With the Super Bowl on the horizon, both San Francisco and Kansas City are going to be looking for big performances from their stars to propel a victory. As has become the custom in the Super Bowl, the biggest players oftentimes show up. Guys like Tom Brady, Jerry Rice and Ray Lewis have all put together some of their biggest games in the spotlight, leading to some incredible Super Bowl records and stats.
History is going to be made in this game. Either Kansas City is going to win their fourth Super Bowl or San Francisco is going to win their sixth. More than that, players in this game are trying to stake their claim among Brady, Rice, Lewis and other all-time greats. Can those performances add to the already storied history that has accounted for mind-blowing Super Bowl stats of the past? Let’s take a look at some of those incredible Super Bowl records that may never be touched.
Career Super Bowl Records
Most Games Played/Most Wins – Tom Brady (10)/(7)
I am grouping these two Super Bowl records because they are both dominated by one man. Tom Brady, the undisputed GOAT of playoff football, has played in 10 Super Bowls and won seven of them. Both of those numbers are more than any other franchise in NFL history. If you just took Brady’s appearances, that number is more than 27 franchises. In those games, Brady has completed 277-of-421 passes for 3,039 yards and 21 touchdowns. Those passing yards are what lead us into the next mind-blowing Super Bowl record.
Most Passing Yards – Tom Brady (3,039)
While yes, it makes sense that the quarterback who has played in the most Super Bowl has the most passing yards. The mind-blowing portion is that Brady has 1,883 more yards than the next quarterback, Kurt Warner. To put that in perspective, the gap between Brady and Warner is more than the amount of yards that Warner has (1,156). To add more perspective to how impressive 3,039 yards is, the Chicago Bears have featured a 3,000-yard passer just 12 times in their history. The Bears have been around since 1920.
Most Touchdowns – Jerry Rice (8)
Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver of all time and, when it comes down to it, certainly has the qualifications for the greatest all-around NFL player of all time. With that being said, it makes sense that he put together some of his greatest performances in the Super Bowl, setting numerous Super Bowl records. I chose his record for most touchdowns in a Super Bowl career for the pick here. Even with the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos making multiple Super Bowls since Rice retired, his record for eight touchdowns has stood for 29 years. It becomes even crazier when you realize that Rice played in four Super Bowls, meaning he averaged two touchdowns a game on the biggest stage. Talk about being the GOAT…
Coach/Team with Most Super Bowls Lost in a Row – Marv Levy/Buffalo Bills (4)
If you think Josh Allen and Sean McDermott consistently having their season end to the Kansas City Chiefs is heartbreaking for Bills fans, it is nothing compared to the Buffalo Bills teams of the early 1990s. Led by a group of Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Thurmon Thomas, the Bills made four Super Bowls in a row. While that in itself is a record, the more mind-blowing record comes when from the fact that they lost all four of them. It is going to be tough for another team to get to three Super Bowls in a row, let alone lose four in a row.
Most Rushing Attempts – Franco Harris (101)
One of the top dynasties in NFL history has to be the Pittsburgh Steelers of the ’70s. One of the ring leaders of that dynasty was their workhorse back in Franco Harris. Appearing in four Super Bowls, Harris has averaged 25.25 carries per game in the Super Bowl. With how running backs are used and analytics today, along with the incredible quarterback play, it is hard to believe that another running back will consistently get those 25 carries per game in the Super Bowl. To take it one step further, if you were to extrapolate Harris’ 25.25 attempts per Super Bowl over a 17-game season, he would have 429 carries in a season. In 2023, Derrick Henry led the NFL with 280 carries.
Single-Game Super Bowl Records
Most Completions – Tom Brady (43)
Let’s hit another mind-blowing Tom Brady record here. In the famous comeback against the Atlanta Falcons, Brady completed the most passes in Super Bowl history, with 43. While it makes sense that New England was passing as they played from behind the whole second half, coming up with 43 completions on 62 passing attempts is unbelievable. Now, overtime certainly helped and it adds to the fact that this record may stand for a while. It becomes even crazier when you consider those 43 completions are two away from the all-time record of any NFL game, at 45.
Most Passing Touchdowns – Steve Young (6)
Going back to the Jerry Rice stat of eight career Super Bowl touchdowns, Steve Young’s six-touchdown game must have helped that. In the 49ers 49-26 victory over the San Diego Chargers, Young accounted for 42 of the points, while Rice accounted for 21 points on three touchdowns. Young’s six touchdowns may never be matched, as looking at NFL history, the record for most passing touchdowns in a game is seven.
This game for Steve Young also marked the biggest Super Bowl fantasy football performance ever.
Most Rushing Yards – Timmy Smith (204)
In today’s day and age of rushing attacks, teams more often than not have multiple running backs splitting the work. Back when the Washington Redskins destroyed the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII, Timmy Smith was the leading attack on Washington’s offense. Rushing for 204 yards on 22 carries, Smith gashed the Broncos all afternoon. Outside of Marcus Allen’s 191-yard rushing performance in Super Bowl XVIII, no player has rushed for more than 166 yards in a Super Bowl.
Most Receptions – James White (14)
While the Super Bowl has been dominated by great receivers in the past, the player who has the most receptions in a Super Bowl was Wisconsin Badgers running back James White. As a part of the 28-3 comeback against the Atlanta Falcons, White was the main benefactor of Brady’s 43 completions. White was fantastic all day, reeling in 14 catches for 110 yards and one touchdown. While Brady’s 43 completions were great, White should have been named the MVP of the game.
Most Pick-Sixes – Dwight Smith (2)
Maybe the most mind-blowing Super Bowl record on this list is Dwight Smith’s historic Super Bowl XXXVII. When the Tampa Buccaneers destroyed the Oakland Raiders by a score of 48-21, it was actually Smith, who was tied with Keenan McCardell, who had the most touchdowns in the game. While one of his two pick-sixes came with two seconds left in the game, it is unbelievable to have one, let alone two interceptions returned for a touchdown in a game.
In regards to Super Bowl records that will never be broken, Smith’s two pick-sixes may be at the top of the list.
Single-Play Super Bowl Records
Longest Kick-Return Touchdown – Jacoby Jones (108)
After a halftime that was marked with a blackout, Jacoby Jones got the Ravens’ second half started hot with his Super Bowl-record 108-yard kick return for a touchdown. Along with Dwight Smith’s pick-six record, Jones’ kick return record may never be broken. First of all, it is the second-longest distance anyone can run on an NFL field. Secondly, you have to be a psychopath to take a ball eight yards out of the end zone. And lastly, with the new fair catch rules, it seems unlikely that anyone will take that big of risk again in the Super Bowl.
Longest Pick-Six – James Harrison (100)
In one of the most entertaining Super Bowls in NFL history, James Harrison completed maybe the greatest play in Super Bowl history. Up 10-7 with the first half running out, Pittsburgh needed to get a stop, as Arizona was marching and in the red zone. Kurt Warner looked to his left and threw a pass short of the end zone. Harrison stepped in front of the pass and, in what looked like Marshawn Lynch, rumbled down the right sideline to score a touchdown as halftime expired. In an ultimate big-man moment, Harrison provided a career highlight and the longest interception returned for a touchdown in Super Bowl history.
Longest Completion – Jake Delhomme to Muhsin Muhammad (85)
While this is probably the most likely Super Bowl record on this list to be broken, Muhsin Muhammad’s 85-yard reception against the Patriots is one of the most iconic in the game’s history. Down 16-21 with just under seven minutes left in the game, Jake Delhomme found Muhammad deep for an incredible catch-and-run to give the Panthers a lead over Brady’s New England Patriots. Given the extreme importance of the catch, as well as the record, Muhammad will always be immortalized in Super Bowl history.
