley Cyrus, with guest appearances byJoan Jett andBilly Idol.[126] Portions were aired during CBS's pre-game show, while the full concert was streamed on the TikTok app.[127][128] While performing her song "Wrecking Ball", Cyrus broke down and said that it "never gets easier".[129]
A pre-game segment addressingracial unrest in the United States and the NFL'sInspire Change campaign featured a pre-recorded performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" byAlicia Keys from theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum.[130] National Youth Poet LaureateAmanda Gorman recited an original poem recognizing the game's three honorary captains participating in the coin toss ceremony, representing essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic:Los Angeles teacher Trimaine Davis,Tampa nurse Suzie Dorner andMarine veteran James Martin.[131]
R&B singerH.E.R. performed "America the Beautiful", and country music singerEric Church and R&B singerJazmine Sullivan performed "The Star-Spangled Banner". This was the second time that the national anthem was sung as a duet in a Super Bowl, the first time being in2006.[4] At the end of the national anthem, a flyover was performed by theUnited States Air Force consisting of their threestrategic bombers currently in active service: TheRockwell B-1 Lancer, theNorthrop B-2 Spirit, and theBoeing B-52 Stratofortress.
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The halftime show was headlined bythe Weeknd making him the first Canadian artist to headline the halftime show.[5][132][133] Dave Meyers was the show's executive producer, whileRoc Nation produced and creatively directed. Additionally,Hamish Hamilton directed the performance.[134][135] The show featured a number of his hit songs, including "Can't Feel My Face", "Earned It", and "Blinding Lights", among others.[136]
It was reported that he had spentUS$7 million of his own money on the show, which featured men dressed in all black with red jackets and bandages on their face as backup dancers.[136] The halftime show garnered mixed reviews from critics, noting that while the logistical side of the performance was impressive, the lack of guest performers and the poor audio mixing were heavy drawbacks to the occasion.[137][138]
For the first time since theSuper Bowl XLIV halftime show, there was no crowd of fans surrounding the halftime stage. This has continued for subsequent Super Bowl halftime shows.
The Chiefs won the coin toss and deferred possession to the second half. After the first three drives ended in punts, Kansas City's ensuing drive took them 31 yards in eight plays, culminating in a 49-yard field goal by kickerHarrison Butker to take a 3–0 lead. The Buccaneers responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive, with running backLeonard Fournette rushing four times for 26 yards, while quarterbackTom Brady completed back-to-back passes to wide receiverAntonio Brown and tight endCameron Brate for gains of 16 and 15 yards, respectively. Brady ended the drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight endRob Gronkowski, giving Tampa Bay a 7–3 lead. This was the 13th postseason touchdown pass from Brady to Gronkowski, setting a new record for touchdowns between the same quarterback/receiver duo, which they had previously shared withSan Francisco 49ers playersJoe Montana andJerry Rice.[139] It was also the first time in Brady's Super Bowl appearances that he threw a touchdown pass in the first quarter.[140] The Chiefs were forced to a three-and-out to start the second quarter, and the Buccaneers took over on their own 30-yard line following the punt.[141]
Following back-to-back runs for 15 yards by running backRonald Jones II, Brady's 31-yard completion to wide receiverMike Evans set up 1st-and-goal for the Buccaneers at the Kansas City 6-yard line. However, the Chiefs' defense made a stand at their goal line. Jones picked up 4 yards, but then Brady threw a pass that was dropped by offensive tackleJoe Haeg, who lined up in the tight end position, with linebackerAnthony Hitchens knocking the ball out of Haeg's hands. On third down, Jones was stopped short of the goal line and again on fourth down, which was challenged by Tampa Bay and upheld, giving the ball to Kansas City on their own 1-yard line. The Chiefs managed to pick up 16 yards on their ensuing possession before being forced to punt again.Tommy Townsend punted deep into Tampa Bay territory, but a holding call on Chiefs linebackerBen Niemann forced Townsend to punt again. His follow-up punt went out-of-bounds at the Kansas City 38-yard line, for a net of only 29 yards. The Buccaneers' ensuing drive was aided by two significant penalties. First, an interception by safetyTyrann Mathieu was negated by a defensive holding penalty against cornerbackCharvarius Ward. Later, after Kansas City stopped Tampa Bay on 3rd-and-5, Chiefs cornerbackAntonio Hamilton was called for defensive offside during a 40-yard field goal attempt by kickerRyan Succop, giving the Buccaneers a new set of downs.[142] On the next play, Brady threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski, increasing the Buccaneers' lead to 14–3. Kansas City responded by moving the ball 61 yards in 10 plays, with quarterbackPatrick Mahomes completing four passes to tight endTravis Kelce for 41 yards and rushing for 10. Butker finished the possession with another field goal, a 34-yarder, making the score 14–6. Tampa Bay's final first half drive began on their own 29-yard line with just over a minute left in the half, and mounted a 71-yard drive in five plays, the longest a 15-yard catch by Fournette. The Buccaneers were aided by two pass interference calls: a 34-yard penalty against cornerbackBashaud Breeland, who was covering Evans, and an 8-yard penalty against Mathieu in the end zone.[142] On the next play, Brady completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Brown, increasing Tampa Bay's lead to 21–6 with six seconds to play. Mahomes then took a knee to end the half.[141] All told, in the first half the Chiefs were penalized eight times for 95 yards, the most penalties called on any team in one half in any game of the 2020–21 NFL season, while the Buccaneers were flagged for one five-yard penalty.[143]
On the opening play of the second half, Chiefs running backClyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for a 26-yard gain. He also had a 10-yard run on the drive, which went for 47 yards in seven plays and concluded with Butker's 52-yard field goal, cutting Kansas City's deficit to 21–9 and putting them only two touchdowns away from taking the lead. However, the Buccaneers took complete control of the second half and held the Chiefs scoreless for the rest of the game. Tampa Bay responded with a six-play, 74-yard drive, featuring a 25-yard completion from Brady to Gronkowski (Brady's longest completion of the game). Fournette went the distance for a 27-yard touchdown run on the next play, increasing their lead to 28–9. Three plays into the Chiefs' next drive, safetyMike Edwards broke up a pass intended for wide receiverTyreek Hill, which was intercepted by safetyAntoine Winfield Jr. at the Kansas City 45-yard line. The Buccaneers then advanced to the 19-yard line, but on 3rd-and-10, centerRyan Jensen snapped the ball high above Brady's head, but Brady was able to recover the ball at the 34-yard line, resulting in a 15-yard loss on the play. However, the miscue did not affect them, as Succop ended the drive with a successful 52-yard field goal, capping off the scoring at 31–9. On Kansas City's next drive, which carried over into the fourth quarter, they advanced to the Tampa Bay 11-yard line with Mahomes completing four of six passes for 56 yards, the longest a 21-yard completion to Hill, but the Buccaneers forced a turnover on downs, stuffing a running play for a 1-yard gain and then forcing Mahomes to throw three straight incompletions, turning the ball over on downs with 13:32 left in the game.[141]
The Kansas City defense forced Tampa Bay to punt for just the third time, allowing their offense to take the ball at their own 8-yard line. They got the ball across midfield, with Mahomes completing a 33-yard pass to Kelce, but turned the ball over on downs again at the Tampa Bay 27-yard line. The Buccaneers then went three-and-out and punted the ball to the Kansas City 42-yard line. The Chiefs drove the ball to the Tampa Bay 10-yard line, but Mahomes threw a pass that was intended for Kelce but was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback by linebackerDevin White with 1:33 left in the game. Brady then took three knees to run out the clock, sealing the 31–9 victory for Tampa Bay.[141] Brady, who completed 21 of 29 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, won theSuper Bowl Most Valuable Player Award for a record fifth time in his career.[144]
Fournette was the game's leading rusher with 16 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown, while also catching four passes for 46 yards. Gronkowski, who caught only two passes in Tampa Bay's previous three postseason games, was the team's leading receiver with six receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns. White had eight solo tackles (two for a loss), four assisted tackles, and an interception. Mahomes finished the day 26-of-49 for 270 yards and two interceptions, while also rushing for 33 yards. Kelce caught 10 passes for 133 yards, setting a new Super Bowl record for receiving yards by a tight end. Out of 110 Super Bowl teams, Kansas City became the third to finish the game without scoring a touchdown, joining theMiami Dolphins inSuper Bowl VI and theLos Angeles Rams inSuper Bowl LIII. Buccaneers coachBruce Arians became the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl, at 68 years and 127 days, while the team became the first to score at least 30 points in four games during the same postseason.[145]
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs (AFC) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Buccaneers (NFC) | 7 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
atRaymond James Stadium,Tampa, Florida
| Scoring summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Statistic | Kansas City Chiefs | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 22 | 26 |
| First downs rushing | 12 | 12 |
| First downs passing | 7 | 8 |
| First downs penalty | 3 | 6 |
| Third down efficiency | 3–13 | 4–12 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 1–3 | 0–1 |
| Total net yards | 350 | 340 |
| Net yards rushing | 107 | 145 |
| Rushing attempts | 17 | 33 |
| Yards per rush | 6.3 | 4.4 |
| Yards passing | 243 | 195 |
| Passing–completions/attempts | 26/49 | 21/29 |
| Times sacked–total yards | 3–27 | 1–6 |
| Interceptions thrown | 2 | 0 |
| Punt returns–total yards | 1–0 | 0–0 |
| Kickoff returns–total yards | 3–87 | 3–75 |
| Interceptions–total return yards | 0–0 | 2–0 |
| Punts–average yardage | 3–35.7 | 4–37.5 |
| Fumbles–lost | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Penalties–yards | 11–120 | 4–39 |
| Time of possession | 28:37 | 31:23 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Records set[147] (Unless noted as "NFL Championships" or "Pro Football History", all records refer only to Super Bowls) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Most appearances, player | 10 | Tom Brady (Tampa Bay) |
| Most appearances, starting player | 10 | |
| Most NFL championships won, player | 7 | |
| Most wins, player | 7 | |
| Most Super Bowl MVPs, player | 5 | |
| Most pass attempts, player (career) | 421 | |
| Most pass completions, player (career) | 277 | |
| Most passing yards, player (career) | 3,039 | |
| Most touchdown passes, player (career) | 21 | |
| Oldest quarterback, player | 43 years, 188 days | |
| Oldest quarterback, starting player | 43 years, 188 days | |
| Oldest quarterback, winning team | 43 years, 188 days | |
| Oldest player | 43 years, 188 days | |
| Oldest player, starting player | 43 years, 188 days | |
| Oldest player, winning team | 43 years, 188 days | |
| Oldest player to win Super Bowl MVP | 43 years, 188 days | |
| Most touchdowns, QB-receiver tandem (career) | 5 | Tom Brady-Rob Gronkowski (Tampa Bay) |
| Most receptions, tight end (career) | 29 | Rob Gronkowski (Tampa Bay) |
| Most receiving yards, tight end | 133 | Travis Kelce (Kansas City) |
| Oldest head coach, winning team | 68 years, 325 days | Bruce Arians (Tampa Bay) |
| Most penalty yards in any half | 95 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Most first downs by penalty, both teams | 9 | Tampa Bay (6) v. Kansas City (3) |
| Most first downs by penalty, team | 6 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Records tied | ||
| Most championships won in Pro Football history, player[148] | 7 | Tom Brady (Tampa Bay) |
| Most fumbles, player (career) | 5 | |
| Most teams with win, quarterback (career) | 2 | |
| Most teams scoring touchdowns, player (career) | 2 | Rob Gronkowski (Tampa Bay) |
| Most fumbles recovered, player (career) | 2 | Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City) |
| Fewest touchdowns, team | 0 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Fewest rushing touchdowns, team | 0 | |
| Fewest passing touchdowns, team | 0 | |
| Fewest punt returns, team | 0 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Fewest turnovers, team | 0 | |
| Fewest punt return yards, both teams | 0 | Super Bowl LV |
| Fewest fumbles lost, both teams | 0 | |
| Chiefs passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Patrick Mahomes | 26/49 | 270 | 0 | 2 | 52.3 |
| Chiefs rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | Lg3 | Yds/Car | |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | 9 | 64 | 0 | 26 | 7.1 |
| Patrick Mahomes | 5 | 33 | 0 | 11 | 6.6 |
| Darrel Williams | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2.5 |
| Tyreek Hill | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5.0 |
| Chiefs receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | Lg3 | Target5 | |
| Travis Kelce | 10 | 133 | 0 | 33 | 15 |
| Tyreek Hill | 7 | 73 | 0 | 23 | 10 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | 2 | 23 | 0 | 18 | 3 |
| Darrel Williams | 2 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 7 |
| Mecole Hardman | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Sammy Watkins | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Demarcus Robinson | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 2 |
| Byron Pringle | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Buccaneers passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Tom Brady | 21/29 | 201 | 3 | 0 | 125.8 |
| Buccaneers rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | Lg3 | Yds/Car | |
| Leonard Fournette | 16 | 89 | 1 | 27 | 5.6 |
| Ronald Jones II | 12 | 61 | 0 | 13 | 5.1 |
| Tom Brady | 4 | –2 | 0 | 0 | –0.5 |
| Scotty Miller | 1 | –3 | 0 | –3 | –3 |
| Buccaneers receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | Lg3 | Target5 | |
| Rob Gronkowski | 6 | 67 | 2 | 25 | 7 |
| Antonio Brown | 5 | 22 | 1 | 16 | 6 |
| Leonard Fournette | 4 | 46 | 0 | 15 | 4 |
| Cameron Brate | 3 | 26 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
| Chris Godwin | 2 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 4 |
| Mike Evans | 1 | 31 | 0 | 31 | 1 |
| Ronald Jones II | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joe Haeg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tyler Johnson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tanner Hudson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1Completions/attempts
2Carries
3Long gain
4Receptions
5Times targeted
Both teams used asingle set back formation as their base offense, with threewide receivers, onetight end and onerunning back. On defense, both teams used a variation of thenickel defense, as their base defense, with five defensive backs. Kansas City used a 4–2–5 variation with fourdown linemen and twolinebackers, while Tampa Bay used a 2–4–5 with two down linemen and four linebackers. Kansas City's normal starter atleft tackle,Pro Bowl selectionEric Fisher, was out with anachilles tendon injury he suffered in the AFC Championship Game. With his injury and others along the offensive line, the Chiefs were starting their fourth option on the depth chart at left tackle, third option at right guard, and third option at right tackle.
Super Bowl LV featured sevenofficials.Sarah Thomas was the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl and any championship event in the major North American professional sports leagues.[149] This was the first Super Bowl to have an alternate official for every position on the field sinceSuper Bowl I. It was also the first time the replay official had a backup.[3] The numbers in parentheses below indicate their uniform numbers.[2][3]
The AFC and NFC alternate between who is the home team and away team each year, regardless of the stadium they play in.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Super Bowl 55 FULL Game: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers onYouTube |
