Super Bowl LIX: stats, records, and historical context

The Kansas City Chiefs (17-2) and Philadelphia Eagles (17-3) will meet in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday (5:30 p.m. FOX) at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The 34 combined wins, including the postseason, by the Chiefs and Eagles are the most-ever between Super Bowl opponents.

Kansas City Chiefs:

1. First team to reach the Super Bowl five times in a six-season span.
2. Can become the first team ever to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
3. Fourth team all-time to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls (joining 1990-93 Bills, 1971-73 Dolphins, 2016-18 Patriots).
4. Only three teams have appeared in the Super Bowl four or more times in the past 25 seasons: New England (9), Kansas City (5), and Philadelphia (4).

Philadelphia Eagles:

1. Can win their second Super Bowl in franchise history (previous win: Super Bowl LII, 2017 season).

Super Bowl LIX Historical Context

1. This will be the ninth Super Bowl rematch and the second time two teams meet twice in a 3-season span (Buffalo vs. Dallas in XXVII & XXVIII).
2. Kansas City defeated Philadelphia 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII (2022 season), the only Super Bowl where both teams scored at least 35 points.

Coaches: Andy Reid & Nick Sirianni

1. Reid’s 45th career postseason game as head coach (most in NFL history).
2. With a win, Reid can join Bill Belichick (6 Super Bowls) and Chuck Noll (4) with four Super Bowl victories.
3. Reid has 28 career postseason victories, second-most all-time behind Belichick (31).
4. Sirianni, third head coach to make two Super Bowls in the first four seasons of coaching. He will be 43 years, 239 days old – 5th-youngest to coach a second Super Bowl.

Quarterbacks: Patrick Mahomes & Jalen Hurts

1. Mahomes (29 years, 145 days old) can become the youngest QB ever to start five Super Bowls and the first under 30 to win four.
2. Mahomes has 43 career postseason TD passes, could surpass Joe Montana and Aaron Rodgers for second-most postseason TDs.
3. Mahomes has won Super Bowl MVP in each of the last two seasons (LIV, LVII) and can become the first player to win MVP three consecutive times.
4. Hurts becomes the 8th QB to start multiple Super Bowls in their first five seasons (joining notable QBs like Aikman, Elway, Mahomes).
5. Hurts set a Super Bowl record for most rushing yards by a QB in LVII (70 yards) and became one of only two players with three rushing TDs in a Super Bowl.

Key Players: Travis Kelce & Saquon Barkley

Travis Kelce:

1. Most postseason receptions in NFL history (174).
2. 2nd in postseason receiving yards (2,039) and TDs (20), trailing only Jerry Rice.
3. Can surpass Rice for most Super Bowl receptions and Gronkowski/Lynn Swann for second-most receiving yards in a Super Bowl.

Saquon Barkley:

1. 2,447 rushing yards in 2023, including 442 in the postseason (7th-most all-time in a single playoff run).
2. Can surpass Terrell Davis’ 2,476 rushing yards for most rushing yards in a season, including playoffs.
3. Can join elite company as the third player with 500 rushing yards in a postseason.

Eagles' Rushing Records

1. 39 rushing TDs this season (including playoffs), can break the Eagles’ own record of 42 set in 2022.
2. Can break the 1997 Broncos’ record of 12 postseason rushing TDs.
3. With 110 rushing yards in Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles could set a new record for the most rushing yards in a single postseason (currently 792 by Washington in 1982).

Nolan Smith’s Sacking Record

1. 4 sacks this postseason (2 in Wild Card, 1 in Divisional, 1 in NFC Championship).
2. Can become the first player since 1982 (when sacks became official) to record a sack in four postseason games in a single season.