Super Bowl LV: 5 players who could be unsung heroes on Sunday

Jordan Whitehead

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ secondary started out the year strong, shutting down an impressive offense in Green Bay in the process. Midseason was a tough stretch for the Bucs, as their secondary got torched by playoff-bound teams including the Saints, Rams, and Chiefs.

This group has found it in the postseason. The secondary has forced key turnovers in big spots, changing the momentum, and ultimately the course, over their last two playoff games. One of those turnovers was forced by the next player on the list, safety Jordan Whitehead. Whitehead forced two fumbles in the NFC Championship, one of which was recovered by Tampa, leading to a touchdown to build an 18-point lead.

Whitehead is the forgotten man in the secondary, but he’s all over the field making plays. It may not show up in the stat sheet, but Whitehead does a lot for the Bucs. Now that they’re getting hot at the right time, Whitehead is making more splash plays. If the Bucs win the Super Bowl, it will be because they forced important turnovers against Mahomes, and Whitehead could be the catalyst.

It will take everything this group has to stop Mahomes and company, and it may take another momentum shifter to bring home the Lombardi.