Inside the Numbers dives into NFL statistics, streaks and tendencies every week. For extra Inside the Numbers, head right here.
___
Few faculty packages have had as a lot success or produced as many star gamers within the NFL as Alabama.
Amazingly, there’s nonetheless one thing no participant who ended his faculty profession taking part in for the Crimson Tide has achieved: rating a degree in a Super Bowl.
That gained’t change this 12 months with neither the Chiefs nor the 49ers having a former Alabama participant on the energetic roster.
Players from 143 faculties have scored a degree in a Super Bowl with Miami gamers main the best way with 84, adopted by Florida (82 factors), Penn State (81) and Notre Dame and California (66 every).
Even the Coast Guard Academy has gotten into the act with an additional level by Washington’s Curt Knight in a 14-7 loss in Super Bowl 7.
The streak for this system with a report 12 Associated Press titles and probably the most NFL gamers (68) this season practically ended a 12 months in the past when DeVonta Smith caught a forty five-yard go for Philadelphia earlier than being dominated out on the 2.
That go was thrown by Jalen Hurts, who started his faculty profession at Alabama however entered the NFL out of Oklahoma. Hurts scored 20 factors in that recreation with three TD runs and a 2-level conversion run.
Alabama has had Super Bowl success at quarterback with the primary three MVPs being Crimson Tide merchandise, together with Super Bowl 11 winner Ken Stabler.
Bart Starr threw two TD passes for Green Bay towards Kansas City in Super Bowl 1 and added one other the next 12 months towards the Raiders. But the NFL credit factors to the participant who catches a TD go not the thrower.
Joe Namath gained MVP for the Jets in Super Bowl 3 towards the Colts with out scoring or throwing for a TD. Stabler had one TD go in his win for Oakland towards Minnesota.
San Francisco reached the Super Bowl because of an epic comeback towards Detroit within the NFC title recreation.
The 49ers rallied from being down 24-7 at halftime to win 34-31 and advance to their eighth Super Bowl — tied for the second most ever.
The comeback tied the most important in NFC championship historical past with the Niners additionally getting back from 17 factors right down to beat Atlanta 28-24 within the 2012 season.
It was one level shy of the most important comeback in any convention championship recreation with Cincinnati getting back from 18 factors right down to beat Kansas City two years in the past and Indianapolis doing the identical towards New England within the 2006 season.
The solely different comeback that massive in both a Super Bowl or NFL championship recreation was the Patriots’ rally from 28-3 right down to beat Atlanta 34-28 in additional time in Super Bowl 51.
Overall within the playoffs, groups main by at the least 17 factors at halftime had been 107-6 earlier than the loss by the Lions.
San Francisco additionally got here again from seven factors down within the fourth quarter to beat Green Bay within the earlier spherical, turning into the eighth workforce to beat second-half deficits in each the divisional spherical and the convention championship recreation.
Kansas City didn’t play a single highway recreation of their first 5 postseasons with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback.
That didn’t cease them from turning into a dominant touring present on the best way to a fourth Super Bowl look in 5 seasons.
The Chiefs adopted a win at Buffalo within the divisional spherical by successful at Baltimore within the AFC championship recreation.
With a win subsequent week towards San Francisco, Kansas City will develop into the tenth workforce to win the Super Bowl after occurring the highway within the divisional spherical and convention championship. The Chiefs had been the primary workforce to do it within the 1969 season once they beat the Jets and Raiders on the best way to Super Bowl 4.
The solely franchise to do it twice was the Giants in 2007 and 2011.
The different groups to do it had been the Tampa Bay in 2020, Baltimore in 2012, Green Bay in 2010, Pittsburgh in 2005, Denver in 1997 and the Oakland Raiders in 1980.
Mahomes set one report and guarded one other on championship Sunday.
Mahomes turned the primary quarterback to go six straight playoff begins with out throwing an interception along with his final decide coming in additional time of a loss to Cincinnati within the 2021 AFC title recreation.
Six gamers had achieved it in 5 straight playoff begins: Joe Montana, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Drew Brees, Jeff Hostetler and Tony Eason.
San Francisco’s Brock Purdy missed becoming a member of that group when he threw his first profession postseason interception in a 34-31 win over Detroit within the NFC title recreation. Purdy’s 114 consecutive passes with out an interception to start out his playoff profession was the fifth longest streak, in line with Sportradar.
Mahomes holds the report with 163 makes an attempt, adopted by Josh Allen (155), Alex Smith (119) and Jeff Hostetler, who has no interceptions in 115 profession makes an attempt within the playoffs.
The 49ers completed off a clear sweep of the NFC’s different playoff groups.
The win towards the Detroit Lions gave the Niners victories towards the opposite six groups within the NFC that made the postseason. The final workforce to beat each different playoff workforce of their convention within the common season or postseason was the 1993 Chiefs.
San Francisco additionally beat Pittsburgh within the opener, giving the 49ers wins towards seven opponents who made the playoffs. Only 5 different groups have achieved that in NFL historical past: the 2022 Chiefs, the 2015 Broncos, the 2007 Patriots, the 2006 Colts and the 1982 Jets.
With a win towards the Chiefs within the Super Bowl, San Francisco would be the first workforce to beat eight opponents who made the playoffs.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
