NFL Roundtable: Unlikely Heroes Of NFC/AFC Title Games
By Erik Lambert
Everybody expects the stars to play well in big games, and that won’t change for the NFC and AFC championships. However, almost inevitably there will be an unsuspecting hero who emerges from the shadows to make a pivotal play or series of plays that end up deciding the game. We asked the Mocks crew in our latest NFL roundtable to determine who they think those sleepers will be.
Shawn Spencer:
I’ll go with Patrick Chung for the Patriots. With Manning lacking the arm strength to stretch the defense, Chung will play a huge role in shutting down the Denver offense. He’ll be asked to cover tight ends, play the underneath zone and help set the edge in the run game. He won’t amass huge stats, but he’ll be all over the field and will help lead the Patriots to another Super Bowl.
Eric Robinson:
Oh this should be good. AFC: The regular season matchup between the two teams needed an extra quarter as Denver won 30-24 in OT. I expect a tight knit, back and forth matchup again. This time, the “surprise” hero is none other than CB Malcolm Butler who magically comes up with another game-sealing INT.
NFC: Another 4 quarter slugfest that will come down to which team makes the biggest mistake at the worst time. I would’ve selected Tyrann Mathieu to be the hero but I’m going to go with the quiet but productive playmaker on the outstanding defense, Deone Bucannon.
George Stockburger:
I’m going to go with a big shocker here and say Steven Jackson. The guy was sitting on his sofa a month ago ready to move on with his life, but now he has a chance to win a Super Bowl. New England always seems to get the most out of their running backs and Jackson could finally get his chance to make an impact in the playoffs and go to a Super Bowl.
Brady Lunt:
AFC: While the Broncos are a very talented team, I believe the Patriots will put up enough of a fight to come out with a win. I think a lot of that will happen on special teams so Danny Amendola could come up big, putting them in good field position.
NFC: I’m going to go with John Brown. I think Arizona will look to attack the Panthers secondary and a speedy receiver like Brown should take complete advantage. We’ve seen similar performances from him throughout the season.
Erik Lambert:
His name hasn’t been mentioned outside of social media circles much lately. However, it seems everybody has taken a turn stepping up in big moments for the Carolina Panthers this year. He saw only four snaps against Seattle, but don’t be surprised of their 1st round pick Shaq Thompson steps up in a big way for that defense.
He strung together some pretty solid games to end the regular season. With all the spotlight on Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, it will be the rookie from Washington who ends up making a decisive play in the NFC championship to help Carolina advance to the Super Bowl. What will it be? Given his skills and offensive background, expect a return for a touchdown.