Super Bowl LIV Teams

[SBR Drew]

• The Kansas Chief Chiefs are appearing in their third Super Bowl. They appeared in the first Super Bowl, played in January 1967, and lost to the Green Bay Packers, 35-10. They also appeared in the fourth Super Bowl in January 1970, defeating the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7. At present, the 50 years between Super Bowl appearances is the longest such drought (the New York Jets have now gone 51 years and the Detroit Lions have never played in a Super Bowl over the game’s 54-year existence). There are three expansion teams in the Super Bowl era — the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans — that have never appeared in the Super Bowl.
• The Kansas City Chiefs became the first team to win the Super Bowl and not win their own division. In 1969, the American Football League (AFL) implemented a playoff format that had the top two teams in each division qualify for the post-season. The Kansas City Chiefs finished second in the western division and defeated the New York Jets and then the Oakland Raiders (both on the road) to win the AFL title. Kansas City then defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.

• The San Francisco 49ers have played in six previous Super Bowls, winning five times. The only teams to win the Super Bowl more often are the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers at six each. (The Dallas Cowboys also have won five Super Bowls.) The 49ers’ last Super Bowl appearance was Super Bowl XLVII, in which they lost to Baltimore, 34-31, in February 2013. The 49ers’ five Super Bowl victories:

1. Super Bowl XVI, defeated Cincinnati Bengals, 26-16, January 1982
2. Super Bowl XIX, defeated Miami Dolphins, 38-16, January 1985
3. Super Bowl XXIII, defeated Cincinnati Bengals, 20-16, January 1989
4. Super Bowl XXIV, defeated Denver Broncos, 55-10, January 1990
5. Super Bowl XXXIX, defeated San Diego Chargers, 49-26, January 1995