The duo of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have haunted the Kansas City Chiefs, again.
In Super Bowl LV, Brady and Gronkowski — on the home field of their new team in Tampa — the Tampa Bay Bucs beat the Chiefs, 31-9.
It prevented the Chiefs from becoming the first team in the NFL since the 2004 and ’05 New England Patriots to win back-to-back Super Bowl championships.
Brady, 43, threw two touchdown passes to Gronkowski in the opening half when the Bucs built a 21-6 halftime lead. In addition to that record-setting passer-receiver combo, the Chiefs’ biggest nemesis was themselves. They set their own dubious Super Bowl record for the most penalty yardage in a half with eight flags totaling 95 yards.
The Brady-Gronkowski tandem, meanwhile, set a record for 13 touchdown passes between them in the NFL playoffs.
Playing behind a makeshift offensive line, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was forced to constantly scramble under a heavy rush by the Bucs defense as anticipated. Mike Remmers started his first game at left tackle since 2016 because of Eric Fisher’s ruptured Achilles in the AFC Championship two weeks ago. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz has been out with a back injury since late October.
Mahomes has three victories over Brady, but his two losses against Brady are his most painful.