I’m reversing course.

Earlier this NFL season, I picked the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl and repeat as champions. How could I pick against superstar quarterback Pat Mahomes and his two talented pass-catching weapons Tyreek Hill and Cleveland Heights-native Travis Kelce?

Kansas City went 14-2 during the regular season. Their two losses were an eight-point blunder against the Raiders and a week 17 loss with the junior varsity Chiefs against the Chargers. As a result, the Chiefs have lost twice in their last 25 games. 

As much as I’d love to pick the red-hot Chiefs, there is another NFL team that is sizzling at the right time.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have the task of unseating the reigning Super Bowl Champs., The Bucs get the luxury of hosting the visiting Chiefs on their home turf at Raymond James Stadium, marking the first-ever ‘home game’ Super Bowl.

After spending his last 20 years with the New England Patriots, Brady is making his first Super Bowl appearance in the NFC. During his tenure with the Patriots, Brady made nine Super Bowl appearances — he won six of them.

This past offseason, Brady and the Patriots decided to part ways. Brady subsequently signed a two-year, $50-million contract with the Buccaneers last March.

Brady’s tenure with the Bucs began tumultuously. Tampa Bay lost five of its 12 games before the bye week. Any hopes of making the playoffs were murky. The fifth of those losses came against the Chiefs (27-24). For most of the 60 minutes of the game, Kansas City dominated Brady and the Bucs. 

That Nov. 29 game was the last time they lost.

Since then, the Buccaneers have gone 7-0 and scored 34.3 points per game in the process. Brady hasn’t been perfect, but he has proved that he still has the talent to lead a team to a Super Bowl — and win one, too. 

Thus, I am picking the Buccaneers. 

I don’t like Brady. I was so tired of Brady and the Patriots winning Super Bowl after Super Bowl. It made me sick. I still don’t like Brady, but I am a sucker for great sports stories. Side note: Maybe that’s why I like this whole sports writing thing so much.

At age 43, in his first year with a team, after spending two decades with another in a different conference, in the middle of a pandemic and with the opportunity to unseat the best team in football, Brady winning a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers could be the best victory in Super Bowl history.

That’s the story and result I want to see and, ultimately, it’s what I see happening. Brady is hungrier than ever to raise the Lombardi trophy, and I refuse to pick against Brady. They have all the momentum and are playing at their home stadium. 

Super Bowl LV should be one of the best championship games of our lifetime. I can’t wait to watch.

Chiefs 34, Buccaneers 38