Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady and 5 stars who led to Super Bowl win
Tampa Bay Buccaneers star No. 2: Rob Gronkowski, TE
It’s difficult to understate how little of a role Rob Gronkowski had been playing in the Buccaneers passing attack at the end of the season and in the playoffs. He had no catches against Washington and just one reception in each of the games against the Saints and Packers. But when the lights were the brightest in Super Bowl LV, Brady looked to his familiar friend often and they were dominant.
Gronk looked like his old self on Sunday night in Tampa, threatening in the red zone and breaking open the middle of the field with regularity. He finished the night with six receptions on seven targets for a team-high 67 yards and two touchdowns. We may have thought Gronk wasn’t the player he once was but he sure looked like it when a title was on the line.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers star No. 1: Carlton Davis, CB
In the first matchup in the regular season between these two teams, cornerback Carlton Davis had an awful time. He was the primary defensive back responsible for the fact that Tyreek Hill went off for over 200 yards in the first quarter and ended the game with three touchdowns. But when it came to the rematch with a Super Bowl championship in the balance, Davis was ready.
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Granted, Davis got help from the pressure the defensive line brought and the coverage schemes but he was great on Sunday night. He allowed only two receptions on the night and was only targeted four times when in coverage because of how well he played. It was a truly different type of performance and one that set the tone for the Buccaneers defense.