No disrespect to the other offensive skill position players on the Kansas Chiefs or Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster, but there should be no doubt that Tyreek Hill will be the best offensive weapon on the field in Super Bowl LV. As a matter of fact, Hill very well could be the best offensive weapon in the entire NFL. That won’t come off as a surprising take to most, as Hill’s rare athleticism and playmaking ability have been terrorizing defenses for plenty of seasons now. There are still a few, however, who still fail to recognize him as a top tier player in the league. Hill’s level of talent can no longer be brushed aside, though.
Doubters and naysayers like to use Hill’s quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, and his head coach, Andy Reid, as reasons to discredit his success. They say it’s easy for any wide receiver when they have the best quarterback in the game throwing them the ball and one of the best coaches in the game scheming up plays downfield for him. While there is some truth to that argument, none of it can take away from Hill’s talent and what he brings to the Chiefs’ offense to make Mahomes a better quarterback and Reid a better coach too. It works both ways.
= Player Evaluation =
The NFL has its fair share of explosive offensive weapons, but Hill’s burst, quickness, and top-end speed are on a whole other level from everyone else’s. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen anyone as dynamic in pads as him. While there are players with elite speed and quickness, it’s as though Hill’s are rare and one-of-a-kind.
.@cheetah taking no days off 💨
(via @wideouts)pic.twitter.com/Qyy9IYVDQO
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 30, 2021
Hill’s skillset isn’t limited to just being a unique and special athlete playing football, though. Since his rookie season, he’s steadily improved the other aspects of the wide receiver position. For one, he’s a much more nuanced route runner now. His release off the line of scrimmage is deadly quick and it’s almost impossible for cornerbacks to jam him. His route stem is also much better to the point where he’s consistently selling the vertical route, which forces defenders to commit deep. Once they do, he does a great job at breaking off his route on crossers and stop routes.
Textbook speed release!
🔘Punch through/ avoid contact
🔘Head down, drive away from the DB creating more separation.
🔘Collect your check
@cheetah 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ULYNBn9myx— Receiver School (@RS_Arizona) April 2, 2020
Tyreek’s release 😳 His speed is just 🤯 @cheetah @Chiefs
📺 #BUFvsKC on CBS pic.twitter.com/Z4LG0K4lSr
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 25, 2021
Hill has also shown to be good at the catch point as well. He’s listed at only 5’10” and weighing only 185 pounds, but his muscular and compact build gives him the play strength to fight off contact throughout his route and when the ball is in the air. At times he looks like Steve Smith in the way he attacks the ball in the air and somehow comes down with it.
What makes Hill so special and separates him from other speed receivers though is the fact that defenses know what to expect, yet he still finds a way to consistently provide explosive plays, and he does so in a variety of ways. He’s as unstoppable as any weapon we’ve seen in the league.
= Impact on Super Bowl LV =
Football is all about matchups, and make no mistake, Tyreek Hill will be the most notable mismatch on the field in Super Bowl LV. If the Buccaneers are going to have any hope of winning the game, they certainly can’t have the same approach to defending him as they did in their Week 12 game.
Watch my Week 12 film breakdown below:
Of course, as is the case in every game that Hill plays in, it’s one thing to limit him but it’s a whole other thing to stop him. Furthermore, even if you have him contained for a good amount of the game, all it takes is one play to completely turn the momentum. Just ask the San Francisco 49ers and they’ll tell you what it was like playing against Hill in last year’s Super Bowl.
The Buccaneers are believed to have the better receiving corps overall with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, and Cameron Brate making up a loaded group of weapons. However, when it comes down to it, none of them are Tyreek Hill. No one else in the league is. And even if his numbers may not always dictate so, his presence on the field does, and you can guarantee that he will make his presence in Super Bowl LV known one way or another.
