These Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the first team in the salary cap era (since 1994) – and first since the 1977 Oakland Raiders – to return their entire Super Bowl lineup intact … and that doesn’t include WR Antonio Brown, TE O.J. Howard, rookie OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and RB Gio Bernard. The table couldn’t be set any better for the Bucs to become the ninth team, and first since Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004, to pull off the Lombardi Trophy repeat.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs seek to become the fourth team to reach three consecutive Super Bowls – and a fourth straight AFC championship game berth (and likely a sixth AFC West title in a row) would be a prerequisite. Remember when Andy Reid didn’t win enough games in Philadelphia?
A 17-game season. We’ll withhold judgment – for now – as to when the NFL is giving us too much of a good thing. I just know a 10-7 record is always going to look weird.
