NFL Super Bowl records: Top passing, rushing and receiving performances of all time

Super Bowl 59 is right around the corner. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles are set for a rematch of 2022, which the Chiefs won on a walk-off field goal, 38-35, in Glendale, Arizona.

One of the biggest difference-makers in this year's game is Saquon Barkley. Philadelphia's running back is having a historic season running the ball for the Eagles. He fell 106 yards shy of beating Eric Dickerson’s single-season record. While Barkley didn’t break the record, he continued his torrid pace through the postseason.

Barkley has rushed for 442 yards in three games and five touchdowns, including 205 rushing yards in a win over the Los Angeles Rams. Though he couldn’t break the regular season record, he could break Terrell Davis’ rushing record — which includes the postseason — in the Super Bowl. He needs just 29 yards to do so. 

That might not be the only record in play next Sunday, though. As Barkley highlights players to watch in the game, what are some of the best all-time performances in the NFL's big game? Here’s a refresher on the best single-game performances in Super Bowl history. 

NFL Super Bowl records: Legendary arms that ruled the Super Bowl

Tom Brady was known most for his clutch ability, but once upon a time, he was slinging the ball all over the field. So there’s no surprise he holds the top two records for most passing yards in the Super Bowl.

Unsurprisingly, both came with the New England Patriots. His record 505 passing yards in Super Bowl 52 remain the most in the big game. Ironically, he did that in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Crazy enough, Nick Foles had the fifth-most passing yards in a Super Bowl in that same game. 

Other than Brady and Foles, Kurt Warner holds the other two of the top 5 passing performances of all time in the Super Bowl. While Patrick Mahomes is knocking on the door as a Hall-of-Famer, it doesn’t look like he’ll break that record this year. 

The Chiefs are going for a historic three-peat, but Mahomes hasn’t been as prolific as he’s been in years past.

Jalen Hurts has just one game with more than 300 passing yards, so it’s unlikely he will do it, either. That said, trying to predict the Super Bowl is often a futile effort.

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The title for most rushing yards in a Super Bowl belongs to Washington running back Timmy Smith. Ironically, he torched the Broncos in the 1988 Super Bowl, rushing for 204 yards in the decisive 42-10 victory in Super Bowl 22. 

This might be the most realistic record to fall in Super Bowl 59. Saquon Barkley has been, undoubtedly, the most prolific player in the playoffs; bar none. He has a 205 rushing yard game already this postseason – which would have been enough to beat the current record, should he have done that in the Super Bowl.

He has two 200-plus rushing yard games this season including the postseason. Barkley has been the most difficult player to contain in the entire league. The Eagles didn’t let him set the single-season record, but they certainly won’t hold him back from Super Bowl history. 

NFL Super Bowl: Receiving legends who shined on the biggest stage

Jerry Rice is an NFL legend, Hall-of-Famer and Super Bowl savant. No NFL player has more receiving yards and receiving touchdowns than Rice does. He set the receiving yards record in Super Bowl 23 with 215 yards. 

What made Rice’s record that year remarkable was that the year prior — the same year Smith set the rushing record — Ricky Sanders had the most receiving yards with 193. Of course it was Rice who broke his record. 

Rice is the only player with more than 200 receiving yards in the big game and holds three of the top 10 receiving-yard performances in the Super Bowl. 

While Rice may hold the most receiving yards, he might not have the most notable performance. The same game Brady set the record for most passing yards, Danny Amendola notched together a performance to land him in the top 10 receiving yard performances. 

His 152 yards is fifth most in the Super Bowl and the most by any receiver in the Super Bowl since Deion Branch in 2004. This was also the same game Nick Foles put together the improbable performance to take down Brady and the Patriots.

NFL Super Bowl: Touchdown heroes who redefined scoring in the Super Bowl

Terrell Davis was a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs and the Super Bowl. He has one of the five highest rushing totals in a big game, and is tied with current Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts for most rushing touchdowns in a Super Bowl, with three.

Of course, the last time the Eagles and Chiefs played in the Super Bowl was when Hurts tied the rushing record in the Super Bowl game. He was elite in that game, throwing for 304 yards, three rushing touchdowns and four total scores. 

The Eagles needed Hurts to dominate that game. He did, but they still came up short. They’ll need an elite performance from Barkley in this one to stand a chance. Hurts has regressed as a passer this season, which puts more pressure on Barkley. 

Brady may hold the most passing yards, but you’ll have to go back to the 1995 rendition of the big game to see Steve Young’s Super Bowl record six touchdown passes to help the San Francisco 49ers win over the San Diego Chargers. 

A lot of history in that game, it’s a 30-year record that will probably stand another year and the Chargers moved north to Los Angeles since then. This is a passing league so I’m sure that record won’t hold too much longer, but this will be a defensive game. I don’t expect a lot of astronomical numbers.

NFL Super Bowl: Historic games that set new Super Bowl records

The New England Patriots weren’t just dominant during their Super Bowl run with Tom Brady, they were setting records too. The two most prominent games Brady and the Patriots set multiple records in are the Atlanta Falcons’ infamous collapse and the “Philly Special” games. 

In the Atlanta Falcons shootout, in which Brady led a 28-3, second-half comeback, the Patriots set several records including James White with the most receptions (14) in the Super Bowl. He also set the record for most points scored (20) in that same game.

Brady himself set passing records for the most attempted (62) and completed passes (43) in a Super Bowl game. For the Falcons, it was Grady Jarrett tying a Super Bowl record in sacks with three. The Patriots also set a record for the largest comeback in Super Bowl history (25 points).

In the Eagles-Patriots Super Bowl game back in 2018, there were quite a few records set then as well. Brady set the Super Bowl record for most passing yards with 505. That same year, the Patriots set a record for total yards in a game with 603. In the end, they lost 41-33 — a rough way to remember a historic game. 

In these two games in particular, the Patriots were in their peak of dominance in the NFL. Brady was virtually unstoppable. He carried the Patriots to a come-from-behind win and almost knocked off the Eagles. That was the last time the Eagles won the Super Bowl, and are making their second appearance since then. 

NFL Super Bowl: The evolution of Super Bowl offense over the years

The NFL game has changed so much over the years. Look at the rushing records for Super Bowl performances, the most recent top rusher in the big game was Terrell Davis in 1998. Compared to the passing stats, Brady set the passing yards record in 2018 and Amendola has one of the top receiving performances from that same Super Bowl.

This has become a passing league, but Barkley has a chance to buck that trend. The Eagles have turned back the clock on football and gone back to an old-school approach: Ground and pound the ball with a stingy defense to back it up. 

Obviously the last time Jalen Hurts was in the Super Bowl, he passed for 304 passing yards. He can throw the ball. But much different than the last time, the Eagles have put their faith in their backfield star, which is why Hurts will need a more modern approach to Super Bowl 59 if they want to dethrone the Chiefs. 

Patrick Mahomes hasn’t looked like his usual self, though it’s not unlikely he's saved his best game of the season for the chance at a three-peat. Mahomes has dominated the postseason during the Chiefs back-to-back Super Bowl runs. For him to have a vintage Mahomes performance wouldn’t be a shock to anyone who's been paying attention. 

While passing the ball has taken a massive leap forward in NFL history, this game could come down to the run game. Both defenses are top-10 in the league, and Barkley will be the game's X-factor. Look for this game to have an old-school feel despite modern-day football favoring the passing game.