The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to become the first franchise in NFL history to win three straight titles during the Super Bowl Era. The Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping to become the first club to hold up the Lombardi Trophy seven times.
While the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, and Minnesota Vikings are looking for their first Super Bowl victory after playing on Super Sunday in the past, the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans are hoping to reach the “Big Game” for the first time ever.
Here are some fascinating numbers regarding this season’s 14-team postseason field.
3
The National Football League expanded their playoff format from 12 to 14 teams in 2020. Over the first four seasons of that stretch, there were 32 instances where a club lost its first two games. Only twice did a team manage to reach the playoffs after such a start.
That would be the 2022 Cincinnati Bengals, who eventually reached the AFC title game, and the 2023 Houston Texans. DeMeco Ryans’ club won the AFC South and a wild card game. This season, the playoff field includes the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and Los Angeles Rams. All three teams dropped their first two games this season and play this weekend.
38
Thanks to last year’s postseason, the San Francisco 49ers set a new NFL record for postseason wins. Their 34-31 victory over the Lions in the NFC Championship Game gave them 38 playoff wins, five of those in the Super Bowl. Kyle Shanahan’s club won’t be able to add to that total, but two teams in this year’s field may be able to tie or surpass the mark.
The Packers and Patriots are tied with 37 postseason wins, and Green Bay battles the Eagles on Sunday looking to draw even with the Niners. The Steelers and Cowboys have 36 playoff wins, and the former could perhaps edge closer to the NFL record with some success.
9
Not breaking any news here, but stopping your opponents from putting points on the board remains a key to winning, regardless of the sport. As for the NFL, the top nine teams in the league in terms of fewest points allowed are all in the playoffs, and that list includes three teams each from the AFC West and NFC North.
In order, it’s the Chargers (301), Eagles (303), Broncos (311), Chiefs (326), Vikings (332), Packers (338), Lions (342), Steelers (347) and Ravens (361). The last team to lead the league in fewest points allowed and win the Super Bowl the same season was the ‘16 Patriots (250), who captured Super Bowl LI.
4
It helps when there is an extra game, as has been the case since 2021. Regardless, an NFL-record four teams totaled at least 500 points this season. That’s as many as the previous three seasons combined. The Lions led the way with 564 points, the fourth-highest single-season total in NFL annals, followed by the Bills (525), Ravens (518) and Buccaneers (502).
Still, it is worth noting that the top 13 teams in league history in terms of points scored in a season, led by the 2013 Broncos (606), did not hoist a Lombardi Trophy. The ‘99 St. Louis Rams (526) own the mark for the most points scored by a Super Bowl champion.
31
The Dallas Cowboys won’t be around for this year’s playoffs after finishing 7-10. This after three straight postseason appearances in which they finished 12-5 each year. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings are in the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, and have a rematch with Rams on Monday night.
The Cowboys own a 36-31 postseason mark, while the Purple Gang is a less-than-scintillating 21-31 lifetime in the playoffs. Hence, a loss by Kevin O’Connell’s 14-3 club at SoFi Stadium would give the Vikings 32 playoff setbacks. Minnesota is seeking its first playoff win since defeating the Saints, 26-20 in OT, back in 2019.