Stupid Super Bowl Stats A Football Nerd Has Realized
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Stupid Super Bowl Stats A Football Nerd Has Realized

The most meaningless meaningful numbers you'll ever see.

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Stupid Super Bowl Stats A Football Nerd Has Realized
Kole Musgrove

I love statistics. Any kind of statistic, really. Especially ones that are so frivolous they clearly exist only for nerds like me to “analyze” and enjoy discussing. And when it comes to the Super Bowl, there are plenty of statistics to go around. This year’s matchup between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles is no different!

When studying the big game, I am someone who pays attention to patterns, parallels and repeating themes throughout NFL history. Maybe I’m superstitious, maybe I’m crazy, or maybe I’m a genius who has cracked a deeper code on determining Super Bowl champions that is more accurate than superficial numbers!

Or maybe I’m just a football nerd who had a little bit of free time who wanted to compile a list of interesting statistics/coincidences that are fun to read and will help you win your next game of trivia. I’ll let you be the judge!

  • The Patriots are going to wear their white jerseys for Super Bowl LII. This isn't just because New England thinks their whites look cool, it’s because 12 of the last 13 Super Bowl champions were the team wearing the white jerseys. This is a recent trend that was set in motion by… the New England Patriots in 2004 when they defeated… the Philadelphia Eagles. The Patriots are 3-0 in the whites under Belichick. Brady also averages 343.3 yards per Super Bowl in white, with 8 touchdowns to 3 interceptions. Compared to when he wears the blue jerseys, he only averages 260.2 yards per SB and only 5 touchdowns to 2 interceptions.
  • Speaking of white jerseys, this is the fourth straight year the AFC Champion will be wearing them. Four straight years of wearing the white jerseys is the longest streak in NFL history for either conference having their representing team do so. New England joins the 2015 Broncos and the 2005 Steelers as the only teams in the 21st century to choose their white jerseys when they were the designated “home” team. The Broncos and Steelers were both able to win their Super Bowls those years. The Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVII were the last NFC team to choose them as the “home” team. They too won as well.
  • The Broncos, Steelers and Patriots teams that opted to wear their white jerseys all did so against the #1 seeded NFC team that they faced in the Super Bowl that year.
  • Since New England will be wearing their whites, that means Philadelphia will be wearing their green uniforms. This season, the Eagles are 10-1 when wearing their home greens, with the one loss coming in a week 17 showdown where they had already clinched the #1 seed and were resting starters.
  • In the seven Super Bowls New England has played in during the Brady/Belichick era, the Patriots have never scored a single point in the first quarter. On the flip side, they typically do not let their opponents score either. For their five wins, they have allowed a grand total of three points from the then St. Louis Rams. However, in their two losses to New York, they allowed the Giants to score 12 total points.
  • This is New England’s second back-to-back Super Bowl appearance, they did so in ’03 and ’04. New England joins Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Denver, Miami, Minnesota, Washington and Dallas as the only teams to have two different back-to-back Super Bowl seasons in their history. However, if New England is able to win they will join Pittsburgh (’74-’75 and ’78-’79) as the only teams to ever win multiple back-to-back Championships. Speaking of Pittsburgh, a sixth Lombardi would also place the Patriots next to the Steelers as the only teams with six Super Bowl titles. The most in NFL history.
  • If New England does win, it could be argued that the vaunted Patriots dynasty is actually two dynasties. Winning Super Bowl LII will be their third championship in four years. Marking the second time in their history they’ve been able to win three titles in a four year window, and making them the only team in the Super Bowl era to have multiple three-in-four championship runs.
  • This stretch of Patriots Super Bowls looks awful familiar to their first three. In 2001 they faced the #1 seed St. Louis Rams from the NFC West who were looking for their second Super Bowl win, in 2003 they defeated the NFC South Champion Panthers, and in 2004 they capped their run with a second straight victory over the #1 seed Philadelphia Eagles. Now, in 2014 they defeated the #1 seed Seattle Seahawks from the NFC West who were seeking their second Super Bowl win, in 2016 they faced the NFC South Champion Falcons, and in 2017 they look to battle the #1 seeded Philadelphia Eagles once more.
  • The Patriots started their dynasty by winning two even-numbered Super Bowls, with their third being an odd-numbered Super Bowl. Now, the Patriots 4th and 5th championships were odd-numbered Super Bowls with this second repeat shot being one that will be played in an even-numbered Super Bowl.
  • New England isn’t the only team that has had similarities to the early 2000’s, as Philadelphia took a road eerily reminiscent of their 2004 season. In that year, Philly had to beat the Vikings and the Falcons to face off against the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Who’d they face to earn the right to play in Minnesota on February 5th? The Vikings, the Falcons, and now the Patriots are the only team standing in their way of the Lombardi again.
  • The best advantage the Eagles have over the Patriots is the fact that their defense was one of the best in the League this season ranking in at 4th. The Patriots, on the other hand, came in at 29th total defense per ESPN. Only two teams have ever won the Super Bowl with a bottom-12 defense, the ’06 Colts, and the ’11 Giants. In fact, the Giants hold the NFL record for the worst defense (27th ranked) to ever win it all.
  • Nick Foles was clearly the backup quarterback for the Eagles this season and became the starter only due to injury. Foles will become only the fourth primary backup quarterback to start a Super Bowl, but if history shows us anything he is in good company. The only other three, Doug Williams, Jeff Hostetler and Tom Brady, all earned rings as Super Bowl Champions.
  • While backup quarterbacks have had a good run at it in the big game, second-year head coaches do not. Doug Pederson has become the 15th head coach in NFL history to make the Super Bowl in only second season. However, those coaches are a measly 5-9 all time. The last being Dan Quinn who fell in Super Bowl LI only 12 months ago to... you guessed it... the Patriots.
  • Tom Brady holds almost every meaningful post-season statistic out there. But the one that sticks out to me the most right now is the fact that he is an astonishing 15-0 in the playoffs against teams he did not face in the regular season, and he last played the Eagles in 2015 which was a loss. The last time he faced a team in the Super Bowl after losing to them two years prior was in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks.
  • The Eagles mark the fourth time New England has faced a bird-themed team in the Super Bowl, going 3-0 against them. Tom Brady is also 5-0 in general when facing any animal themed team.
  • New England does not do blow-out Super Bowls, at least under Brady and Belichick. Their largest margin of victory was six points, and that was only accomplished last season against Atlanta. Next largest was four points against Seattle, and their first three championships were all determined by three. Conversely, their losses to New York were determined by three points and five points, respectively.
  • This will be the sixth time in the Super Bowl era where we will have a rematch. Teams that won the first go-round against their opponent are 4-1 in the rematch.
  • Tom Brady is the League’s leading passer this season. Interestingly enough, the passing leader has NEVER won a Super Bowl. Yes, that’s right. Those that have made the Super Bowl are 0-5. The last time Tom Brady was the League’s passing leader was in 2007, which was the infamous 16-0 season that ended 18-1 after a 17-14 loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

Well folks, there you have it. The most comprehensive list of the most (mostly) meaningless meaningful statistics you’ll ever find. If you’re using my secret system and going off these next level numbers then you too can predict the next Super Bowl Champion and be a savant, like me.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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