4th and a mile with Paul Muth
Help me sound cool: A Super Bowl guide for the casual fan
Feb 5, 2021, 12:50 pm
4th and a mile with Paul Muth
If you've been counting down the days until February 7th, 2021, this string of text probably isn't for you.
If you're...a little less invested...you've come to the right place.
This is and has always been a primer for those that just need a little backstory before the game. I've made a career off of faking it until I make it, so I'm just here to pay it forward.
This is what you forward to your friends that heard there was going to be a party in early February, but just now realized that it was a football thing.
Let's go.
What's going on
The Super Bowl, no need to act that naive.
Who's playing?
The Kansas City Chiefs versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Help me sound cool
The Kansas City Chiefs are looking for the first back to back Super Bowl Championship since 2004. Guess who won it?
The dude quarterbacking the team they're facing, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Who's quarterbacking the Bucs? (yes that's how it's abbreviated)
Tom Brady. The Uggs spokesman. Gisele Bündchen's less successful spouse. Also the most successful quarterback in NFL history. Look him up.
He's a good looking dude.
FOCUS.
What about the other quarterback?
Patrick Mahomes? Well he went to Texas Tech, he's already a league MVP, Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl MVP and he's only 25. He also throws no-look passes like a robot and sounds like Kermit the Frog.
What about the rest of the Chiefs?
You'll hear the name Tyreek Hill a lot. He's the fastest man on the planet. I think. His nickname is "Cheetah," which means a lot considering that professionally fast people gave him a fast nickname.
On defense look for a guy named Tyrann Matthieu. His nickname is "The Honey Badger," which is just cool as hell. He's from LSU, and he used to play for the Texans. Since he left Houston, the Texans have finished the past two seasons with one of the worst rated pass defenses in all of football.
Seems like a guy worth keeping around, but I digress.
Sure, ok. What about the Bucs?
Watch for Mike Evans. He's a giant wide receiver who's basically a basketball player that just jumps over everyone and catches everything. He's an A&M alum, and is so unabashedly Texan that he catered Whataburger at his wedding. You can't root against that, unless you're from California or something.
On defense look for Devin White. Well, you won't have to. He'll make himself known.
Anything else?
Tampa Bay is the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Oh, and Tom Brady is 700 years old.
So who wins?
Vegas has the Chiefs favored, and they should. But I've learned over the past 20 years to never--ever--bet against Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr.
Ever.
I call 31-27 Bucs, because I want to see Rob Gronkowski do Rob Gronkowski things.
The Texans flurry of offseason extensions continues as Houston has secured one of the top defenders in its secondary. According to multiple reports, Jalen Pitre is now the highest-paid nickel in the NFL.
$29.156M in guarantees for Jalen Pitre, who is now the NFL’s highest-paid nickel. https://t.co/VBv6kuQbjr
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 11, 2025
Pitre has agreed to a 3-year, $39 million extension with over $29 million in guarantees. Pitre joins pass rusher Danielle Hunter and star corner Derek Stingley, who have also received massive extensions this offseason with Houston.
Pitre has been a key piece of DeMeco Ryans' defense and is now being recognized for it. It was a massive blow for Houston when Pitre went down for the year in Week 12 last season with a torn pectoral muscle.
During Pitre's three seasons with the Texans he's recorded a sack, two forced fumbles, six interceptions, 21 passes defended, and 296 tackles.
The Texans secondary is absolutely loaded for the foreseeable future with Stingley Jr., breakout rookie corner Kamari Lassiter, Super Bowl winning safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, Jimmie Ward, and standout rookie safety Calen Bullock.
Good luck, AFC South quarterbacks!