The Super Bowl 59 matchup is set, and it’s a rematch from just two years ago that saw the Chiefs take a 38-35 victory.
When the confetti settled on GEHA field at Arrowhead Stadium, history was officially written in the books. History in Kansas City as well as halfway across the country in Philadelphia.
The Eagles started the day of with a 55-23 trouncing of the Washington Commanders. The first piece of history was made there, 55 points being the most ever scored in an NFC/AFC championship game. The most points scored in the playoffs was the Bears dropping 73 back in 1940, also against Washington. 55 is the most points scored in a playoff game since 2000, when the Jaguars won 62-7 in a wild card game against the Dolphins.
En route to 55 points, the Eagles added seven rushing touchdowns. Saquon Barkley who rushed for 118 yards in total added three on the ground including two in his first two touches. Quarterback Jalen Hurts added three rushing touchdowns of his own, and rookie running back Will Shipley drove down the field in garbage time to add the seventh. The seven touchdowns ties a record set in 1940 when Chicago similarly dismantled Washington 73-0.
Saquon Barkley continued his historic season in the NFC championship game. With his first touch of the contest, Barkley took a toss 60 yards to the house. That run puts him at 11 total touchdown runs of 60 yards or longer, extending a record he already held in the regular season.
With the Chiefs 32-29 victory over the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City now is the closest anyone in history as ever been to winning three Super Bowls in a row. Excluding the Chiefs current run, there has only been a back-to-back champion in the NFL eight times.
Three of the eight attempts in the past have made it as far as the league championship game with the 1976 Steelers, 1990 49ers, and 1994 Cowboys falling one game away from a chance at history.