Patriots vs. Giants: Aaron Hernandez Must Prove He Is an Elite Player

Aaron Hernandez has lived in the shadows of his teammate and fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski this season. In the Super Bowl, he has the chance to change that.

For the New England Patriots to win, Hernandez will need to have a huge game and prove that he is an elite player in the NFL.

With the possibility that Gronkowski's high ankle sprain will limit his production or even ultimately keep him out of the game, other weapons on the Patriots will have to increase their own production, namely Hernandez.

It's odd to think that Hernandez would be considered less than elite after his 2011 season. He caught 79 passes for 910 yards and seven touchdowns. His combination of size (6'1" and 245 pounds), speed and route-running make him a nightmare for teams to defend. Oh, and he's versatile enough to play a little running back for the Patriots out of their no-huddle offense as well. He's the Swiss Army knife of NFL tight ends.

But the word elite isn't often associated with Hernandez at this point, and for good reason—it's used for his teammate, Gronkowski, who caught 90 passes for 1327 yards and 17 touchdowns (the single-season record for tight ends).

And if Gronkowski is 100 percent, he'll be the focal point for fans watching the game.

But Hernandez might be the focal point of the New York Giants' defenders.

One thing the Giants have done extremely well in these playoffs is effectively rush four men and drop seven into coverage, jamming receivers underneath. This essentially takes away the quick, underneath routes that quarterbacks often rely on to beat pressure.

But Hernandez is big and quick enough that he should be able to beat the jam, whereas Gronkowski may run through a jam but will have a harder time avoiding contact.

If Hernandez can avoid getting re-routed by defenders and Brady finds him before the pressure collapses the pocket, Hernandez could have a huge day catching the ball underneath and running after the catch—one of his strengths. And if the Giants focus on taking Hernandez away, other players might find themselves with favorable matchups.

One way or another, Hernandez has to have a huge presence in this game for the Patriots to be competitive, and he'll have to be a major factor on the stat sheet for them to win.

It will take an elite effort on his behalf. Now is the time to prove that there are two tight ends on the Patriots capable of shouldering that load.

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