Statistics that will decide the Eagles versus Chiefs Super Bowl 57 matchup

272 NFL regular-season games are in our rearview mirror. (271 if you subtract the canceled Buffalo Bills/Cincinnati Bengals clash in Week 17). The 2022-2023 campaign was filled with tons of highlight-reel moments before we witnessed 12 phenomenal postseason games. The Philadelphia Eagles crafted an impressive 14-3 mark to earn the top seed in the NFC before toppling the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round and title game by a combined score of 69-14. It all comes down to this.

All 32 NFL teams dream of playing in the Super Bowl. Only two teams qualify, and Philly is one of those teams. They meet the AFC Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. As it should be, this will be the Birds’ toughest test of the season.

The winner will have earned the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The wait is almost over. It’s hard to avoid being impatient.

Here are a few statistics that will go a long way in helping the Eagles and Chiefs decide Super Bowl LVII.

Super Bowl LVII is loaded with subplots. The Eagles are favored. This game features the first meeting between two siblings playing on opposite sides (Jason and Travis Kelce). This is also the first time that two black starting quarterbacks square off in a deal.

51 years and 337 days will be their combined age when the game kicks off. There’s never been a showdown featuring stars this young. We all love statistics. Let’s discuss, highlighting several that could tell the tale.

The game features two of the top three scoring offenses in football.

The Eagles averaged 28.1 points during the 2022-2023 NFL regular season. The Chiefs crafted a 29.2 scoring average. That’s tops in the game.

During the postseason, things shifted. Philly has averaged 34.5 points per contest during their run to Glendale. The Chiefs have averaged an even 25. Stating that the team that scores the most points will win seems like a basic theory, but it couldn’t be more accurate. Both sides have the potential to spark fireworks.

The Eagles are the NFL’s top-ranked defensive unit versus the pass, and they nearly broke the NFL record for sacks.

Simply put, if the Eagles, defensively, are able to duplicate what we saw versus the Giants and 49ers during their first two postseason games, Super Bowl LVII will be a cakewalk. There are just two issues with that theory.

The Chiefs aren’t the Giants offensively, and Patrick Mahomes most certainly isn’t Brock Purdy. This Eagles pass rush is phenomenal though, and so is their pass defense. Both were ranked first in the NFL this season.

The Chiefs only allowed 26 sacks during the 2022 season. That was the NFL’s third-lowest total. 

We spend a lot of time discussing the Eagles’ offensive line, and rightfully so. Kansas City’s O-line deserves some credit as well. They’re phenomenal at protecting their QB, and if they do so with peak proficiency on Sunday, the Birds are going to have a long night.

Here’s a reason for optimism. The Cincinnati Bengals sacked Mahomes four times during the AFC Championship Game and pressured him on 34.8% of his dropbacks

Here’s another of those overused cliches. This game will be decided in the trenches. The Chiefs only allowed 26 sacks during the regular season, but we saw some chinks in their armor during the title game.

Andrew Wylie allowed nine sacks in 2022. That’s the third most by any tackle this season.

Well, you can’t discuss trench play without going back to that Eagles pass rush. If you’re looking for a mismatch, we’ve found one.

Haason Reddick figures to spend a lot of time matched up versus Andrew Wylie on the right side of the Chiefs’ O-line. The latter surrendered nine sacks in 2022. Only two players gave up more. Did we mention the fact that this game will be won in the trenches?