The Unsung Heroes of Super Bowl 53

This Super Bowl did not seem to go the way that anybody expected. But hey, ring number six came back to New England. We all know about the incredible game Julian Edelman came away with to win the MVP award. But what about the other guys that flew under the radar and helped the Pats pull away this victory? Here’s a tribute to the forgotten players that this Super Bowl victory could not have been possible without.

The Interior Offensive Line – Joe Thuney, David Andrews, and Shaq Mason. I can’t single out one of these guys because they worked so well together to shut down the most dangerous defensive tackles in the league. Brady was sacked once and it wasn’t even by Aaron Donald or Ndamukong Suh. They were kept about as in check as you can possibly keep them, and all the credit goes to these guys. They were horses in the run game and kept Brady on his feet, they get the number one award for the unsung heroes in my book.

Jason McCourty – One easy switch made the defense so much more effective. They went to more of a zone coverage look, and inserted J-Mac instead of JC Jackson. Man did that pay off. He kept Robert Woods quiet most of the game, as well as Josh Reynolds. Not to mention he made a gigantic play that was an absolute game changer. He saw Cooks come open on that play in the end zone earlier in the game, and he knew he could not let it happen again. He didn’t, and he broke on the ball as it was in the air and made such a perfect play on what could have been a gamebreaking touchdown.

Duron Harmon – Harmon came on the jailbreak blitz that caused Stephon Gilmore’s interception that clinched the game. Harmon came in so hot that Goff panicked, and thought he could beat where the blitz came from. He was completely wrong. Not to mention the fact that he had to fill a huge role for Patrick Chung after he broke his arm.

James Develin – What’s an unsung hero conversation without a fullback? Without James Develin, Sony Michel does not reach the end zone. He would not have rushed for 94 yards either. Develin practically risked his life and got instant CTE on the first play of the game when he threw his body into Suh. Develin has brought the fullback position back into the NFL, and brought the Lombardi back to Foxboro.

Patrick Chung – I gave a lot of credit for Harmon filling in for Chung after he got hurt early on, and he deserves it. But I think what Chung did before he got hurt was just as important. Chung set the tone of this game on the first 2 drives. He was flying all over the field, laid some big hits and broke up some big passes. He had receivers scared to go across the middle early and it put the Rams in a shell for the entire game. We wish you a speedy recovery, Pat, and we could not have won without you!

-Jake Kobierski (@TheRealKobe83)