Honestly, if you ask any Eagles fan about February 12, 2023, they aren't going to start by talking about yards per carry. They're going to talk about James Bradberry’s jersey tug. It's the moment that basically froze time in Glendale. But when you actually dig into the super bowl 57 stats, you realize the game was won and lost in the margins way before that flag hit the grass.
The box score is a weird beast. You’ve got Jalen Hurts putting up numbers that would usually guarantee a ring. Then you’ve got Patrick Mahomes, hobbling on one good ankle, somehow playing a perfect second half. It was the first time in NFL history that two brothers, Jason and Travis Kelce, faced off on the big stage. The "Kelce Bowl" lived up to every bit of the hype.
The Quarterback Duel: Hurts vs. Mahomes
Let's look at Jalen Hurts. Most people forget he actually outplayed the MVP in several categories. He threw for 304 yards. He ran for another 70. Basically, he accounted for 374 total yards and four touchdowns. That tied the record for most points scored by a single player in a Super Bowl with 20.
He was phenomenal.
But then there’s that one stat that haunts Philly: 1 fumble. Nick Bolton scooped that ball up and ran 36 yards for a touchdown. In a game decided by three points, that 7-point swing is everything.
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Patrick Mahomes by the Numbers
Mahomes didn't have the eye-popping yardage. He finished with 182 passing yards. That sounds low, right? But look at the efficiency. He completed 21 of 27 passes. In the second half alone, he was 13-of-14. That is nearly a 93% completion rate while playing through a high ankle sprain.
- Passing TDs: 3
- Interceptions: 0
- Rushing Yards: 44 (including that back-breaking 26-yard scramble late in the 4th)
- Passer Rating: 131.8
The Chiefs scored on every single possession they had in the second half. Field goal, touchdown, touchdown, field goal. You can't beat that. It’s impossible.
Why Super Bowl 57 Stats Tell a Story of Two Halves
The Eagles owned the first half. They had the ball for nearly 22 minutes compared to the Chiefs' 8. That is a massive discrepancy. Usually, when you double a team's time of possession, you're blowing them out. The Eagles led 24-14 at the break.
Then the script flipped.
Kansas City’s offensive line, which had been criticized for years, didn't allow a single sack. Not one. This was against an Eagles defense that had 70 sacks in the regular season. That is probably the most underrated stat of the entire game. If Philadelphia gets to Mahomes just twice, the trophy is likely in Pennsylvania.
Special Teams and the "Corn Dog"
Special teams often get ignored until someone messes up. In this game, Kadarius Toney happened. He recorded a 65-yard punt return. It was the longest in Super Bowl history. It set the Chiefs up at the 5-yard line.
Then came the play-calling. Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy used a specific motion play—nicknamed "Corn Dog"—twice. It resulted in wide-open touchdowns for both Toney and Skyy Moore. The Eagles' secondary was literally lost.
The Field Conditions Controversy
We have to talk about the grass. It was a "Super Slip and Slide." The NFL spent two years and $800,000 growing this specific Tahoma 31 hybrid grass.
It was a disaster.
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Players were swapping cleats mid-game like they were in a pit stop. Haason Reddick, who was a force all year for Philly, called it the worst field he’d ever played on. It neutralizes a pass rush when defenders can't find their footing. This might explain why that 70-sack defense ended the night with a big zero in the sack column.
That Final Penalty: Breaking Down the James Bradberry Holding Call
The super bowl 57 stats will forever show a defensive holding call at 1:54 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was 3rd and 8. Mahomes threw an incomplete pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster. If there’s no flag, the Chiefs kick a field goal and the Eagles get the ball back with nearly two minutes and a timeout.
Instead, the flag gave the Chiefs a fresh set of downs. They ran the clock down to 11 seconds. Harrison Butker nailed a 27-yarder. Game over.
Bradberry was honest after the game. He admitted he tugged the jersey. He just hoped the refs wouldn't see it. It was a "ticky-tacky" call by some standards, but by the letter of the law, it was a penalty.
Historic Milestones from Glendale
Super Bowl 57 wasn't just a close game; it was a record-breaking one.
- High Scoring: The 73 combined points made it the third-highest scoring Super Bowl ever.
- Losing Effort: The Eagles' 35 points are the most ever scored by a losing team in the Big Game.
- Brotherhood: The first time two brothers played against each other in the championship.
- Viewership: It drew an average of 115.1 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched telecasts in history at the time.
Rihanna’s halftime show actually outpaced the game itself, peaking at 121 million viewers. It was her first live performance in years, and she did it while pregnant. That's a different kind of stat, but impressive nonetheless.
What You Should Take Away
If you're looking for lessons in these numbers, it's about efficiency over volume. Jalen Hurts had the "better" game on paper. He had more yards, more touchdowns, and more time on the field. But Mahomes and the Chiefs were clinical. They didn't waste a single snap in the second half.
The Eagles' inability to adjust to the "Corn Dog" motion and the lack of a pass rush proved fatal. Even with a historic performance from their young QB, one fumble and one late flag were enough to tip the scales.
If you want to dive deeper into how these teams have changed since that night, start by looking at the defensive roster turnovers for both squads. The Eagles lost several starters from that 70-sack unit shortly after, while the Chiefs began building the defensive dynasty that would carry them to a repeat the following year.
Check the current NFL injury reports to see how the "tush push" (which was perfected in this game) is affecting player longevity today.
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Next Steps for You:
- Compare these stats to Super Bowl 58 to see if the Chiefs' offensive efficiency stayed consistent.
- Research the "Sodfather" George Toma’s comments on why the Arizona turf failed so badly.
- Watch a film breakdown of the "Corn Dog" play to see how the Chiefs exploited the Eagles' man-coverage tendencies.