Super Bowl XLIX: Under-the-Radar Players to Note
With Super Bowl XLIX set to feature the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, you're about to hear the names Russell Wilson and Tom Brady 17,486 times a day for the next two weeks.
Of course, the two quarterbacks will play huge roles in deciding which team wins the Lombardi Trophy this season—but as we saw in the conference championship games, all of the other 90 guys dressed to play on both sidelines have a chance to be the hero, or the goat (sorry, Brandon Bostick).
Who are the players we aren't talking about nearly enough—or at all?
Given the way the Seahawks and Patriots match up, there are some under-the-radar players in key positions who could hugely impact the game. A great performance, or a poor performance, could mean the difference between victory and defeat; a season ending in ultimate triumph or excruciating failure.
Who are these players, and what can they do to ensure victory for their team?
Seahawks Outside Linebacker K.J. Wright
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Russell Wilson doesn't have a contract extension. Marshawn Lynch didn't get another big deal like he wanted. But K.J. Wright? The Seahawks made sure to lock him up.
The linebacker signed a four-year, $27 million extension near the end of the regular season, per The Seattle Times' Bob Condotta, and Seahawks executive vice president/general manager John Schneider made it clear how much Wright means to them.
"In the offseason, we identified K.J. as one of our core players moving forward and aimed to keep him as a part of the Seahawks family for a long time," Schneider said, per Condotta, and the football world got a glimpse of why they did during the NFC Championship Game.
Not only did Wright have four solo tackles and two assists, he was outstanding in coverage. Jason A. Churchill of 1090 The Fan in Seattle wasn't the only one who pinpointed Wright's critical third-down pass breakup with five minutes and 22 seconds left as the turning point for the Seahawks.
Pro Football Focus' sixth-ranked 4-3 outside linebacker, Wright doesn't dominate any of their grading categories, but he does everything well. His matchup on Patriots superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski will be especially critical in deciding Super Bowl XLIX.
Patriots Right Tackle Sebastian Vollmer
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Anyone who's watched any of the Patriots' recent Super Bowl failures—or the Patriots' disastrous Week 4 outing against the Kansas City Chiefs, or the AFC Divisional Round matchup between the Patriots and Baltimore Ravens—knows quarterback Tom Brady's Achilles' heel: protection.
With plenty of heat coming off the edges, Brady can be forced into some bad decisions and terrible throws. That's why Sebastian Vollmer, the unsung right tackle, is so important to the Patriots' success.
Vollmer turned in the third-highest pass protection grades of any right tackle this season, per Pro Football Focus, and his performance against the Seahawks' rotating defensive ends like Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril will be huge.
Should Vollmer be beaten for one of Avril's frequent strip-sacks, Super Bowl XLIX could go downhill as quickly as Super Bowl XLVIII did. If Vollmer shuts down Seattle's edge rush from that side, though, Brady will have a lot more time to pick Seattle's vaunted secondary apart.
Seahawks Punter Jon Ryan
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OK, no, Seahawks punter Jon Ryan is not going to throw two touchdown passes in two weeks. Probably.
But as I wrote in advance of the NFC Championship Game, average starting field position is a major source of strength for the Seahawks. Their offense had the fourth-shortest average field to work from during the regular season, and their opponents had the longest.
A lot of that advantage comes from Ryan. He had the lowest rate of punts returned in the NFL this season, per Pro Football Focus, at just 26.7 percent.
In the wake of the huge comeback victory, Robert Klemko of The MMQB took a great look at how the Seahawks' commitment to third-phase preparation made the difference in the NFC Championship Game.
If Ryan's on his game, pinning the Patriots deep time and again, helping out the Seahawks offense and defense by tilting the field, it's easy to see the same story coming true in Super Bowl XLIX.
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Patriots Cornerback Logan Ryan
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Revis.
Revis Revis Revis Revis Revis Revis Revis.
Yes, OK, All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis deserves every drop of ink, literal or virtual, that's been spilled in his name this season. But once, say, Doug Baldwin disappears on Revis Island, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will still have Jermaine Kearse and Luke Willson to throw to.
Those names may not knock you off your chair, but just ask the Green Bay Packers if Jermaine Kearse can get open deep.
Logan Ryan's task will be hugely important. Staying with all the Seahawks receivers as they run to open space is the only way to deny Wilson his ability to make plays once the plays break down.
Seahawks Center Max Unger
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In 2012 and 2013, Max Unger was named to two Pro Bowls and the AP's first-team All-Pro squad (2012). It's not news to anyone that he's good.
After injuries limited him to just six appearances in the regular season, though, Unger's radar profile isn't as high as it has been. The anchor of a Seahawks offensive line that's been through heavy reshuffling this season, Unger's postseason return has paid dividends.
He's the only Seahawks offensive lineman who's turned in a positive Pro Football Focus grade over their two playoff games, and he helped pave the way for tailback Marshawn Lynch's crucial 157-yard, one-touchdown performance in the NFC Championship Game.
In the Super Bowl, Lynch having running lanes or not could be the difference between whether or not the Seahawks win.
Patriots Outside Linebacker Chandler Jones
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Jamie Collins is finally getting the attention he's long deserved. Donta Hightower isn't far behind. Everyone's aware of the nose Rob Ninkovich has for the ball.
Wait—who's the other guy?
Chandler Jones, the Raphael of the Patriots linebackers, tied Hightower for the second-most sacks on the team during the regular season, with six. This, despite Jones only starting nine games (compared to Hightower's 12, or Ninkovich's eight sacks in 16 starts).
Jones took some criticism after failing to sack Joe Flacco in the Patriots' divisional-round game against the Baltimore Ravens, but Pro Football Focus charted him with three quarterback hits and seven hurries, along with a strong plus-3.0 grade in run defense. He had two more hits and three more hurries against the Indianapolis Colts, but the Patriots will need more in Super Bowl XLIX.
If Jones can play at the level he's flashed at points this season, he's going to be a big problem for Russell Wilson and the Seahawks.
Seahawks Defensive End O'Brien Schofield
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During the Seahawks' run to Super Bowl XLVIII, the Seahawks' deep, flexible defensive line rotation rightly got a lot of attention. After the offseason departure of Red Bryant and Chris Clemons, the roles of holdovers Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril understandably grew, and the role players working in lesser roles underneath them didn't get much attention at all.
This postseason, O'Brien Schofield is still mostly anonymous, despite notching eight quarterback pressures in just 28 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Even with his pass rushes split evenly between the left and right sides, Schofield has still led all Seahawks defensive ends in PFF's Pass Rush Productivity stat.
Against the Patriots, an expanded role for the versatile Schofield means not only more productivity, but better-rested starters in the second half. If Schofield can take advantage of the reps he's given against a vulnerable Patriots offensive line, he'll make life in the pocket much harder for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Patriots Running Back Shane Vereen
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Shane Vereen? If you've played fantasy football in any of the past few seasons, you probably have a Shane Vereen story. It's hard to imagine he's under the radar, given he was the closest thing the Patriots have had to a No. 1 running back.
Yet, much of this year's attention has gone to his committeemates, like Jonas Gray. This postseason, especially, eyes have been on LeGarrette Blount—who, after being released from the Pittsburgh Steelers and re-signing with the Patriots in the middle of the year, had a massive 30-carry, 148-yard, three-touchdown performance in the AFC Championship Game.
Would it surprise you to learn Vereen's been on the field for more snaps than Blount so far this postseason? Did you forget about this catch? Vereen's receiving and pass-blocking skills will come in very handy against the Seahawks, whose talented front seven more closely resembles the Baltimore Ravens' stout unit than the Colts' struggling defensive front.
Don't be surprised if the Patriots again abandon the straight-ahead run against the Seahawks and turn it back over to Vereen.
Seahawks Cornerback Byron Maxwell
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Last year, Richard Sherman's NFC Championship Game performance let him dominate the media cycle before, during and after Super Bowl XLVIII. In this year's NFC Championship Game, Sherman got injured. His partner Byron Maxwell led the Seahawks with five tackles and an assist, and he also snagged a crucial interception.
What is everybody talking about? Sherman's injury.
Maxwell, of course, isn't the player Sherman is. Teams tend to give Sherman a wide berth in their offensive game plans, though, peppering the other side of the field. That Sherman typically plays the right side of the field gives opposing teams a chance to put their best receiver on the left—meaning Maxwell may be tested by Brandon LaFell early and often.
Maxwell, at 6'1", 207 pounds, has the size, speed and aggressiveness to handle LaFell. One slip-up, though, could be all the opening Tom Brady needs.
New England Patriots Wide Receiver Danny Amendola
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Danny Amendola was supposed to be Wes Welker's replacement. He's in the second year of a five-year, $28 million contract, per Spotrac.com. How could he be flying under the radar? Well, he hasn't been flying. Amendola caught just 27 passes this regular season, for 200 yards and one touchdown.
Amendola's best game, though, came during the Patriots' biggest challenge of the season. His five-catch, 81-yard, two-touchdown performance put the Patriots back in the AFC Championship Game.
The 51-yard touchdown bomb from receiver Julian Edelman was a bit of a fluke, but the other score was a doomed slot-receiver screen Amendola turned into a touchdown through sheer effort.
The Seahawks' aggressive Cover 1 looks leave a lot of space for a crafty slot guy like Amendola; Green Bay Packers slot receiver Randall Cobb had seven catches for 62 yards and a score against them (during a lousy day for quarterback Aaron Rodgers) in the NFC Championship Game.
There's an opportunity for Amendola to make plays at every level of the Seahawks defense in Super Bowl XLIX. How well he can pull off a Welker impression might determine whether the Patriots' passing offense puts up touchdowns or not.
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