Chiefs vs Buccaneers: game and score predictions

In Week 11, Arrowhead Pride contributors were united in their belief that the Kansas City Chiefs would beat the Las Vegas Raiders – but almost all expected a bigger win. The points spread in our overall prediction of a 41.8-21.4 Chiefs win was five times too big. But our readers – while confident in a victory – were a little more cautious. 87% thought the Chiefs would win, but 29% thought it would be a close game.

Let’s see what our staff – and our readers – think about the Week 12 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Tom childs (@ tomchilds56)

Anyone for another shootout? Because that’s exactly what we’ll get on Sunday afternoon. Much has been said about Tom Brady’s lack of precise deep passing this season – but as he’s shown in the past, he doesn’t need to beat the Chiefs by taking punches. Instead, the savvy vet will use his experience to keep the Bucs in the game. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past two seasons, it’s that we’re still backing Patrick Mahomes in a shootout. Chiefs 38, Buccaneers 28

John dixon (@Arrowheadphones)

I can not help myself. I see this game through the lens of the 2018 Week 6 game against the New England Patriots, the 2018 AFC Championship and last season’s 23-16 road win over the Patriots. . Two years ago, Tom Brady had the advantage. Now the edge belongs to Mahomes. Chefs 27, Buccaneers 24

Ron Kopp Jr. (@Ron_Kopp)

The game against Tampa Bay will challenge the Chiefs as much as any team has – or will – this season. Say what you want about the Buccaneers’ recent losses, they are one of the most complete teams in the league. Their defensive front will present a big challenge for the Chiefs’ offensive line. Linebackers are athletic enough to limit production from Kansas City’s tight ends and running backs. On the flip side, their offense could take advantage of the Chiefs’ defensive weaknesses. Starting goaltender Ali Marpet is expected to be back in the lineup, which will help bring their offensive line back to one of the league’s best – and of late, the Chiefs’ pass rush has left a lot to be desired. If they can’t get the constant pressure off Tom Brady, he’ll use his plethora of top-tier weapons to tear up the Chiefs’ secondary. It will be one of the most memorable games of the Mahomes era, as he takes enough advantage of a young Tampa Bay high school kid to survive the GOAT. Chefs 45, Buccaneers 42

Matt Lane (@ChiefinCarolina)

It’s a game that a lot of people have circled since it was released from the NFL schedule: the old GOAT vs GOAT version four. The Chiefs enter this game after a comeback victory over the Raiders, while the Buccanneers have lost two of their last three games. Neither team is playing their best football; both use this game as a barometer to find out where they stand. When the Chiefs have the ball, they should be able to take advantage of a very aggressive covering unit – and finally push the ball vertically onto the pitch. The key will be the makeshift offensive line that will hold up to a quality – but not great – Tampa Bay passing unit. When the Buccaneers get the ball, Kansas City will need to improve their tackling – and their ability to bring the pass home. In recent weeks, the Bucs’ offensive line hasn’t been great – and if they want to slow down that attack, the Chiefs need a to do well game by Frank Clark and Chris Jones. The first half feels like a shootout – with both infractions clicking – but in the second half the Chiefs’ pass rush will start to come home as the offense continues to roll. Chiefs 38, Buccaneers 31

Matt Stagner (@stagdsp)

The Bucaneers are loaded, but inconsistent. They’re run by a guy with a full trophy box, but a waning arm. The Chiefs are now the champions – and they’re working on a dynasty. This game will at least be interesting because of the contrast between the new and the old – and because of the potential for fireworks with talented groups of talented players on both offenses. But I think there is a real chance the chefs will drop the hammer (h / t au Voices of the Chiefs) in Tampa Bay – and the game ends with an imbalance. Mahomes won’t be outmatched, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill are on a different level this year and Big Red could pull the ‘A’ script down. Chiefs 48, Buccaneers 35

Craig stout (@barleyhop)

On paper, it sounds simple: protect Patrick Mahomes and regularly hit Tom Brady. This season we’ve seen abysmal losses from the Buccaneers at the hands of teams that have been able to do it – and the Chiefs are perfectly capable of repeating the task. However, the Chiefs have had some protection issues this season – and the Buccaneers are capable of building up the pressure. On the flip side, the Chiefs ‘defense has struggled against the pressure recently – and could have major issues with the Buccaneers’ large-barred weapons. If the chefs execute, it could be a blast in their favor. Unfortunately, I think the defense could struggle for another week, allowing Tom Brady to hang on to Mahomes in a shootout. The Buccaneers get a few saves thanks to their rush – and the Chiefs lose a close one. Buccaneers 34, chefs 31

Kent swanson (@kent_swanson)

The Chiefs can’t catch their breath after a tough division game on national television. They’re back on the road, facing a freshly defeated team on Monday night. I think it’s a shootout – the one that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs ultimately win. The defense doesn’t solve any of their problems in any meaningful way from the previous week, but the offense carries the team to a big win. Tom vs (Show) Time equals 2-2. Chiefs 38, Buccaneers 33

Pete sweeney (@pgsween)

It was the closest I’ve come to picking an opposing team against Kansas City in a very long time. Coming into this game, the Chiefs’ lack of pressure in the narrow victory over the Raiders is a worrying sign as the Buccaneers offer high quality players in all skill positions. It’s hard for me to understand how the Chiefs’ defense will stop the Buccaneers – especially if Tom Brady can get into an early pace. Still, I think Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill are playing the best football of their respective careers. In what I expect to be a shootout, I just can’t bet against them. Chiefs 38, Buccaneers 35

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Ties in the standings are broken with a prediction points error – how much each prediction misses the actual points distribution and the number of points scored by each team.

As the only staff member to predict a Chiefs victory of less than 17 points, John Dixon’s 38-31 prediction (with just six points of error) earned him his first win of the season. Ron Kopp Jr.’s 45-28 pick was second with 26 points of error. This created an upheaval at the top of our rankings. John took first place, pushing Craig Stout and Kent Swanson to second and third places.