The countdown to Feb. 8 has begun for the New England Patriots, and some of their players are no strangers to playing in the Super Bowl.
After defeating the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots will start preparing for the Seattle Seahawks. The pressure of the Super Bowl can be a lot, and experience can be a huge factor.
This Patriots team differs from the years when they had Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, when nearly every player on the team had played in a Super Bowl at some point. The Patriots have just five players who have played in a Super Bowl on this year’s team.
Carlton Davis III, Christian Elliss, Mack Hollins, Austin Hooper and Milton Williams are the only Patriots who have played in the Super Bowl. Hollins and Hooper’s last Super Bowl appearances came against the Patriots.
Davis’s last Super Bowl appearance was Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was the same Super Bowl where Brady won his seventh ring. Davis had five tackles and played 79 snaps in the Buccaneers 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Elliss played in Super Bowl LVII with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles lost 38-35 to the Chiefs, and Elliss played 24 snaps, all on special teams.
Hollins played in Super Bowl LII as a rookie with the Philadelphia Eagles. That was the infamous Nick Foles game against the Patriots. Hollins played 17 offensive snaps but did not record a catch.
Hooper was a part of one of the greatest Patriots games in history, but he was on the wrong side. Hooper was on the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI. He was just a rookie, but he had three catches for 32 yards and a touchdown in the game. The Falcons blew a 28-3 lead to lose the game 34-28 in overtime.
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Williams was the Patriots’ big addition in free agency, signing a four-year, $104 million deal. He has played in two Super Bowls. His first appearance came in Super Bowl LVII with Elliss. He also played in Super Bowl LIX last season, winning a ring. He had two sacks in last year’s Super Bowl.
