National Football League

Super Bowl 2023: Mahomes, Chiefs break multiple historic curses

Updated Feb. 13, 2023 9:22 p.m. ET

The NFL season is officially over, and Super Bowl LVII was one for the history books. The Kansas City Chiefs completed the sixth double-digit comeback in Super Bowl history, taking down the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 on a last-second field goal.

There were so many trends and active curses that pointed toward Kansas City losing, FOX Sports Research decided to dissect all the statistical obstacles that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs overcame.

1. Before Sunday, the last player to be named AP regular-season MVP and win the Super Bowl was the Rams' Kurt Warner in the 1999 season. The next nine players to win MVP and reach the Super Bowl in the same season went on to lose in the championship game.

Patrick Mahomes (2022 season): beat Eagles in Super Bowl LVII
Tom Brady (2017 season): lost to Eagles in Super Bowl LII
Matt Ryan (2016 season): lost to New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI
Cam Newton (2015 season): lost to Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50
Peyton Manning (2013 season): lost to Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII
Peyton Manning (2009 season): lost to New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV
Tom Brady (2007 season): lost to New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII
Shaun Alexander (2005 season): lost to Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL
Rich Gannon (2002 season): lost to Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII
Kurt Warner (2001 season): lost to Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI

2. That wasn't the only notable streak Mahomes broke. Entering this year's Super Bowl, there had been only six instances in which the league's leader in pass yards made the big game. Astonishingly, all six of those quarterbacks lost the Super Bowl that season:

Patrick Mahomes (2022 season): beat Eagles in Super Bowl LVII
Tom Brady (2017 season): lost to Eagles in Super Bowl LII
Peyton Manning (2013 season): lost to Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII
Tom Brady (2007 season): lost to Giants in Super Bowl XLII
Rich Gannon (2002 season): lost to Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII
Kurt Warner (2001 season): lost to Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI
Dan Marino (1984 season): lost to San Francsico 49ers in Super Bowl XIX

3. Entering Sunday, the team that had won the coin toss had lost a whopping EIGHT straight Super Bowls. The Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII (2013 season) were the last team to win the toss and the game. Additionally, the team to win the toss has now won the Super Bowl 25 times.

Super Bowl LVII: Chiefs won toss, won game
Super Bowl LVI: Cincinnati Bengals won toss, lost game
Super Bowl: LV: Chiefs won toss, lost game
Super Bowl: LIV: 49ers won toss, lost game
Super Bowl LIII: Los Angeles Rams won toss, lost game
Super Bowl LII: Patriots won toss, lost game
Super Bowl LI: Atlanta Falcons won toss, lost game
Super Bowl 50: Carolina Panthers won toss, lost game
Super Bowl XLIX: Seahawks won toss, lost game
Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks won toss, won game

4. The Eagles led by 10 points at halftime, which historically spelled doom for the Chiefs. Super Bowl teams up by 10 points at the break were a whopping 26-1. The only team to rally from such a deficit was the 2016 Patriots, who completed the largest comeback in Super Bowl history — 25 points versus the Falcons.

Additionally, Super Bowl teams leading by any amount at halftime were 41-11 prior to Sunday. The Chiefs are responsible for two of the six double-digit comebacks in Super Bowl history. Both were by exactly 10 points and, of course, involved Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.

2022 Chiefs: down 10 at halftime of Super Bowl LVII versus Eagles, won 38-35
2019 Chiefs: down 10 in fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV versus 49ers, won 31-20
2016 Patriots: down 25 in third quarter of Super Bowl LI versus Falcons, won 34-28 (OT)
2014 Patriots: down 10 in fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIX versus Seahawks, won 28-24
2009 Saints: down 10 in second quarter of Super Bowl XLIV versus Indianapolis Colts, won 31-17
1987 Washington: down 10 in second quarter of Super Bowl XXII versus Broncos, won 42-10

5. Before this past Sunday, the last team to lead the league in scoring and win the Super Bowl was the 2009 Saints. The Chiefs snapped a three-game losing streak for such teams.

2022 Chiefs: led regular season with 29.2 PPG, won Super Bowl LVII
2016 Falcons: led regular season with 33.8 PPG, lost Super Bowl LI
2015 Panthers: led regular season with 31.3 PPG, lost Super Bowl 50
2013 Broncos: led regular season with 37.9 PPG, lost Super Bowl XLVIII
2009 Saints: led regular season with 31.9 PPG, won Super Bowl XLIV

6. Similar to the above note, teams that have a high yardage output on offense have historically not performed well in the Super Bowl. In fact, the team averaging more offensive YPG in the regular season than its Super Bowl opponent is a whopping 2-10 in the past 12 Super Bowls. The winners and their YPG outputs are listed in bold below:

2022: Chiefs (424.7 YPG), Eagles (404.3 YPG)
2021: Rams (386.8 YPG), Bengals (385.2 YPG)
2020: Chiefs (425.3 YPG), Buccaneers (393.4 YPG)
2019: 49ers (395.9 YPG), Chiefs (391.2 YPG)
2018: Rams (435.1 YPG), Patriots (402.6)
2017: Patriots (406.8 YPG), Eagles (380.1 YPG)
2016: Falcons (430.5 YPG), Patriots (395.5 YPG)
2015: Panthers (384.7 YPG), Broncos (370.9 YPG)
2014: Seahawks (390.9 YPG), Patriots (376.1 YPG)
2013: Broncos (465.3 YPG), Seahawks (356.0 YPG)
2012: 49ers (377.6 YPG), Baltimore Ravens (368.6 YPG)
2011: Patriots (438.8 YPG), Giants (397.5 YPG)
2010: Green Bay Packers (372.6 YPG), Steelers (363.4 YPG)

7. From the 2015 to 2021 seasons, the team that allowed fewer points per game in the regular season compared to its Super Bowl opponent had won all seven Super Bowls in that span. The Chiefs also snapped that streak Sunday. The winners of each Super Bowl since the 2015 season are in bold below:

2022: Eagles (20.2 PPG allowed), Chiefs (21.7 PPG allowed)
2021: Rams (21.9 PPG allowed), Bengals (22.1 PPG allowed)
2020: Buccaneers (22.2 PPG allowed), Chiefs (22.6 PPG allowed)
2019: Chiefs (19.3 PPG allowed), 49ers (19.4 PPG allowed)
2018: Patriots (20.3 PPG allowed), Rams (24.0 PPG allowed)
2017: Eagles (18.4 PPG allowed), Patriots (18.5 PPG allowed)
2016: Patriots (15.6 PPG allowed), Falcons (25.4 PPG allowed)
2015: Broncos (18.5 PPG allowed), Panthers (19.3 PPG allowed)
2014: Seahawks (15.9 PPG allowed), Patriots (19.6 PPG allowed)

8. Jalen Hurts came into Sunday 10-0 this season (including playoffs) when rushing for 30 yards. Despite Hurts rushing for 70 yards and three touchdowns, both of which were Super Bowl records for a quarterback, the Chiefs pulled out the victory.

9. Head coach Nick Sirianni was a perfect 5-0 against the spread (ATS) and 5-0 straight up (SU) when his teams were a 1-3-point favorite or a pick 'em (including playoffs). This Sunday was the first time he lost in such a situation:

2022: one-point favorite vs. Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII (lost 38-35)
2022: three-point favorite vs. 49ers in NFC Championship (won 31-7)
2022: three-point favorite vs. Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 (won 24-7)
2021: three-point favorite vs. Saints in Week 11 (won 40-29)
2021: pick 'em at Broncos in Week 10 (won 30-13)
2021: three-point favorite at Detroit Lions in Week 8 (won 44-6)

10. And finally, as if it wasn't clear how incredible both Hurts and Mahomes were Sunday, we wanted to highlight all the history that each QB made in the Super Bowl.

Mahomes is …

The first player to win two AP MVPs and two Super Bowls in his first six seasons (next fastest is Tom Brady in 11 seasons).
The first Black starting quarterback to win multiple Super Bowls.
The third quarterback to win two AP MVPs and two Super Bowl MVPs (Tom Brady, Joe Montana).
The fourth quarterback to win two AP MVPs and two Super Bowls (Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning); Mahomes did this in six seasons.
The fifth-youngest quarterback to win two Super Bowls (Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw). He's also the fifth starting quarterback to win multiple Super Bowls before age 28.
The sixth player to win two Super Bowl MVPs (Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, Eli Manning).
The 11th player to win AP MVP and Super Bowl in the same season, and the first since Kurt Warner in the 1999 campaign.
The third player to win AP MVP and Super Bowl MVP and lead the league in pass TDs and pass yards over the course of his career (Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Kurt Warner). Mahomes achieved each of these feats this season.
Now 14-10 (58.3%) when trailing by 10-plus points (including playoffs), the best record of any QB in those situations.
Now 8-1-1 (88.9%) ATS and 7-3 (70%) SU as a starter when an underdog in his career (including the playoffs), the best cover rate of any quarterback all time with a minimum of eight starts as an underdog. This was his first time being an underdog in a playoff game.

Hurts …

Became the first quarterback to rush for three TDs in the Super Bowl. He and Jim McMahon (1986) are the only quarterbacks to rush for two TDs in the Super Bowl.
Recorded his second career game with 300 pass yards, 50 rush yards and three rush TDs — no other player has done that once.
Became the first player to rush for two TDs in the first half of a Super Bowl.
Joined Hall of Fame RB Terrell Davis (in Super Bowl XXXII) as the only players with three rush TDs in a single Super Bowl.
Now has 31 career rush TDs (including the playoffs), passing Cam Newton for the most by a quarterback in his first three seasons.

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