Super Bowl Predictions 2012: 5 Under-the-Radar Super Bowl MVP Candidates

As we just witnessed, the 2011 NFL regular season came and went, and before you know it, the playoffs will act accordingly.

To that end, there are the obvious Super Bowl MVP candidates like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees among other big name players who are most vital to their team's success.

So, let's look at some under-the-radar players who have an opportunity to shine on football's biggest stage.

Jimmy Graham: TE, Saints

Drew Brees is undoubtedly the best player on the Saints, but with much attention going to Rob Gronkowski in New England with Tom Brady, Jimmy Graham deserves additional recognition.

The second-year player out of Miami led all New Orleans receiving targets with 99 receptions for 1,310 yards and 11 TDs.

But, with all the attention going to Brees and his record-setting season, along with Gronkowski doing work in New England, Graham has gone on the back burner.

Well, in order for the Saints to make a playoff run, Graham has no choice but to produce. In the three games New Orleans lost, Graham only caught one TD pass, and in two of the games, he only snagged four passes for an average of 47.5 yards.

He dominated the Detroit Lions for 89 yards on eight receptions during the regular season, so expect a similar performance this weekend. Thereafter, it's the 49ers most likely followed by the Packers and Patriots.

Being that Drew Brees has been interception-prone before, Graham can take the spotlight in a high-scoring shootout.

Arian Foster: RB, Texans

Last week, receiver Andre Johnson returned again to the lineup, and his performance—regardless of Houston's output this postseason—will be widely regarded.

On top of that, the Houston defense, which is arguably the best in the biz, will be closely examined since the Texans have relied on their ability to shut down opponents all season long.

They rank inside the Top 5 against the rush and pass, and the Texans' rush offense ranks No. 2, averaging 153 yards per game.

Thanks to a great backfield tandem of Ben Tate and Arian Foster, Houston was able to keep defenses off balance while the injuries piled up. Foster, however, was the main Brahma Bull as he collected over 1,200 rushing and 600 receiving yards while totaling 12 TDs on the year.

When on offense this postseason, Foster's production is the most vital to Houston's success. Not Andre Johnson, not tight end Owen Daniels or T.J. Yates going above his potential.

None of their production comes into play unless Foster does work on the ground, and provided that Houston has the capability to shut down any offense, the Super Bowl is more realistic than most believe.

Victor Cruz: WR, Giants

Other than their passing game, the New York Giants don't have much else they can rely on to win games. Yes, their pass rush is solid, and along with Jason Pierre-Paul, they get good QB pressure. However, they still struggle in stopping the run and defending the pass.

In turn, that puts a lot more pressure on Eli Manning and the offense to perform.

Add in their inconsistent rushing attack and injuries, and the rush offense (which ranks dead last) doesn't help whatsoever.

Now, both Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs will be useful in the postseason, but not nearly to the extent of receiver Victory Cruz.

Cruz is a second-year man out of Massachusetts who came out of nowhere in 2011. In Wally Pipp-esque form, Cruz's opportunity rose when Domenik Hixon went down for the year early on.

Since, Cruz finished the regular season leading the G-Men with 82 receptions for 1,536 yards and scored nine TDs. He also averaged 18.7 yards per reception, which is just plain ridiculous.

This postseason, Eli Manning may get much credit for his marksmanship, but Victor Cruz needs to be right up there, as he'll put up some stunning numbers.

Clay Matthews: LB, Packers

Right now, when we think of the Green Bay Packers, we think of a weak defense that thrives off forcing turnovers and an offense that cannot be stopped.

Therefore, it's only certain that either Aaron Rodgers or Jordy Nelson would be a solid Super Bowl MVP candidate. Well, linebacker Clay Matthews has a great case of his own to get the award provided the Packers make it back.

On the year, Clay has recorded 50 tackles and six sacks, which isn't bad considering offenses have game-planned around him mainly because he is Green Bay's most threatening player in their front seven.

In addition, though, Clay has defended nine passes, picked off three passes and has forced a team-leading three fumbles.

Last postseason, he and the Green Bay defense stepped their game up each week and made some of the biggest plays to keep the Packers alive. That will have to continue in 2012 since they allow so many yards.

Therefore, don't be surprised when Clay Matthews terrorizes offensive linemen, QBs and running backs at Lambeau and then the Super Bowl. Along with Charles Woodson, he is the leader of that defense, and his play will dictate the tone for the cheese to repeat.

Alex Smith: QB, 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers may rank No. 29 in passing offense and average just 183.5 pass yards per game, but there's not much reason to throw the ball with Frank Gore doing work on the ground each week.

In turn, Alex Smith goes overlooked as an effective QB who can get the job done in crunch time. He's thrown for over 3,100 yards, completed 61.4 percent of his passes and has a 17-to-5 TD-to-interception ratio.

So, obviously he's not on the gunslinging radar like Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady or even Ben Roethlisberger. Plus, he also goes overlooked because of how significantly dominant the 49ers' defense has been all season.

They rank No. 1 against the rush and only No. 16 against the pass because after building a lead, they allow some passing yards in garbage time. We tend to forget how many injuries have affected the San Francisco pass offense this season.

Braylon Edwards never got going, Josh Morgan has been out since early October, Michael Crabtree started off extremely slow, and Ted Ginn Jr. is simply not an NFL WR.

Other than TE Vernon Davis, Smith hasn't had the luxury of healthy and consistent targets helping him until the regular season closed out. That will pick up in the postseason to assist Frank Gore and the ground game, which will make Smith a lot more dangerous under center.

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