With the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, the two best teams in the NFL face off in the Super Bowl. Before the final, we look at the numbers and explain what the Roman characters are all about and why the duel is also very special in terms of diversity.
1 – An important game for both quarterbacks
It’s hard to believe, but in the 57th Super Bowl, two black quarterbacks will face each other for the first time in Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. The fact that it took so long for two black playmakers to finally meet in the final also has something to do with racism. Because although between 60 and 70 percent of the players in the league are black, they were not considered for the position of quarterback for a long time. The general accusation: Black players lack the leadership qualities and intelligence for the quarterback position. A racist view that still shines through. Before the 2018 draft, Lamar Jackson was suggested to switch to the wide receiver position. Lamar Jackson didn’t listen and was named the league’s most valuable player a year later.
“It’s a historic moment, we’re part of it. So many before us have laid the foundation. This will be a special moment that I hope will be immortal,” Mahomes said of the historic duel earlier in the week. But there is one main reason why Mahomes and Hurts are in the final: their inimitable quality. Mahomes provides moments of surprise with unpredictable passes, convinces with game intelligence and the ability to read opponents. Hurts, still a youngster in the league at the age of 24, experienced a steep rise: the playmaker set numerous personal records during the season, impressed with brilliant passes, but also with his own excellent running game.
Make 2 out of 1 – Two brothers, but only one can win
There can only be one: Travis or Jason Kelce. For the first time in NFL history, two brothers will meet at the Super Bowl, which many supporters have therefore renamed the “Kelce Bowl”. Both are fundamentally important for their teams: Jason Kelce plays as a center in the highly praised offensive line of the Eagles, is responsible for the snap, i.e. handing the ball to the quarterback. Travis, at 33 two years younger than his brother, is considered one of the best tight ends in NFL history, holding several records at his position. For Patrick Mahomes, Kelce is an important and reliable reference station. His advantage over brother Jason: In 2020 he already won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs. “Whoever wins this Super Bowl has ultimate bragging rights,” Jason Kelce joked at the press conference.
2 – The end of a small series
For the first time in NFL history, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers qualified for a Super Bowl at home in 2021 — which the Bucs and Tom Brady also won. The Los Angeles Rams also managed the feat last year, qualifying for the finals at their home Sofi Stadium and beating the Cincinnati Bengals there. The series ends with the final in Glendale, and the home Arizona Cardinals ended the season as the third-worst team in the league.
7 – Leaving a TV station
ProSieben will broadcast an NFL game for the last time this Sunday. It was announced last year that RTL had secured the broadcasting rights to the NFL for the next five years, with 80 games being shown on live TV and streamed on RTL+ each season. It is unclear how the popular moderators around Christoph “Icke” Dommisch or Patrick Esume will continue. The German NFL professional Jakob Johnson would like well-known ProSieben employees such as Esume or “Icke” Dommisch to continue on RTL. “I hope that as many of the boys will be taken as possible because they just did a great job,” Johnson told dpa.
16 – Both teams are tied in wins
Rarely has a final been as balanced as the duel between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the balanced quality of the squad, a tight game is expected, both teams won 16 games in the season. The Eagles’ excellent defensive line could be decisive, which is why they are also considered a slight favorite by the bookmakers.
23 – The Curse of the Most Valuable Player
Patrick Mahomes is just 27 years old and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player for the second time last week. A nice honor, but a bad omen for the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s been 23 years since a player has won both MVP honors and the Super Bowl in the same season. The last time Kurt Warner, former quarterback for the St. Louis Rams, was able to do this was in 1999.
39 – The Eagles run into the end zone instead of flying
Maybe it’s a record for eternity: The Eagles have already scored 39 touchdowns this season through their excellent running game, quarterback Jalen Hurts alone 13 of them. If you want to see when the previous record was from, you have to search the history books for a long time. We’ll help out here: The Green Bay Packers have held the record for 37 rushing touchdowns since 1962.
57 or LVII – which is correct now?
Both are correct, but the NFL deliberately chooses the Roman numerals. Because while the regular season ended in 2022, the Super Bowl won’t take place until 2023, which the league says could be misconstrued. Because the titles such as the MVP for 2022 are also awarded, the Super Bowl therefore has the Roman numerals in its name.
100 – Or the question: how fit is Patrick Mahomes?
It’s the question that worries the supporters of the Kansas City Chiefs: How fit is Patrick Mahomes? Mahomes injured his ankle against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round of the playoffs. The 27-year-old had to go into the dressing room from time to time, came back in the second half and led his team to victory with a limp. Mahomes was also visibly struck in the conference final against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chiefs are very reserved when asked, head coach Andy Reid said on Thursday that Mahomes was “not at 100 percent”.
233,333 – This is how expensive a second of advertising at the Super Bowl is
Advertising at the Super Bowl has never been cheap, as the numbers this year show. According to media reports, the US broadcaster Fox, which broadcasts the game, will receive seven million dollars for a 30-second advertisement. That equates to roughly $233,333 per second. To make the effort worthwhile, companies usually invest in extremely complex commercials.
800,000,000 – The Super Bowl as a worldwide spectacle
The Super Bowl is not only popular in the US, but across the globe. Around 800 million viewers tune in to the NFL final every year. In Germany there were an average of 1.84 million viewers last year. That doesn’t sound like much, but the Super Bowl in this country always starts in the early morning hours. last year reported a market share of 60.5 percent in the target group of 14 to 49 year olds.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
