Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.

Tom Brady threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers launch their bid for a return to the Super Bowl with a dominating 31-15 NFC wild-card playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tom Brady topped 5,000 yards passing for the second time in his career and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers set a franchise record for regular-season victories with a 41-17 win over the Carolina Panthers.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appeared to have all of the advantages when Saints quarterback Jameis Winston went down with a second-quarter knee injury.

Tom Brady became the first player to throw 600 career touchdown passes and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers routed the Chicago Bears 38-3 for the best seven-game start in franchise history.

Tom Brady threw for 411 yards and five touchdowns as Antonio Brown became the fastest NFL player to 900 receptions and the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers rolled to a 45-17 rout of the Miami Dolphins.

Lofty expectations don’t faze Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs 31-9 to win the Super Bowl. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are already thinking about what it’ll take to repeat as Super Bowl champions. If Brady, Arians and general manager Jason Licht have their way, Gronkowski, Brown and Fournette won’t wind up being one-season rentals. “Hopefully we can keep the band together, have an offseason and actually know what we’re doing (entering next season),” Arians said. It changed our entire football team.”AdBrady said Arians, who also has two Super Bowl rings as an assistant coach, deserves credit, too.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers inside linebacker Devin White (45) breaks up a pass intended for Kansas City Chiefs running back Darrel Williams, right, during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa Bay’s defense finished its redemption tour with a Super Bowl championship. Brees and the Saints beat Tampa Bay twice during the regular season. By taking down Mahomes in the Super Bowl, the Bucs (15-5) avenged three of their five losses. He also took exception with Tampa Bay having only one Pro Bowl selection on its roster, linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul. “One Pro Bowl player and the team goes on to win the Super Bowl?

The Buccaneers didn't even give him time to skim their defense in the Super Bowl. He was 26 of 49 for 270 yards and two interceptions in a 31-9 blowout that denied the Chiefs back-to-back titles. “They had a good game plan,” said Mahomes, whose quarterback rating of 52.3 was by far the worst of his career. The first-half numbers were striking: Mahomes was 9 of 19 for 67 yards, while Tampa Bay counterpart Tom Brady had dominated the Chiefs defense for 140 yards passing and three TDs in staking the Buccaneers to a 21-6 lead. “To the last snap,” Reid said, “he was trying to win that football game.”It was just that kind of night for Mahomes.

Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins (14) catches a pass during NFL football practice Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55. (Steve Sanders/Kansas City Chiefs via AP)TAMPA, Fla. – The Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will head into the Super Bowl on Sunday relatively healthy. Tampa Bay did not list anybody as out on the final injury report. AdThe Buccaneers listed wide receiver Antonio Brown and tight end Cameron Brate as questionable.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady during NFL football practice, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021 in Tampa, Fla. The Buccaneers will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55. (Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers via AP)TAMPA, Fla. – Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won’t be denied. The 43-year-old six-time Super Bowl champion may no longer be the best quarterback in the NFL, however, he’s shown in his first season with the Bucs that he’s still good enough to lead a team to the NFL title game. You want to make some moves that hopefully get your team into the Super Bowl.

(NFL via AP)Someone will make history Sunday in a Super Bowl so filled with storylines it would fill a season of TV programming. Yes, Tampa, Florida, where the Super Bowl is being played this year. Ad“There’s a lot that comes along with the Super Bowl,” says Rob Gronkowski, the three-time champion tight end who came out of retirement to reunite with Brady. Of course, with the week off between the conference title matches and the Super Bowl, each side should be well rested. “You don’t get these opportunities every year in the NFL to be in the Super Bowl and to be in these games,” Mahomes says, thought it sure seems as if Brady has a Super Bowl habit, and Mahomes is developing one.

Kansas City and Tampa Bay have several starters, including some notable pass catchers, scheduled to become free agents next month. So the Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Buccaneers will serve as a farewell for several players with their current team. Brown signed a one-year, $1.6 million contract with Tampa in late October and has been a model citizen since. He has 45 receptions for 623 yards and seven touchdowns after signing a one-year, $9 million deal. He turned 34 last month and might be willing to sign another one-year deal to stay in Tampa.

The Buccaneers will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55. He wants his young teammates to embrace the moment and understand that regardless of how talented they are, the road back to another Super Bowl will not be easy. Super Bowl is not promised for next year,” Pierre-Paul said. To this day he’s still happy and joyful, and happy I am in another Super Bowl,” Pierre-Paul said. It makes no difference to me,” said Remmers, a ninth-year veteran who has been with eight different organizations and will start his 10th career playoff game, including a second Super Bowl.

“He was determined to get it by any means, wouldn’t let failure be an option,” Barrett recounted. Barrett will have a starting — and maybe starring — role in Super Bowl 55 when the Buccaneers (14-5) face Mahomes and the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs (16-2) Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. Barrett had a monster debut in Tampa, collecting an NFL-best 19½ sacks, forcing six fumbles and earning his first Pro Bowl nod in 2019. Mahomes remembers Barrett in Denver as a player who never let quarterbacks exhale whenever Miller or Chubb tapped out for a breather. He’s got great speed, he’s got great power, he’s got a ton of moves,” Remmers said.

There are veterans who joined up for one final run at the title, and wide-eyed rookies who were thrust into the Super Bowl spotlight. AdHALL OF FAMERSThree of Brady’s Super Bowl teammates have already been inducted into the Hall of Fame with more likely to come down the road. Julian Edelman and Deion Branch, who both won Super Bowl MVPs with Brady, are tied for the most catches with 24 apiece. MISSING RINGSOnly two players went to the Super Bowl with Brady more than once and never got a ring out of it. COMMON NAMESA few first names have stood out more than others when it comes to Brady’s Super Bowl teammates, led by the nine Brandons: Bolden, Browner, Deadrick, Gorin, King, LaFell, Meriweather, Mitchell and Spikes.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) runs with a elastic band around his legs during an NFL football workout Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. The Buccaneers play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston but dared to dream of signing Brady if the six-time Super Bowl champion decided to leave New England as a free agent. Of course it was Tom Brady, not thinking he would become a free agent,” Arians added. Ad“Naturally, I think you envision every year in the offseason you want to make some moves that hopefully get your team into the Super Bowl.

The Buccaneers play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7. “I’ll be very excited to know my parents will be in the stands for the game on (Super Bowl) Sunday. Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Shaquil Barrett, Antonio Brown, Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh are the only players on the current roster with previous Super Bowl experience. The team that wins is not going to be the most experienced team, it’s going to be the team that plays the best,” Brady said. “So we’ve got to prepare the best, we’ve got to execute the best, we’ve got to perform the best under pressure.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Shaquil Barrett (58) celebrates with teammate Jason Pierre-Paul after sacking Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during the second half of the NFC championship NFL football game in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. To deliver on that hope, Brady needed some relentless play from Tampa Bay's defense. And Tampa Bay to its first since the 2002 season. The Packers came back, but the defense forced Green Bay to settle for a field goal with just over two minutes remaining and trailing by eight points. And he was confident the Brady-led offense would not give the Packers' offense another chance.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Scott Miller catches a 39-yard touchdown pass against Green Bay Packers' Kevin King during the first half of the NFC championship NFL football game in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)GREEN BAY, Wis. – Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ road magic have them heading home to the Super Bowl, the first team to play in one on their home field. Brady owns six Super Bowl rings with New England and now heads to his 10th NFL championship game with his new team. The Bucs (14-5) earned their franchise-record eighth consecutive road victory to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since their 2002 championship season. Tampa Bay then ran out the clock on the Packers (14-4).

But Gronk in particular has always been a big-play guy in big games for Brady, and Green Bay doesn't have linebackers who excel in coverage. Green Bay will do some blitzing, though not as much as Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles figures to do. Unlike Brady, Rodgers can create outside the pocket, and he's especially dangerous when doing so. Veteran placekicker Mason Crosby is solid, making all 16 field goal attempts, but missed four PATs for Green Bay. Tampa Bay's Ryan Succop, now in his 12th pro season, made 28 of 31 field goal tries but missed five extra points.

I think we’re still a long way from where we need to be," Brady said. Brady completed 23 of 35 passes, and Evans finished with seven receptions for 104 yards. “Nine penalties and four giveaways, but it’s a one-score game in the fourth quarter," Panthers coach Matt Rhule said. “I thought he competed and there will be days where you can’t get things flowing,” the Panthers coach added. In a twist, the Panthers also made a concerted effort to get wide receiver Curtis Samuel involved in the running game.