With the Super Bowl just four days away, there is a clear line of thinking that Cam Newton will make a big play to win it or Von Miller will come up with a big sack, or perhaps even that Jonathan Stewart, Ronnie Hillman, C.J. Anderson, Ted Ginn, or Demaryius Thomas make the crucial plays to win the game for their respective teams. However in most Super Bowls it is the under the radar player that steps up and makes that one play that makes you step back and think, wow. Did that just happen? There have been myriad examples in the past, but most recently you have Malcolm Butler, Malcolm Smith from the last Super Bowl Denver was in, and David Tyree back in the 2007-2008 season. This is not to say the players I mentioned above, or some of the other stars in the game will not have big impacts or that their play will not be important, but it is important to note the little-known player who makes that one play could tip the scales in favor of their team and give them the Lombardi Trophy.
Here are some players that do not necessarily get publicity, but who could have a big impact on Super Bowl Sunday.
Andre Caldwell, WR, Denver Broncos
One of the under the radar players I am targeting is Andre Caldwell. Caldwell has played with Peyton Manning for Manning’s entire career in Denver and has built some solid chemistry with him. The reason I mention Caldwell is because he would seem to have a favorable matchup with Emmanuel Sanders or Demaryius Thomas facing double teams, or dealing with Josh Norman. Caldwell is a slot guy that can get open quickly and has an understanding of how Manning likes to do things and how he works. Caldwell has a quickness advantage on Cortland Finnegan if that is who Carolina chooses to leave in the slot, and he could easily find soft spots in coverage with the amount of attention due to Denver’s other weapons. Denver could easily run the ball and Caldwell would most likely not see much time, but Manning will have to throw eventually, and Caldwell runs the type of short routes that Manning likes and his arm can make to make him a potential threat.
Bradley Roby, CB, Denver Broncos
Everyone most likely knows who Roby is by now as he has been playing a lot of the year and has really shown himself to be an outstanding young corner. Roby is big, fast, and aggressive making him the prototype of what every team wishes it had at each of their starting cornerback spots. We all know how good Chris Harris Jr. and Aqib Talib are meaning the matchup Newton is most likely to go to is either targeting Roby or targeting whoever will be covering Greg Olsen. However, they might be the same as Roby is big enough to make it tough on Olsen and certainly has the speed to keep up with him. No matter who Roby is covering though you can expect Newton to test him over the likes of Harris and Talib, two All-Pro caliber cornerbacks. If Roby can step up and make Newton go to potentially his fourth read, or he can make a some big plays on the ball this game will favor Denver in a low scoring slugfest.
Kony Ealy, DE, Carolina Panthers
Some may not know Ealy, but those who do know this is a guy who oozes potential as a pass rusher who has a deadly speed and power combination. Ealy could be a huge help against Manning with Jared Allen ailing due to a foot injury and not knowing how effective he can be with it. Most of Ealy’s work comes on passing downs and against Broncos left tackle Ryan Harris Ealy has a decisive advantage. Furthermore, Ealy will be getting single blocked on most downs with left guard Evan Mathis having his hands full with defensive tackle Kawann Short, one of the best defensive tackles in the league. If Ealy can play up to his enormous potential and come up with a couple of tackles for loss or maybe a couple of sacks, and play the edge tough against the run this could be a huge problem for Denver.
Star Lotulelei, DT, Carolina Panthers
Everyone knows Short who I mentioned above, but Star Lotulelei is one of the better defensive tackles against the run for the Panthers. Surprisingly Lotulelei was picked in the first round while Short was picked in the second round of the same draft. Short is no doubt a more complete player as of today, but Lotulelei may be the key to holding off the Denver rushing attack. He will most likely line up in the one technique or directly over the guard which means if the Broncos want to run power to the right side it will have to go through Lotulelei. Despite his skills against the run, he is no slouch against the pass either as he can push the pocket forward and make less room for Manning to step up. If Lotulelei can hold his ground and make be a problem in the middle of the line, making the Broncos bounce the ball outside on runs and letting the linebackers and corners make the tackle this game could be a runaway in the Panther’s favor.
Shaquil Barrett, OLB, Denver Broncos
One underrated aspect of the Denver pass rush and it is hard to believe there is one considering the fame and accolades they have gotten is that they have enviable depth with Barret and rookie Shane Ray as backup rush linebackers. Those two, more specifically Barrett who has proven to be a better player thus far, could tip the scales if Wade Phillips ends up dropping Von Miller into coverage on certain plays and to keep everyone fresh at the end of the game. Barrett has the speed and a solid rip move to win the rushing inside, but he also has to be careful of Newton escaping the pocket if he breaks contain. Barrett could play a key role if he is called upon to rush the passer and if he is he needs to win his battle and not only put pressure on Newton, but keep him from having room to escape. Barrett could end up with a very important strip sack that could turn the tides.
A.J. Klein, LB, Carolina Panthers
The last of the under the radar players to watch is Panthers linebacker A.J. Klein, who played a bunch early in the season when Luke Kuechly was out due to a concussion. Klein is no doubt starter material in the NFL and can play the run as well as anyone on the field. Klein may become very important in the game if Thomas Davis has problems with his broken arm, or if Shaq Thompson is asked to play in coverage more, or if he gets beat up by pulling guards in the Denver run game. Klein is the type of player who could emerge from the game with 10 tackles, two for loss, and a huge stop on third and short, as he has all the makings of a starting middle linebacker in a 4-3 defense with his ability to read the offensive lineman and call out the play as the vocal leader of the defense. Simply put if Klein gets snaps, he will have an impact.
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