Alabama's Super Bowl Scoring Drought Continues
The University of Alabama is renowned for its successful football program and the production of top-notch NFL players. However, despite their dominance in college football, there is one milestone that has eluded former Crimson Tide players - scoring a point in a Super Bowl.
As we approach Super Bowl Sunday, it's worth noting that neither the Kansas City Chiefs nor the San Francisco 49ers have a former Alabama player on their active roster. This means that the streak continues for the Crimson Tide, with no player from Alabama having ever scored in the biggest game of the NFL season.
In contrast, players from 143 different colleges have managed to score in the Super Bowl. Leading the way are players from the University of Miami, with an impressive 84 points. Following closely behind are players from the University of Florida with 82 points, and Penn State with 81 points. Notre Dame and the University of California have each contributed 66 points to the Super Bowl scoring list.
Interestingly, even the Coast Guard Academy has had a player score in the Super Bowl. Washington's Curt Knight kicked an extra point in the team's 14-7 loss in Super Bowl 7, giving the Coast Guard Academy its place on the scoreboard.
The Alabama program, with its record 12 Associated Press titles and 68 players in the NFL this season, came close to breaking the scoring drought last year when DeVonta Smith caught a 45-yard pass for the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, he was ruled out at the 2-yard line, denying Alabama its first Super Bowl point.
While Alabama players are yet to make their mark on the scoring sheet in Super Bowl history, the program has achieved success at the quarterback position. Three Super Bowl MVPs have hailed from Alabama, and Ken Stabler led the Oakland Raiders to victory in Super Bowl 11.
Looking beyond Alabama's scoring drought, another storyline worth highlighting is the impressive comebacks witnessed in conference championship games. The San Francisco 49ers staged an epic comeback against the Detroit Lions in the NFC title game, rallying from a 17-point deficit at halftime to secure a 34-31 victory. This comeback tied the record for the biggest in NFC championship history, matching the 49ers' own feat in the 2012 season when they overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons.
It's worth noting that the biggest comeback in any conference championship or Super Bowl game occurred when the New England Patriots rallied from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51. The Lions' loss to the 49ers also marked a significant statistical shift, as teams that had been leading by at least 17 points at halftime in playoff games boasted an impressive record of 107-6 before this defeat.
Another interesting statistic revolves around the Kansas City Chiefs and their road to the Super Bowl. This year, the Chiefs have gone on the road in both the divisional round and the conference championship game, a feat they also accomplished in the 1969 season when they won Super Bowl 4. With a win against the San Francisco 49ers, the Chiefs will join an exclusive list of only nine teams to have won the Super Bowl after going on the road in both rounds of the playoffs. The New York Giants are the only team to have accomplished this feat twice, in 2007 and 2011.
In terms of individual records, the Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes set a new mark during the championship Sunday. He became the first quarterback to start six consecutive playoff games without throwing an interception. Mahomes last threw an interception in the 2021 AFC title game against the Cincinnati Bengals, during an overtime loss. Previously, six quarterbacks had managed to achieve five consecutive playoff starts without throwing an interception, including greats like Joe Montana and Drew Brees.
Meanwhile, the 49ers finished the regular season and postseason with an impressive accomplishment of their own. They defeated all six NFC teams that made it to the playoffs, a rare feat that was last achieved by the 1993 Kansas City Chiefs. Additionally, the 49ers sealed victories against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener, marking wins against seven playoff-bound opponents. Only five other teams in NFL history have achieved this milestone: the 2022 Chiefs, 2015 Broncos, 2007 Patriots, 2006 Colts, and 1982 Jets. If the 49ers manage to defeat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, they will become the first team to have beaten eight teams that made the playoffs in a single season.
As the Super Bowl approaches, the stories behind the numbers add intrigue to the game. Will an Alabama player finally secure that elusive point in the Super Bowl? Can the Chiefs continue their road dominance and join an elite group of champions? Will Patrick Mahomes extend his interception-free streak? Only time will tell, as the drama on the field unfolds and the numbers continue to shape the narrative of the NFL's biggest stage.
