Nineteen games down, one more to go for Kansas City. The Chiefs are 17-2 heading into the final week of the 2024 NFL season and could become just the fourth team ever to win 18 games in one season with a win on Sunday night. They would join the 2007 Patriots, 1985 Chicago Bears, and 1984 San Francisco 49ers—all of whom went 18-1—with a victory.
That's not the only insane statistic that the Chiefs have put together during this record-setting season on their way to the NFL's first-ever three-peat. Some are on offense and some are on defense, but no matter which way you look at it, this team has put together some truly crazy stats. Not only that, but some statistics show how the Eagles' and Chiefs' second Super Bowl matchup in three years might go down.
For instance, Patrick Mahomes (6.4) and Jalen Hurts (6.3) enter the Super Bowl with the two lowest air yards per attempt out of all 14 teams that entered this year's playoffs per NextGenStats. Or, if you're a fan of sports betting, the Chiefs entered Super Bowl LIX as early 1.5-point favorites. That is good news for Mahomes who is 8-0 straight up and 8-0 against the spread in playoff games as an underdog or a favorite under three points.
Another good statistic that benefits the Chiefs is just how well teams have done in Super Bowl rematches. For starters, in Super Bowl rematches featuring the same quarterbacks, the records are all leaning one-way: 2-0 for Terry Bradshaw over Roger Staubach, 2-0 for Troy Aikman over Jim Kelly, and 2-0 for Eli Manning over Tom Brady.
It's not just quarterback rematches that lean in Kansas City's favor, it's rematches in general within an eight-year window. Every Super Bowl rematch within an eight-year window, including the three mentioned above, has been a sweep. This includes the 1981 and '88 49ers beating the Bengals and the Chiefs beating the 49ers in both 2019 and 2023.
Records were meant to be broken
As the old saying goes, "Records were meant to be broken." And with a few plays here and there on Sunday, there could be a few records broken that have stood for years, some of them for decades.
For starters, with three more receptions on Sunday night Travis Kelce will take over the top spot for most receptions in the big game. Currently, Kelce sits at 31 receptions, just two behind the greatest wide receiver of all time, Jerry Rice (33).
Another record that could be taken is the rushing yards record by a quarterback in the playoffs. Currently, Mahomes sits fourth overall with 581 yards but with 87 yards he could take over the top spot which is currently held by the quarterback that Mahomes beat last week, Josh Allen (668). What's even crazier is that Mahomes would be third on the list with 636 yards if it weren't for the 28 kneel-downs that have lost him 55 yards in his 20 postseason games.
Mahomes to Kelce has already been a record-breaking, unstoppable duo but they could continue to make history if Kecle records 15 more receiving yards. That would put Kelce (350) at second behind Rice (589) in most receiving yards in Super Bowl games. Kelce would surely be happy with that, but he could also break his own record of 133 receiving yards—the most by a tight end in a Super Bowl—with a strong game like he had two weeks ago against Houston when he put up 117.
One other record to keep an eye on is one regarding the Chiefs' rookie speedster, Xavier Worthy, who failed to reach the triple-digit mark this season when it came to receiving yards. That doesn't mean that he couldn't do it in the Super Bowl when it matters most, possibly breaking Chris Matthews' and Torry Holt's record of 109 yards in the Super Bowl as a rookie.
Some great stats from the year so far
The Super Bowl is quite obviously the only game that matters for the Chiefs (and Eagles), but that does not mean that the year up to this point wasn't filled with some great statistics.
One statistic that might surprise some is the fact that Kareem Hunt has forced 11 missed tackles on 25 carries during this postseason, a 44% missed tackle forced rate which was over twice his regular season rate (19.6%).
Another crazy statistic is one that many have already heard this week, but it bears repeating, regarding Mahomes' playoff victories. Mahomes, in his seventh year as a starter, already has 17 playoff victories which is second all-time behind just Tom Brady (35). Mahomes is now also starting in his fifth Super Bowl, the most by any QB before turning 30.
But it's not just the Chiefs' offense that led to the three-peat possibility this Sunday. A lot of praise has to go towards the defense. And not just the defense, but the "CEO of Sack Nation" Chris Jones, who ranked first amongst all defensive linemen in the NFL in PFF's pass rush grades (91.0) as well as hurries (53). Not only that, Jones ranked second in the NFL in pressures (74) and pass rush win rate (18.1%).
Jones isn't the only name that ranked first on the Chiefs' defense. Trent McDuffie, in just his third year in the NFL, ranked first amongst all defenders this year in lockdown rate (68.5%) which shouldn't surprise anyone after he was voted 1st Team All-Pro last year.
And finally, first place isn't just reserved for the great defenders who have helped Steve Spagnuolo look even better than he has already proven himself to be. Creed Humphrey, the highest-paid center in the league, proved he was worth the money by ranking first in run-blocking (91.1) and pass-blocking (90.6) amongst all centers according to PFF.
There's a reason this team is back in their third-straight Super Bowl and it is because of how well-disciplined, how talented, and how buttoned-up they have been throughout the entire season. It should not surprise anybody that Kansas City is back in the Super Bowl, but one more win would make them the most surprising team in NFL history--the first to ever win three in a row.