Super Bowl Predictions 2012: Deion Branch and Underrated Veterans Who Will Shine

New England Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch is one of several underrated veteran players who will have a profound impact on the outcome of Super Bowl XLVI.

Even though this matchup between the Patriots and New York Giants is full of star power, especially at the quarterback position, the performance of the veteran players who have played on this big of a stage before will play a major role.

Let's look at three underrated veterans who will shine in Super Bowl XLVI.

Osi Umenyiora

The New York Giants linebacker has 3.5 sacks thus far in the playoffs and has been an integral part of the team's fantastic pass rush that must play well for Big Blue to upset the Patriots on Sunday.

Umenyiora had nine sacks in the regular season and excels against the pass and the run. His performance will be key to the Giants' chances of putting consistent pressure on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Umenyiora is one of the veteran defensive players who played in the two teams' Super Bowl XLII match in 2008.

Brian Waters

The New England Patriots' best move of the offseason was to bring in veteran right guard Brian Waters who was an All-Pro caliber offensive lineman for many years with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Waters has given the Patriots offensive line some stability and an upgrade in talent this season, and the right side of the line has not been up to par since Super Bowl XLII. In that game, the entire Patriots offensive line was terrible, but the right side in particular was bad.

With the left side having Matt Light and Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins, the line did not have the balance needed. Since Waters has arrived, Brady has been protected better. 

Waters' performance on Sunday will play a huge role in the outcome of the Super Bowl.

Deion Branch

Deion Branch is one of those talented wide receivers who always flies under the radar despite his success in big games. 

He was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX for the Patriots when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005, and is certainly capable of playing well against the Giants in his first Super Bowl appearance since that win over the Eagles.

With the Giants likely to clog up the middle of the field and force the Patriots passing offense to the outside, where they're weakest, Branch could see a lot of targets from Brady on Sunday.

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