Seven Facts about Super Bowl 57

On February 12, 2023, the 2022-23 NFL season will conclude with the 57th edition (LVII) of the Super Bowl. Hosted at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Superbowl LVII is expected to be a thriller, as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles.

Both teams are riding high coming into this game. In the National Football Conference (NFC) championship game, the Eagles routed the hampered the San Francisco 49ers in a 31-7 demolition. In the American Football Conference (AFC) championship, the Chiefs kicked a game-winning field goal that resulted in them winning 23-20 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Eagles’ win cemented them as the most all-around team in football while the Chiefs’ win shattered Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s undefeated streak against them.

With both teams set to face off in due time, here are seven stats and facts that headline this intriguing championship matchup.

Fact No.1: The Reid Bowl

On Sunday, Chiefs coach Andy Reid will be facing his former team in the Eagles, making this the fifth time a coach has faced their former team in Super Bowl history.

Reid was head coach of the Eagles for 14 years. During his tenure, Philadelphia experienced one of the best stretches in its history, reaching four straight conference championships and one Super Bowl appearance. Reid was then hired by the Chiefs in 2013. In his 10 years in Kansas City, Reid has had even more success as he has won a Super Bowl, and is currently in position for a second one.

Throughout his coaching career, Reid has been universally beloved. With his coaching genius and booming charisma, “Big Red” is loved immensely by his former and current teams. Although losing the Super Bowl would be devastating, Eagles fans’ despair would be lessened by the exhilaration of their erstwhile head coach.

Fact No.2: A Band of Brothers

With the opening kickoff at Super Bowl LVII, Jason and Travis Kelce will become the first brothers to face off against each other in Super Bowl history.
Both brothers are one of the best players at their respective positions in NFL history. Jason Kelce is a center who has totaled six Pro Bowl and five All-Pro selections in his career. With his accolades, Jason is the eighth center to be named to at least five All-Pro selections, and is the oldest All-Pro since 1960. Travis Kelce is a tight end who has accumulated eight Pro Bowl and four All-Pro selections. Travis is the fourth tight end in history to be selected to at least eight Pro Bowls, and holds the record for the most consecutive 1000-yard seasons for a tight end (7).

In addition, both brothers have had storied careers for their franchises that have resulted in a Super Bowl. Jason Kelce has played the most games by an offensive lineman in Eagles history, and has pioneered one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. His historic play and leadership paid off in 2018, as Jason was a main contributor in the Eagles’ Super Bowl win against the Patriots. Travis Kelce is both the longest-tenured player on the Chiefs, and second in both receiving yards and touchdowns in franchise history. His excellence was rewarded in 2020 as his 4th quarter touchdown catch helped lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory against the 49ers.

Both brothers will try and win a second Super Bowl to add to their illustrious careers. As both Canton-bound brothers embrace each other on the field, they will most likely cherish that moment as their lives have gone full circle.

Fact No.3: Black QBs – a Tale of Two

In the midst of black history month, Super Bowl 57 responded by having Patrick Mahomes take on Jalen Hurts: the first black quarterbacks to face off against each other in Super Bowl history.

Entering Super Bowl LVIl, there have only been nine other times a black quarterback started in the Super Bowl. The first instance came in 1987, when Washington Redskins (now the Commanders) signal-caller Doug Williams obliterated the Denver Broncos behind a 340-yard, 4-touchdown masterpiece. The most recent occurrence came in 2021, when Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes fell in Brady’s pursuit of his seventh Super Bowl. This Super Bowl will mark the 10th and 11th time a black quarterback will start for a Super Bowl team, and marks the first time that number has gone up by two in one season.

Both QBs are ecstatic to accomplish this feat. When asked how they feel coming into the game, Mahomes stated that this game is “special,” while Hurts doubled down by saying this game “is history he’s happy to be a part of.” When asked about the significance of their matchup, both QB’s implied that they hope to continue to “pave the way” for future black quarterbacks.

Fact No.4: First-Team v. Second-Team

This year’s Super Bowl will feature the sixth first-team vs second-team All-Pro quarterback matchup in Super Bowl history.

This year’s first-team All-Pro was Patrick Mahomes. The gunslinging improviser dominated opponents, ranking first this season in passing yards (5250) and touchdowns (41). Mahomes’ season eclipsed historic measures, as he accumulated the most total yards in a single season in NFL history (5570).

Jalen Hurts headlined the second-team All-Pros. This season, the deep-ball scrambler totaled 35 touchdowns and led his team to a 14-1 record when he played. Hurts also had a historic season, as his phenomenal ground attack allowed him to break the record for the most rushing touchdowns in a season by a quarterback (including the postseason) at 15.

Coming into this game, the second-team All-Pro quarterbacks are 5-0 against their first-team counterparts. This Sunday, Hurts will look to extend this undefeated streak while Mahomes will look to end it.

Fact No.5: The Age of Youthfulness

Along with their historic, All-Pro play, Hurts and Mahomes tie for first for the youngest combined age of starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl history (51 years).

Mahomes is 27 years old in his sixth NFL season. Due to his greatness at a young age, Mahomes has become one of the youngest quarterbacks ever to achieve some of the biggest accomplishments in football. In his third season, at age 24, Mahomes became the second youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl, and the youngest quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP. Three years removed from his rookie deal, Mahomes is the youngest quarterback ever to start three Super Bowls, and will look to become one of the youngest players ever to win two.

Hurts is 24 years old in his third season as a pro. With the kickoff on Sunday, Hurts will become the eighth youngest quarterback to start in Super Bowl history. With his rookie contract set to expire after this year, Hurts will look to receive a gigantic extension in the offseason, potentially aided by a Super Bowl ring.

Fact No.6: Sacks in Bunches

Both teams specialize in terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. For the season, they finished top two in the league in sacks.

The Eagles had a historic pass rush this season, totaling 70 sacks. With that number, the Eagles decisively paced the league and tied for third all-time for the most sacks in a single season. Their sacks came from a multitude of contributors, as five Eagles players had at least eight sacks this season. The person with the most sacks was outside linebacker Hassan Reddick. The former Arizona Cardinal enjoyed a breakout season, producing a career-high 16 sacks on the way to a second-team All-Pro selection.

The Chiefs, in their own right, also possessed a dominant pass rush with 55 sacks. The Chiefs were led by their all-pro defensive tackle Chris Jones. The Mississippi Bulldog decisively led the team with 15.5 sacks despite drawing a double team on 69% of his snaps (most in the league). He did this by winning 21% of his snaps (also a league-high), making him a legitimate defensive player-of-the-year candidate and cementing him as one of the best defensive players in football.

With the Eagles’ all-around pass rush against the Chiefs’ all-around superstar, the thought of who can derail the opposing offense more is enticing speculation.

Fact No.7: Same Points, Same Record

The final fact of this exhilarating Super Bowl Sunday matchup is that in their 19 games leading up to the Super Bowl, the Chiefs and Eagles scored the same number of points and amassed the same record.

The Chiefs had the No.1 scoring offense in the regular season, averaging 29.2 points per game and totaling 496 points through the first 17 games. In the playoffs, the Chiefs added 27 and 23 points in the divisional round and conference championship in order to equal 546 total points. The Eagles also had a high-scoring offense in the regular season, averaging 28.1 points per game and totaling 477 points in their first 17 games. In the playoffs the Eagles have ramped up their offense, scoring 38 and 31 in their two playoff games in order to also equal 546 points. In addition, both teams went 14-3, clinched the No.1 seed, and went 2-0 in their playoff matchups, cementing them both at 16-3.

These seven interesting stats and facts both showcase how evenly matched these teams are and how the significance of this game is unprecedented to previous Super Bowls. As Super Bowl 57 inches closer towards present-day, another chapter of NFL immortality is on its way.