Giants vs. Patriots: 4 Underrated Players to Keep an Eye on in Super Bowl 2012

The Super Bowl presents a great opportunity for otherwise marginal players to make names for themselves by pulling out the big, unexpected play that can shift the tide of the game.

The last time the New York Giants and New England Patriots met in the Super Bowl in 2008, everyone remembers the catch by Giants receiver David Tyree that secured his team the victory.

While Tyree was cut in the offseason, he made a major impact on the game, even though he'd accomplished very little in the regular season.

With that in mind, here are four players who haven't been the most flashy this season, but are more than capable of making their presence felt in the Super Bowl.

RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, New England Patriots

The New England Patriots haven't run the ball very much this season, as evidenced by the fact that running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis had just 181 carries as compared to 229 in 2010.

The Patriots haven't really needed to—they've been extremely successful at passing the ball, ending the year with the second-highest average passing yards per game.

However, to beat the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, they are going to have to take a more balanced approach, meaning that Green-Ellis could find himself with a number of opportunities to make plays.

Against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, Green-Ellis rushed 15 times for 68 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens had been hard to run against all season long, so it boded well for his chances to have an impact against the Giants.

Green-Ellis has no career fumbles to his name, so if the Patriots need to run the ball, it's likely going to be Green-Ellis who does it.

RB D.J. Ware, New York Giants

The New York Giants had the fewest average rushing yards per game in the regular season, at 89.2. However, they'll have ample opportunity to run the ball against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl and will likely do so, if only to control the clock.

That's where running back D.J. Ware comes in. Though the Giants generally rely on Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs for carries, Ware is the team's third-down back and he's also been more involved in the passing game this season.

In 2011, Ware had 46 carries for 163 yards and caught 27 passes for 170 yards. He rushed just three times in the playoffs due to a concussion in the team's Wild Card win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Now that he's healthy and going to take the field against the Patriots, look for him to move the chains on a key third down here and there despite being not being a threat to score a touchdown. Ware isn't going to win the game for the Giants, but his contributions could ultimately extend a drive for the team.

WR Julian Edelman, New England Patriots

New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has been getting a lot of work this season on both sides of the ball, lining up at defensive back to supplement the Patriots' depleted secondary.

In the AFC Championship Game, Edelman played 27 offensive and 27 defensive snaps, and will likely see a similar workload against the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.

He generally plays as a slot corner but could serve to be a second defender keyed in on either wide receiver Victor Cruz or Hakeem Nicks in the Super Bowl. Under single coverage, Cruz had 142 receiving yards in the first half of the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Once the Niners shifted to double coverage, Cruz had no more yards. It's going to be hard for the Patriots secondary to effectively stop the Giants' three wide receivers, so the more help they can get the better.

Keep an eye on Edelman when he's on defense; on offense, he's not likely to make much of an impact.

S/CB Antrel Rolle, New York Giants

New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle has been used heavily as a nickel cornerback in 2011, and he's going to have a lot of work ahead of him against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

He will likely be assigned to cover Patriots slot receiver Wes Welker—quarterback Tom Brady's most reliable and unpredictable target. Keeping Welker from making plays is but one important thing the Giants will have to do on defense to keep the high-scoring Patriots offense from marching down the field.

Rolle will likely also see himself responsible for stopping Patriots tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski from time to time, and if he can successfully bring these men down before they head to the end zone, he might manage to save the game for his team.

The secondary has been considered the Giants' weak link in 2011, and it's true that Rolle was burned twice by San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis on a pair of touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game.

However, Rolle has been his team's top tackler in the postseason and will likely have a great deal of responsibility for what the Giants secondary does—or does not—accomplish against the Patriots offense in the Super Bowl.