The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be the first team to host a Super Bowl, and will be playing in the big game for the first time in 18 years after defeating the Green Bay Packers 31-26 in the NFC Championship Game Sunday in Green Bay.

They will face the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, who defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship on Sunday night. Earlier this season, the Buccaneers lost to the Chiefs here at Raymond James Stadium, 27-24 in week 12.

Scotty Miller got behind the Packers secondary on the Bucs' last play of the first half for a remarkable 39-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to put the Bucs up 21-10. Call it a Hail Mary if you want, but there was single coverage on the play by Green Bay cornerback Kevin King, and Brady and Miller exploited it.

Brady threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, with the Bucs' other TD coming on a brilliant 20-yard touchdown run by Leonard Fournette early in the second quarter.

And on the Packers' first series of the third quarter, Jordan Whitehead forced a fumble that was recovered by Devin White, giving the Bucs the ball at the Green Bay 8-yard-line. On the very next play, Cameron Brate hauled in a pass from Tom Brady, Brady's third TD of the game, to extend the Tampa Bay lead to 28-10.

But the Packers weren't quitting, as there was plenty of time to go. A Robert Tonyan 8-yard touchdown reception cut the Buccaneers' lead to 28-17, and there was still only 9:28 to go in the third quarter.

And Green Bay picked up some more momentum on the next Bucs' series as Adrian Amos picked off a Brady pass to give the Packers possession at the Packers' 32. Green Bay then drove right down the field on the depleted Tampa Bay secondary, having started the game without Antoine Winfield Jr., and then losing Jerome Whitehead during the game with a shoulder injury. Aaron Rodgers tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams to end that drive, cutting the Tampa Bay deficit to five, 28-23.

After that score, neither team could muster a prolonged drive, as the fourth quarter became more tense with every play.

Bob Hauer