Super Bowl 2021 final score, results: Tom Brady gets another Super Bowl win in dominant display against Chiefs

Zac Al-Khateeb

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Super Bowl 2021 final score, results: Tom Brady gets another Super Bowl win in dominant display against Chiefs image

Once again, for the second time in franchise history, the Buccaneers are Super Bowl champions. And once again, for the seventh time in his career, Tom Brady is a Super Bowl champion.

Brady out-dueled Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, keeping them from their second Super Bowl in as many years. He did that by completing 21 of 29 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns to no interceptions. He also got help from his running backs in Ronald Jones II (12 carries, 61 yards) and Leonard Fournette (16 carries, 89 yards, one score).

If entire units could win Super Bowl MVP, however, it would undoubtedly go to Todd Bowles' defense: They limited Mahomes to only 26 of 49 passes for 270 yards and two interceptions. Rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire was the Chiefs' leading rusher with 64 yards, while tight end Travis Kelce led all receivers in receptions (10) and yards (133). Tyreek Hill caught seven passes for 67 yards.

The Bucs defense was fast and aggressive, attacking Mahomes in his backfield all night and sacking him three times for a loss of 27 yards. They also allowed only three third-down conversions on 13 attempts, and only one of three fourth-down attempts.

Tom Brady won the MVP award for the Super Bowl, and confirmed post-game that he will play on again next season. 


Super Bowl 2021 score

  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Chiefs 3 3 3 0 9
Buccaneers 7 14 10 0 31

Chiefs vs. Buccaneers live updates, highlights from Super Bowl 55

Final: Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9

10:11 p.m.: Final: Bucs 31, Chiefs 9

10:10 p.m.: Victory kneels.

10:10 p.m.: Bruce Arians is about to be the oldest coach to ever win the Super Bowl. Incredible.

10:09 p.m.: Interception, Bucs. No such luck for Mahomes. White defends Kelce at the goal line, bats the ball up in the air and brings in the interception in the end zone. That'll do it.

10:09 p.m.: Mahomes to Hill for 4 yards down to the 10-yard line. Only playing for pride at this point.

10:06 p.m.: Two-minute warning (2:00)

10:05 p.m.: Mahomes' first fourth-down completion goes to Robinson for 11 yards down to the Tampa 14.

10:05 p.m.: And now fourth-and-3.

10:04 p.m.: Mahomes connects with Kelce for 16 yards down to the Tampa 26 to bring up third-and-4.

10:03 p.m.: Holding is called on the Chiefs, making it first-and-20 from the Tampa 42.

10:02 p.m.: No quit in this Chiefs team. Mahomes connects with Edwards-Helaire on third down for 18 yards out to the Tampa 32.

10 p.m.: The Chiefs have the ball at their own 43.

9:59 p.m.: Brady again goes long but overthrows Brown. Punt upcoming from the 19 on fourth-and-5.

9:58 p.m.: Timeout, Kansas city (3:46)

9:58 p.m.: Fournette gets 4 yards to make it third-and-5 from the 19.

9:57 p.m.: Timeout, Kansas City (3:52)

9:57 p.m.: Bucs get a yard on first-and-10.

9:53 p.m.: Turnover on downs, Chiefs. Mahomes makes more plays with his feet but can't connect with Hill. But Winfield is called for taunting after the pass break-up, so that'll move the Bucs back to the 13.

9:52 p.m.: Mahomes finds Hill underneath the coverage and he takes it 23 yards to make it fourth-and-10 from the 27.

9:51 p.m.: Now it's Ndamukong Suh who sacks Mahomes; he and Cam Gill converge on the quarterback, making it third-and-33 from midfield.

9:48 p.m.: A fan has snuck out onto the field. At least he's wearing shorts.

9:47 p.m.: Remmers is called for holding, making it first-and-20 from the 37.

9:46 p.m.: Mahomes completes his first third-down pass of the night (1 for 9) for 2 yards and a first down at the 29. Hats off to Todd Bowles for an incredible game.

9:45 p.m.: Mahomes finds Kelce again for a 12-yard gain to the Bucs' 40. He has been his favorite target of the night, no doubt.

9:44 p.m.: Mahomes is crushed by three Bucs defenders, with Pierre-Paul called for roughing the passer. That 15-yard penalty makes it first-and-10 at the Kansas City 48.

9:43 p.m.: Mahomes is running for his life and again throws an incomplete pass. But there's a flag in the backfield.

9:42 p.m.: Barrett gets to Mahomes again for an 8-yard loss to the 33.

9:42 p.m.: Mahomes gets a 33-yard pass-and-catch to Kelce out to the 41.

9:38 p.m: Pinion's 39-yard punt is fair-caught at the 8-yard line.

9:38 p.m.: Brady goes deep to Gronk, but overthrows him. He might have tried to draw a pass interference, but you have to put the ball in a catchable radius for that. Punt upcoming.

9:36 p.m.: Fournette showing a little shiftiness and gets 8 yards out to the Chiefs' 47.

9:36 p.m.: Brady to Brate for 6 yards and a first down to the 45.

9:33 p.m.: Jones' fourth straight carry goes for 4 yards and another first down at the 35.

9:33 p.m.: Another 8 yards for Jones, straight up the gut. Against a stacked box, too.

9:33 p.m.: Ronald Jones gets 8 on the second-down carry. That makes it first-and-10 from the 23.

9:32 p.m.: Ronald Jones gets 4 yards on the carry, making it second-and-6 from the 15. Don't be surprised if Tampa Bay runs out the clock here.

9:29 p.m.: Turnover on downs, Chiefs. Through no fault of Mahomes, it's a turnover on downs. He scrambles and ducks in and out of defenders and throws a pass parallel to the ground, only for the ball to hit Williams in the face mask. Tampa Bay takes over at the 11.

9:28 p.m.: Timeout, Kansas City (13:43)

9:27 p.m.: Mahomes is running for his life trying to extend the play and flings it downfield while being brought down. He targets Pringle in the corner of the end zone but can't connect. Fourth-and-9 from the 12 upcoming.

9:26 p.m.: More backyard football from Mahomes, but Demarcus Robinson can't bring it in on the high pass. That would have been a score.

9:25 p.m.: Mahomes splits two defenders to hit Kelce for a 17-yard gain to the 12.

9:22 p.m.: Chiefs will face second-and-10 from the 29 on their first play of the first quarter.

End of third quarter: Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9

9:21 p.m.: Sammy Watkins gets his first reception with a 13-yard gain out to the 29. Mahomes is noticeably limping.

9:20 p.m.: Mahomes finally finds Hill in the open for a 21-yard gain out to the Bucs' 42.

9:19 p.m.: Hill is called for a false start, making it first-and-15 Chiefs from their 37.

9:18 p.m.: Edwards-Helaire with some more tough running gets 8 yards on second down out to the 42.

9:17 p.m.: Mahomes looks to scramble, stops just short of the line of scrimmage and heaves one to Kelce. The ball falls incomplete, but Carlton Davis is called for defensive holding. That's a 5-yard penalty and automatic first down to the 30.

9:13 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, BUCCANEERS. Even when things go wrong for Tampa Bay, it ends up all right. Succop sneaks the ball inside the left upright to make it 31-9 Bucs with 2:50 left in the third quarter.

9:12 p.m.: Disaster averted for the Bucs; the snap goes a little high and fast and Brady can't bring it in. He wisely dives on it for a 14-yard loss, bringing Ryan Succop on for a 52-yard field goal attempt.

9:11 p.m.: Brady overthrows his receivers on consecutive plays, missing Tanner Hudson in the end zone and Godwin along the sidelines. The first would have been a touchdown, the second a first down.

9:10 p.m.: Jones gets 2 yards and a new set of downs at the 19.

9:09 p.m.: A couple runs by Fournette and Jones makes it third-and-1 from the 21.

9:08 p.m.: Brady keeps it going. Fakes the handoff to Fournette then high-lows back to the running back out of the backfield for a 15-yard gain. Bucs driving at the 30.

9:04 p.m.: Interception, Chiefs. Is it too early to call this game? Mahomes' pass to Hill is knocked in the air by Mike Edwards, and Antoine Winfield Jr. brings down the interception. Tampa Bay will have the ball at Kansas City's 45.

9:03 p.m.: Barrett finally hits pay dirt, beating Mike Remmers for a 6-yard sack on Mahomes to bring up third-and-14.

9:02 p.m.: Pringle returns the kickoff to the 25. Chiefs need a touchdown here; no kicks.

8:58 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, BUCCANEERS. Tampa Bay isn't slowing down at all. Fournette goes off right tackle, untouched, for a 27-yard field goal. That makes it 28-9 Bucs with 7:45 left in the third quarter.

8:57 p.m.: Gronkowski's having a huge game. He's the recipient of another big reception as he takes it 25 yards to the 27-yard line.

8:56 p.m.: Brady finds Fournette out of the backfield, and he takes it 14 yards out to the 46.

8:55 p.m.: Third-and-4 upcoming. Kansas City would love a three-and-out to start the half.

8:54 p.m.: Mickens' return gets the Bucs a start at the 26-yard line. The Chiefs need a stop here, big-time.

8:50 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, CHIEFS. Kansas City wanted a touchdown, but it will have to settle for a 52-yard field goal from Butker. It's 21-9 Bucs with 11:31 left in the third.

8:50 p.m.: Chiefs again fail to convert on third down. Another field goal attempt upcoming.

8:48 p.m.: Edwards-Helaire jukes Barrett in his own backfield and gets the ball to the 37 after a 9-yard gain. First down.

8:47 p.m.: Mahomes to Kelce for a 9-yard gain to the Bucs 46.

8:46 p.m.: Good start: Edwards-Helaire takes the ball up the left sideline for a 26-yard gain to the 45 — the team's first gain of 20 or more yards all game.

8:46 p.m.: Second half upcoming. The Chiefs start at their 19.

Halftime: Buccaneers 21, Chiefs 6

8:17 p.m.: Halftime stats:

Total plays: Bucs 35, Chiefs 30
Total yards: Bucs 194, Chiefs 124
Passing: Bucs 16 of 20, 134 yards, three touchdowns; Chiefs 9 of 19, 67 yards
Rushing: Bucs 14 for 60; Chiefs 11 for 57
First downs: Bucs 18; Chiefs 9
Third-down conversions: Bucs 2 for 6 (0 for 1 fourth down); Chiefs 1 for 6
Penalties: Bucs 1 for 5 yards; Chiefs 8 for 95 yards
Turnovers: N/A
Time of possession: Bucs 16:41; Chiefs 13:19

8:15 p.m.: Kneel. That'll end the first half with an incredible deficit likely no one predicted.

8:15 p.m.: Touchback. Now: Kneel or Hail Mary?

8:14 p.m.: Mathieu is also called for unsportsmanlike conduct after the touchdown. Not that it matters with so little time left in the half.

8:12 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, BUCCANEERS. Brady fakes the handoff and finds Brown in the end zone. Tampa Bay, somehow, did it again. That makes it 21-6 Bucs with just six seconds left in the half.

8:11 p.m.: Mathieu is called for pass interference in the end zone, but it looks like Brady way overthrew Evans.

8:10 p.m.: Timeout, Kansas City (0:13)

8:09 p.m.: Timeout, Tampa Bay (0:13)

8:09 p.m.: Brady finds Fournette for a big gain for 15 yards to the 9.

8:08 p.m.: Kansas City's timeouts bite them in the butt. Breeland is called for pass interference on Evans at the Chiefs' 24-yard line with 18 seconds left.

8:08 p.m.: Gronk gets the pass and gets the first down at the 42.

8:07 p.m.: Timeout, Kansas City (0:44)

8:06 p.m.: Brady goes to Godwin for a 8 yards to bring up third-and-2.

8:06 p.m.: Timeout, Kansas City (0:49)

8:05 p.m.: Fournette is stopped at the line of scrimmage. Second-and-10 upcoming.

8:05 p.m.: Jayden Mickens returns the kickoff out to the 29, giving Brady 55 seconds left to get his team in scoring position.

8:02 p.m.: Chiefs will now try to avoid the Packers' last-minute come-apart of the NFC championship game.

8:01 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, CHIEFS. Butker's true from 34 yards out, giving the Chiefs their second score of the game. That makes it 14-6 Bucs with 1:04 left in the half.

8 p.m.: Barrett again gets after Mahomes, forcing him to retreat and throws the ball away. Another field goal attempt upcoming.

8 p.m.: Mahomes' pass to Kelce gets to the 15, bringing up third-and-6. Four-down territory here?

7:59 p.m.: Mahomes again forced to extend plays with his feet. HIis dump-down pass to Hill is swallowed up for a 1-yard loss.

7:56 p.m.: Two-minute warning (2:00)

7:55 p.m.: Kelce gets the pass again after Mahomes plays a little backyard football in the backfield. That's another first down, with the Chiefs driving at the 18.

7:54 p.m.: Edwards-Helaire gets 7 on first down out to the 29-yard line.

7:54 p.m.: Mahomes scrambles left for a first down at the 36. The clock is winding down at about 3:30.

7:53 p.m.: Mahomes looks to run, pulls up at the last second in the pocket and finds Kelce again for a first down. The Chiefs are now driving across midfield at the 46.

7:51 p.m.: Mahomes to Kelce on the first play of the drive. Short memories by both. Kansas City is driving at the 38.

7:51 p.m.: The Chiefs are at it again from their 25, and they need a score here before halftime.

7:47 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, BUCCANEERS. Brady to Gronk AGAIN! Kansas City's L'Jarius Sneed tried to hold the tight end and he still caught it in the end zone to make it 14-3 Bucs with 6:03 left before halftime.

7:45 p.m.: Incredible. The Bucs' field goal is good, but the Chiefs' Antonio Hamilton is called for lining up in the neutral zone. That results in a first down at the 17. Just incredible.

7:45 p.m.: Brady and his receivers aren't in sync and it hits Tyler Johnson in his shoulder pad without his seeing it. Gronkowski is also in the area.

7:44 p.m.: Brady to Fournette goes for about 5 yards to the 22. The Bucs have third-and-5 from there.

7:42 p.m.: A lot to unpack: Brady's pass is deflected at the line of scrimmage, it bounces off Fournette's hands and Tyrann Mathieu pulls in an interception. But Charvarius Ward is called for holding before the pass, giving Tampa a first down at the 27.

7:41 p.m.: Brady to Gronk in the crossing route for 9 yards. Third-and-4 upcoming from the 32.

7:40 p.m.: The Chiefs knock Brown for a loss of 3 on the jet sweep. Second-and-13 upcoming from the 41.

7:37 p.m.: Wow. Townsend shanks the punt for only a 29-yard gain to the Kansas City 38.

7:36 p.m.: The Chiefs are called for holding on the punt, resulting in a 10-yard penalty. Here comes another Chiefs punt, this one from the 9-yard line.

7:35 p.m.: Oof. Mahomes again is pressured, but he finds Kelce for the first down ... until the talented tight end drops it. Another punt upcoming, and the Chiefs have only four first downs so far. Incredible defensive effort by Tampa so far.

7:34 p.m.: Darrel Williams only gets 2 yards on second down, bringing up third-and-8.

7:33 p.m.: Mahomes to Hill on the quick slant, and he weaves in and out of defenders for a 14-yard gain to the 15.

7:31 p.m.: The Bucs challenged the call, but it stands. That cost Tampa its second timeout and an ability to challenge later. Chiefs, meanwhile, take over at the 1-yard line.

7:28 p.m.: Turnover on downs, Bucs. The Chiefs go for it on fourth-and-goal and Jones is called short again! A goal-line stand! This one's definitely going to the booth for review though.

7:28 p.m.: Ronald Jones is stopped at the goal line.

7:27 p.m.: Joe Haeg nearly gets a fat-man touchdown, but it's broken up in the end zone. Incredible defensive play (and a reason you never go for a fat-man touchdown in the Super Bowl).

7:26 p.m.: Ronald Jones gets 4 yards down to the 2. Chris Jones is in on the tackle.

7:25 p.m.: Timeout, Tampa Bay (12:25)

7:24 p.m.: Bucs go hurry up, and Brady connects with Mike Evans on the deep crossing route for a 31-yard gain to the 6-yard line. Bucs are rolling on offense right now.

7:23 p.m.: Jones gets a 7-yard gain on first down to the Chiefs 45. He follows that up with a first-down run to the 37.

7:22 p.m.: Uh-oh. Chris Jones is called for unnecessary roughness after the play. Ryan Jensen got a little shove at the whistle, but Jones is caught retaliating. Either way, it's first down at the Bucs 48.

7:22 p.m.: Third-and-6 upcoming already for the Bucs.

7:20 p.m.: Mahomes' screen pass bounces off the intended target's hands. That's a three-and-out, and Tampa Bay will take over at the 30 after just a 27-yard punt from Tommy Townsend.

End of first quarter: Buccaneers 7, Chiefs 3

7:16 p.m.: Mahomes to Hill for 6 yards on second-and-10. That'll be the last play of the quarter, and the Chiefs will face third-and-4 on their first play after the break.

7:15 p.m.: Byron Pringle takes the kickoff from 4 yards deep for a 41-yard return to the 37.

7:14 p.m.: Curious bit of trivia: That Brady touchdown to Gronk not only is his first-ever first-quarter in the Super Bowl (it took 10 tries) but also breaks the Joe Montana-Jerry Rice record of tandem Super Bowl touchdowns.

7:10 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, BUCCANEERS. The Bucs' magnificent pass is capped by a beautiful touchdown connection between Brady and Rob Gronkowski; the tight end goes in motion in the backfield and is already running full speed when Brady connects with him on the tight end screen. It's 7-3 Bucs with 37 seconds left in the first quarter.

7:09 p.m.: Brady to Brown on a quick pass; the receiver delivers a monster stiff-arm to Breeland to make it second-and-5 from the 8.

7:09 p.m.: Fournette bounces at the line of scrimmage, regains his center of gravity and takes it 11 yards up the right sideline for a first down to the 13. Bucs can get a first down without a score.

7:08 p.m.: Now they go Cameron Brate on the tight end screen, getting 15 yards down to the 24-yard line.

7:07 p.m.: Now Brady finds Antonio Brown on a go route that comes back just a bit; that gives Tampa a first down at the Chiefs 39 after the gain of 16.

7:07 p.m.: Bashaun Breeland nearly intercepts a Brady pass, but he's called for holding on Mike Evans. First down Bucs at their 45.

7:06 p.m.: Fournette gets 6 on the third carry, giving the Bucs a first down at their own 35.

7:05 p.m.: Leonard Fournette gets back-to-back carries, bringing up third-and-1 at the 29.

7:04 p.m.: Brady and Co. again take over at the 25 following a touchback on the kickoff.

7:01 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, CHIEFS. Harrison Butker's 49-yard field goal is good! There's your first points of the Super Bowl; Chiefs lead 3-0 with 5:14 left in the first quarter.

7 p.m.: Mahomes avoids the double corner blitz and throws a side-arm pass downfield, but the ball goes through Hill's hands and hits him square in the face mask. Here comes a long field goal attempt.

6:57 p.m.: Mahomes gets a free play and nearly finds his receiver in the end zone, but it's batted away at the last minute by Sean Murphy-Bunting. It's a first down for the Chiefs at the Bucs' 30 following the offsides by Jason Pierre-Paul.

6:56 p.m.: Tough running by the rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who powers through a couple of tackles for a (near) first down at the K.C. 48. Mahomes gets the first down on the following play with an 11-yard scramble to the Tampa 41.

6:55 p.m.: Tyreek Hill gets his first touch of the game, a toss left for 5 yards.

6:54 p.m.: Officials moved it back to the 38; still good field position.

6:51 p.m.: Bradley Pinion's punt takes a Chiefs bounce to the Kansas City 42. Bucs are going to need to score soon; they can't keep playing a (losing) battle of field position.

6:51 p.m.: Frank Clark gets to Brady for a 1-yard loss, bringing up fourth-and-14. Another punt upcoming.

6:49 p.m.: That's followed immediately by a reverse to receiver Scotty Miller, who is tackled for a 3-yard loss by Frank Clark. Second-and-13 upcoming.

6:49 p.m.: Ronald Jones II gets the Bucs' first first down of the game with a 13-yard burst to the right. Tampa Bay driving at the 33.

6:45 p.m.: Touchback on the 51-yard punt.

6:45 p.m.: Interesting play there; Bucs again dial up the pressure, but Mahomes overthrows a fairly wide-open Mecole Hardman downfield. Here comes the second punt of the day (and Kansas City's second of the postseason).

6:44 p.m.: Chiefs again face third-and-8. Bucs doing a good job in coverage so far.

6:43 p.m.: Barrett again pressures from Mahomes' right, but he scrambles for 11 yards out to the 47.

6:42 p.m.: Shaq Barrett blitzes off the edge and has a completely open lane to Mahomes, forcing him to throw it in the dirt. Third-and-7 upcoming now.

6:40 p.m.: A 40-yard punt is downed at the 33-yard line. That's where Mahomes and Co. will take over.

6:39 p.m.: Tampa already facing third-and-6 after a couple short gains ... and Brady's throw to Chris Godwin in the flats is too long. They'll go three-and-out to start the game.

6:38 p.m.: Bucs start their series at the 23. Super Bowl 55, here we go.

6:34 p.m.: The Chiefs call heads and win the toss, electing to defer to the second half. Brady and the Bucs get the ball first.

6:31 p.m.: Travis Kelce and Lavonte David taking the coin toss for the Chiefs and Bucs, respectively.

6:21 p.m.: President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden give a pregame message to the Super Bowl contestants; they ask for a moment of silence for those who have died due to COVID-19. Raymond James Stadium is ... notably loud.

6:14 p.m.: Also, for those who missed it: The playing of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by Alicia Keys, played before the Super Bowl:

6:09 p.m.: It's about that time. Here are inactives for both teams: It seems the Bucs will have plenty of options ready with Antonio Brown, LeSean McCoy, Sammy Watkins and Cameron Brate all active:

Super Bowl start time

  • Date: Sunday, Feb. 7
  • Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

Super Bowl 55 between the Chiefs and Buccaneers kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET, which has become the usual time for Super Bowls. The game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 7, which is two weeks after the conference championship games determined that Kansas City and Tampa Bay would play in the season's final game.

You should be able to find Super Bowl coverage all over your cable channels throughout the day, including morning coverage on NFL network and extended pregame shows on CBS before kickoff.

What channel is the Super Bowl on?

The 2021 Super Bowl will be broadcast on CBS, which has actually flipped its turn in the three-network rotation with NBC. NBC wanted to trade to broadcast the 2022 Super Bowl to pair its advertising with its 2022 Winter Olympics coverage.

This will be the 21st Super Bowl on CBS, the most of any channel. It will also be the last during the current broadcast agreement that expires after 2022 and featured the three-network rotation of CBS, NBC and Fox, which broadcasted last year's game.

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.