SAN FRANCISCO — In the Super Bowl, some of the most critical contributions come from some of the game’s lesser-known names. Happens every year.
Look no further than the last time the Patriots and Seahawks met with a Lombardi Trophy on the line and how undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler burst onto the scene.
A personnel grouping featuring Dwayne Allen, Rex Burkhead and James Develin helped the Patriots win their last Super Bowl over the Rams. Players like JR Redmond, Malcolm Mitchell and Randall Gay hold spots near and dear to the hearts of Patriots fans for their contributions to championship-winning teams.
Who might be some of those unheralded names that have a say in the winner of Super Bowl 60?
Glad you asked. We came up with five. Some of these names are certainly more well-known than those listed above, but their specific roles in this specific matchup is flying
Anfernee Jennings, Linebacker, Patriots
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Anfernee Jennings sets the edge as well as any Patriots defensive player.
Seattle ran outside the tackles on 57 percent of its hand-offs during the regular season, per NextGen Stats, which was the fifth-most in the NFL. That number has shot up to 64.4 percent in the postseason with Kenneth Walker III getting the vast majority of the work and Zach Charbonnet out injured.
If one of the keys in this game is to pressure Sam Darnold in obvious passing situations, the Patriots first need to stop the run on early downs, which means building sturdy edges to handle Walker’s bounce-outside-the-tackles attempts. Jennings has been arguably this team’s best set-the-edge defender.
Viewed as a bit of a scheme misfit early in the season, Jennings has played at least 30 snaps in four of New England’s last five games.
“He has a professionalism that he’s shown throughout this entire season,” Vrabel said ahead of the AFC Championship Game. “(I) appreciate it. Appreciate him taking advantage of his opportunities, playing physical, playing on special teams, finding a role.”
Anthony Bradford, Guard, Seahawks
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Patriots defensive linemen must win their 1-on-1 matchups against Anthony Bradford.
Bradford could be a factor if and when the Patriots are able to bully the Seahawks offense on early downs and force them into obvious drop-back passing situations.
In pass-protection, he’s been a liability. He ranked 89th out of 90 qualifying interior offensive linemen in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking grade. In his last five games, he’s allowed 14 pressures, including four quarterback hits and two sacks. Against the Rams in the NFC title game, he gave up a half-dozen pressures and picked up a penalty.
For Christian Barmore and Milton Williams, there should be opportunities there for splash plays.
“It don’t matter who they got,” Williams said. “It’s on us. We gotta dominate one-on-one matchups.”
Jared Wilson, Guard, Patriots
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Eric Canha-Imagn Images Jared Wilson has had a very strong rookie season.
One of the reasons the Seahawks defense is arguably the best in football is because of their ability to stop the run with just four down linemen. That allows them to play with nickel personnel, which gives them enough speed on the field to thwart opposing passing attacks.
“They play with great technique, they play with great effort,” Vrabel said of the Seattle defensive line. “They’re talented. Different skill sets. Look at [Byron] Murphy [II] and he has one skill set. You look at Leonard Williams, different skill set. Both play square. They play with their hands. The edge guys set sometimes vertical edges, sometimes they mix in some movement. They don’t get moved off the line of scrimmage. If you don’t move the line of scrimmage, it’s going to be hard to run the football.”
That’s where Wilson comes in. He’ll be needed not only to protect Drake Maye against a stunt-heavy front called by head coach Mike Macdonald, but he’ll also have to try to grind out space in the running game for the Patriots to have a shot at softening up their secondary.
Success on the ground could force Seattle to drop another body closer to the line of scrimmage, leaving one-on-one coverage on the outside for Maye’s wideouts.
“You want to force their hand,” Wilson said. “If you can force them into a situation that they don’t want to be in, that’s always a good thing. Whatever front is out there, call the play, and let’s run it.”
Eric Saubert, Tight End, Seahawks
Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Kevin Ng-Imagn Images Eric Saubert has been an underrated tight end this season.
The Seahawks used their 12-personnel packages on 28.3 percent of snaps this season, and they were the second-most efficient offense in football when using those two-tight-end sets with an EPA-per-play figure of 0.38. AJ Barner is their top option at the position, but Saubert, who played 38 snaps in the NFC Championship Game, is next in line.
How will the Patriots handle Seattle’s potency when deploying multiple tight ends? If linebacker Robert Spillane is healthy (ankle), then they may answer “12” from Seattle with their five-defensive-back nickel defense. According to NextGen Stats, in the 16 games Spillane played this year, the Patriots matched multi-tight-end sets with nickel on 45.5 percent of snaps. In the four games he’s been hurt, that number fell to 28.6 percent.
Why is that key? The Seahawks have an explosive play rate of 31 percent when using 12 personnel against base defense, according to The Athletic. Against nickel defense, that number falls all the way to around 10 percent.
If Spillane is healthy enough for the Patriots to play nickel defense with Barner and Saubert in the game, the numbers suggest they’ll have a much better chance at limiting Seattle’s ability to generate explosive plays.
Thayer Munford Jr., Offensive Tackle, Patriots
Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Thayer Munford Jr. has seen his snap count rise recently.
Late in the season, the Patriots turned to their “Jumbo” packages more than they had all year. Munford — a reserve offensive tackle who enters the game typically as an oversized tight end (6-foot-6, 315 pounds) — played 10 or more snaps in six of his team’s last seven games.
Against the No. 1 run defense in football when it comes to EPA per play allowed, the Patriots may want Munford’s extra muscle to help them grind out tough yards on the ground. Since Week 15 (including playoffs), with six linemen on the field, the Patriots lead the NFL with 80 rushing attempts and seven touchdowns. They’ve also ripped off an impressive 6.1 yards per attempt.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, saw just 15 rushing attempts with an extra offensive lineman on the field this season. But in that small sample, they were excellent, allowing just 1.9 yards per carry.
The Patriots may want to try their luck with Munford on the field anyway. Getting him on the field could encourage the Seahawks to use something other than their nickel package defensively. Standout rookie safety Nick Emmanwori — whose twitchy 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame allows the Seahawks to live in nickel and handle both the run and the pass — suffered an ankle injury in practice this week that could alter Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald’s plan against heavier offensive packages.
If Seattle isn’t fully itself on that side of the ball, buttressing the line with a little more bulk — and then either running or using play-action passes — could pay dividends for New England.
