Temple University Athletics

Bruce Arians

Owls in the NFL – Super Bowl

2.8.21 | Football

By: Cameron Markt

PHILADELPHIA – In the culmination of the 2020 NFL season, Super Bowl LV saw Tampa Bay and its coaching staff full of Temple connections play host to the Kansas City Chiefs, whose Director of Pro Personnel Tim Terry played at Temple in the 1990's.

Tampa Bay's coaches and players put on a dominating performance throughout the game, stifling Kansas City's historic offense and producing on the offensive side in a 31-9 victory, giving the franchise its second Super Bowl title. Head coach Bruce Arians, who won two championships as an assistant coach in Pittsburgh, becomes the first former Temple head coach to lead an NFL team to a Super Bowl win. Tampa Bay is only the fourth team in NFL history to win three road playoff games and go on to win the Super Bowl, and Arians was a part of the first team to do it, Pittsburgh in 2005. This is the second Super Bowl victory for quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen, who won a championship as an assistant coach with Indianapolis in 2006. Christensen helped coach Tom Brady this year as he won his seventh Super Bowl title, the most of any player in NFL history.

For the other six Temple products on the Tampa Bay coaching staff, Sunday night was the first Super Bowl win in their coaching careers, and they each helped the team in various ways to a winning effort.

Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who won a Super Bowl as a player for Washington in 1987, oversaw a defensive unit that held Kansas City's prolific offense to nine points, their lowest total since 2017. With the victory on Sunday, assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust became the first female position coach to win a Super Bowl ring. Locust's position group put on a strong showing, totaling three sacks and eight QB hits. The defensive line also pressured Patrick Mahomes on 29 dropbacks in the game, the most in Super Bowl history. Running backs coach Todd McNair coached a unit that had 145 rushing yards, including a 27-yard run by Leonard Fournette in the third quarter to give Tampa Bay a commanding 28-9 lead. Safeties coach Nick Rapone, who was facing a strong threat in Kansas City's deep-play offense, did a good job of not letting the Chiefs receivers get behind his defensive squad, as Kansas City only had one play of over 30 yards. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. also added an interception in the third quarter to keep Tampa Bay's three-score lead. Cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross coached up a group that held Kansas City's star wide receivers in check throughout the game, with only two receivers catching more than two passes. The defense also had nine pass breakups in the game to further disrupt the Chiefs aerial attack.

Special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong's group converted their only field goal attempt and their four extra points. The punting unit also helped the defense with field position, pinning Kansas City inside the 10-yard line in the fourth quarter to further cement the victory.

Congratulations to the Buccaneers #TempleTUFF coaching staff and the entire Tampa Bay organization on their Super Bowl victory.

 

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