Somehow, the NFL made it through COVID-19 and 255 games to bring us game 256 – Super Bowl LV. What a game it could be. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will attempt to become the first repeat Super Bowl champion since the 2003-04 New England Patriots. Standing in the way? Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

And of course, that means it is live blog time!

6:30 – Coin toss time in Tampa as the first-ever “home-field advantage” Super Bowl is about to kickoff.

6:31 – COVID protocols already having an impact. Only one player on each side to be a captain. Travis Kelce for Kansas City and Lavonte David for the Bucs. Some first-responders on hand will serve as honorary captains.

6:35 – Chiefs win the coin toss and defer to the second half. TB 12 and the Buccaneers are up first.

FIRST QUARTER

6:41 – Bucs go three and out in short order. Not a great look. Just like last time. Brady a little wide to Godwin on third down. Mahomes time from inside the KC 35.

6:46 – Chiefs first drive sputters out near midfield. No runs. All passes. Mahomes…1 of 4 to start. A draw on the first two possessions is a big win for the Bucs potentially. PUNT (Don’t expect to see that word much).

6:51 – Frank Clark kills the drive for Tampa. He comes up with a Scotty Miller stuff on an end-around for a loss of three and then, sacks Brady on a third down play. Another punt for Tampa.

7:02 – The Chiefs break through with a field goal on a drive that started near the KC 40 but Mahomes looks bothered by pressured and only has one completed pass to start. Tampa’s offense must wake up.

CHIEFS 3, BUCS 0

7:12 – Masterful drive by the Bucs. Brady uses a series of passes to Brate and Antonio Brown with Playoff Lenny runs sprinkled in. It culminates within an eight-yard touchdown pass on a nifty play call to Gronk. It’s the first time in 10 Super Bowls that Brady has a led a touchdown drive in the first quarter.

BUCS 7, CHIEFS 3

7:17 – Chiefs get a strong return from Byron Pringle near the 35. Chiefs are trying to drum up momentum as the second quarter arrives…

END OF FIRST: BUCS 7, CHIEFS 3

SECOND QUARTER

7:30 – The Bucs roll down field but Ronald Jones get stopped twice at the 1. The key play of the drive? The Bucs for some reason opt to throw to an offensive linemen who promptly dropped it. Might be a game-changer. Chiefs ball.

7:38 – Another porous Chiefs drive. PUNT….and a bad one. Tampa starts at the Chiefs 40. Lord. Tampa has got to take advantage.

7:48 – It looks like Tampa is about to giveaway a golden opportunity to extend its lead but the Chiefs get called for offsides on a field goal try to give Tampa a first. Moments later….Brady to Gronk #2.

BUCS 14, CHIEFS 3

7:56 – Sensing their season might be in danger, the Chiefs are deep in Bucs territory on a timely drive as the two-minute warning hits.

8:03 – The Chiefs put together their best looking drive of the game with Mahomes finally connecting on some passes. The Bucs rush creates an incompletion on third down. Field goal right before halftime. Bucs get the ball back with a minute left.

BUCS 14, CHIEFS 6

8:18 – The Chiefs literally have a Super Bowl meltdown for the books. Brady is able to get a long pass interference call on Mike Evans deep into Chiefs territory. That’s followed up by another penalty on a throw to Evans in the endzone. Moments later, Brady to wayward vagabond Antonio Brown for six. The Chiefs are in trouble as Tyrann Mathieu tells Tom Brady to go f-himself, which elicits a personal foul call. The worst half of Chiefs football in ages.

HALFTIME: BUCS 21, CHIEFS 6

THIRD QUARTER

8:52 – Chiefs have a nice looking drive that is once again foiled by Tampa’s pass rush once they get into Bucs territory. They are clearly missing Eric Fisher. However, they scratch out a 50-yard field goal by Harrison Butker.

BUCS 21, CHIEFS 9

9:00 – The Bucs waste little time rumbling down the field to add another score. This time, it’s Playoff Lenny taking it wide to the outside for six. The Bucs are killing this Chiefs D.

BUCS 28, CHIEFS 9

9:10 – Kansas City runs into another problem. Mahomes gets picked off on a tipped pass by Antoine Winfield Jr. in Chiefs territory. If this game isn’t over, we’re getting close.

9:15 – Tampa gives away a golden opportunity to put up another touchdown. Brady misses on two consecutive throws that would have resulted in a TD or first down. Next play, the snap goes over his head. Ryan Succop saves the day with a long field goal.

FOURTH QUARTER

BUCS 31, CHIEFS 9

9:50 – The last gasp of the defending Super Bowl champions ends with an interception by linebacker Devin White, who was animal during the final three games of the postseason for the Bucs.

10:00 – The Bucs take a few knees and just like that, it’s over. The unstoppable offense has been stopped. The Chiefs were held without a field goal in one of the more remarkable defensive performances in Super Bowl history.

FINAL: BUCS 31, CHIEFS 9