By the Numbers: Can Eagles' great pass rush slow down Mahomes?
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The Kansas City Chiefs have the top scoring offence in the NFL and the likely-league-MVP in Patrick Mahomes, but can the Philadelphia Eagles' 'generational' pass rush slow down the prolific passer?
We've highlighted the strong rushing attack that led the Eagles to the big game, as well as the marquee quarterback matchup that will be on display.
But one aspect of Super Bowl LVII that has gone under-reported is the dominant defensive line play of the Eagles, anchored by AP First Team All-Pro linebacker and edge rusher Haason Reddick.
This season, including the playoffs, the Eagles have a pass rush win rate of 52%, which is tops in the NFL. They also generate a sack on 11% of plays, which is best in the NFL. Their pressure rate of 33% is good for fifth in the NFL this year.
The Eagles led the NFL in sacks by an astounding 15 in the regular season (they had 70, compared to 55 for the second-ranked Chiefs). Including playoffs, they are just two sacks shy of becoming the third team in NFL history to total at least 80 sacks in a single season since sacks became an official stat in 1963.
Most sacks in a single season, including playoffs
| Season | Team | Sacks |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Chicago Bears | 82 |
| 1985 | Chicago Bears | 80 |
| 2022 | Philadelphia Eagles | 78 |
The last time a team generated 70 or more sacks in a single regular season was the 1989 Minnesota Vikings. A team has not even generated 60 or more sacks in a single regular season since the 2013 Carolina Panthers.
Four Eagles players finished the season with 10 or more sacks - Haason Reddick had 16 and Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham each finished with 11. This is the first team in NFL history to have four players sack the quarterback more than 10 times.
On the other side, the Chiefs offensive line play and protection has been stellar this season.
Kansas City Chiefs elite pass protection
| Blocking stat | Stat | NFL Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Pass block win rate | 76% | First |
| Sack per dropback | 3.4% | Second |
A key factor of this battle will be the injury to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Cincinnati Bengals, who finished 29th in the NFL in the regular season with just 30 sacks, were able to bring the hobbled Mahomes down twice in their AFC Championship game matchup.
The Eagles' pass rush contributed to them finishing the season as the top-ranked defence against the pass, having allowed just 179.8 pass yards against per game.
Kansas City averaged the most passing yards per game through the regular season with 298. This is the third Super Bowl in NFL history to match the number one passing offence against the number one passing defence. The defence dominated the previous two meetings.
Top pass offence vs. top pass defence in Super Bowl history
| Season | Offence | Defence | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Kansas City Chiefs | Philadelphia Eagles | ? |
| 2013 | Denver Broncos | Seattle Seahawks | Seahawks won 43-8 |
| 2002 | Oakland Raiders | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Buccaneers won 48-21 |
Stats used courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau.