January 30, 2021
By Fred Liggett
FredL@lstribune.net
It’s time for the annual bye week before the Super Bowl but don’t expect a bye in attention being given to the big game set to be played on Sunday, Feb. 7 in Tampa, Florida. Plenty of attention this week will focus on the matchup pitting the NFC Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Lots of attention to the match ups will be in focus next week as the media hypes the big names playing and fans make the trip to Tampa. This week both the Buccaneers and the Chiefs have stayed at home to rest and prepare for the biggest game of the year. The attention has been reserved to the coaches going head to head in the game and the key injuries both teams have at the present time.
The Chiefs normally return to the practice field on Wednesdays but this week due to no game the team was off until Thursday. Local media members will not be able to see the team practice until next week. What is known as of press time is the Chiefs are expected to be without starting OT Eric Fisher who suffered a season ending Achilles injury in the AFC Championship game last week. Other injuries of note include RB Le’Veon Bell who continues to battle a knee injury. Others who will be limited in practice for the first few practices being held here in Kansas City is WR Sammy Watkins, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, CB Rashad Fenton and LB Willie Gay, Jr.
The Buccaneers are at home in Tampa getting ready using their normal practice fields they enjoy using all season. The Bucs main injury concerns are with WR Antonio Brown and DB Antonio Winfield, Jr. Attention has been given to the jerseys the two teams will wear on game night. Tampa Bay has chosen to wear their normal white uniforms as the home team in the game. Chiefs will be wearing red uniforms much like they did in Super Bowl 54 in Miami.
Not just jerseys that is getting lots of attention this week as tickets to the big game are going for some big prices. Thanks to limited attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic Super Bowl tickets are heading for a record amount. At last report it was up to nearly $9,000 for a single seat. Not only is attention being drawn to the fact only 25% of the stadium will have fans but the restructured schedule the two teams will have the week of the game. The normally popular media night is going to be done virtually this year. The NFL will not allow either team in Tampa until two days before kickoff. The Chiefs have made plans to travel to Tampa the day before the game on Saturday, Feb. 6.
With so much attention on travel plans, tickets, uniforms and updated injury lists thankfully next week more time will be spent on the game and what the Super Bowl champion will have to do to raise the Lombardi Trophy. Will the Kansas City Chiefs win back to back Super Bowls and do it against the last quarterback who accomplished that very same feat in 2005? Look forward to the attention to that question and more next week. That’s What I REID Into It for this week.
