The Buccaneers are famously deep at receiver, which presents a challenge for defenses facing them.
Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland is embracing that challenge as a chance to prove his status as a legitimate defender, no matter who he's facing.
"Not per se one that I want to go against the whole night ... I want all of them," Breeland said of the Bucs' receiving corps. "I want a chance to showcase my talent against all of them because they're different type of guys."
They are, in fact, different types of guys. Mike Evans is the big-bodied playmaker with premier athleticism, while Chris Godwin is a slightly smaller, effective pass-catcher. Scott Miller is a burner, and rookie Tyler Johnson is a promising player who is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. And we all know who Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown are.
So who is Breeland? Well, for one, he's a corner who has Super Bowl experience in the big-play department. Last year, Breeland intercepted 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, putting the Chiefs near midfield for a drive that ended in a field goal.
He's also one of the league's better defensive backs in terms of Next Gen Stats. Breeland ranked 20th in targeted expected points added (or EPA; this statistic explains how much an individual player's performance is affecting the total points scored by the opponent), taking away five points from opponents in 2020, and he finished with a targeted completion percentage allowed relative to expectation of -4 percent.
Statistically, Breeland is a solid cornerback. He'll need to be even better against a Bucs offense that likes to push the ball down the field and will undoubtedly come after him at least a few times Sunday.
If the Chiefs win, Breeland will want to showcase Super Bowl LV for years to come.
