The biggest stars always shine the brightest, especially on the biggest stage. In this instance, that stage is Sofi Stadium where the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals face off in Super Bowl 56. The matchup features a ton of stars. Some, like Aaron Donald and Matt Stafford, are veterans still operating at the highest level. Others, like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, are in the early stages of their careers, but already climbing the ladder to superstardom.
Both teams have an abundance of role players ready to step up too. They’ll have to be ready too. It takes an entire roster to win a championship, not just the stars. Of course, it’s good to have an All-World talent, but they can only do so much. And while the show may be stolen by one of the elite players on Sunday, there’s every chance that a role player could step into the limelight and turn the tide in favour of their respective team.
Here are four potential “under the radar” picks to have a breakout game on Sunday:
Leonard Floyd – LA Rams
Leonard Floyd has been a revelation since signing with the Rams two years ago. His time with the Chicago Bears always felt like a case of a player failing to recognize his potential. Floyd had 147 total pressures and 18.5 sacks with the Bears in four seasons and has already beaten his sack rate and lodged 103 pressures in just half that time with the Rams.
2021 was a career year for Floyd. He finished with the eighth-most pressures among all edge defenders in the NFL and had a career-high 12 sacks, per PFF. The obvious elephant in the room is that Floyd has spent two years on the same defensive line as Aaron Donald – one of the most disruptive defenders of all time. Donald constantly requires the attention of two offensive linemen.
But that’s exactly why Floyd could prove to be a major player in the Super Bowl. Add in the fact that the Rams traded for edge rusher Von Miller prior to the NFL trade deadline, and the outcome is a ton of opportunities for Floyd to work in one-on-one matchups against the Bengals’ offensive tackles. He might not win every rep, but he’s clearly talented enough to cause some major issues for Cincinnati.
The Bengals’ offensive line has left Joe Burrow for the wolves numerous times in 2021. In just three postseason games, Hakeem Adeniji and Isaiah Prince – the right side of the Bengals line – have given up a total of 5 sacks and 20 pressures. Burrow and the Bengals have made it this far in spite of the offensive line, and they’ve faced some good defensive lines along the way. But the Rams defensive front might just be the best in the NFL. Floyd isn’t the star of the defense, but he could have a huge part to play on Sunday.
Jonah Williams, Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle
Considering what we know about the Rams defensive line, this is an appropriate choice. Williams missed his entire rookie season in 2019 after suffering a torn labrum in his shoulder during OTAs but has since bounced back, and done it, somewhat, under the radar.
The Bengals’ offensive line has struggled to protect Joe Burrow over the last two seasons, making it difficult to stand out as a bright spot on a generally poor unit. However, Williams has, at least so far, shown glimpses of a potential franchise left tackle. The problem is, those flashes have been mixed in with plenty of ugly moments – like giving up 8 sacks during the regular season, the sixth-most in the NFL among tackles, per PFF.
Williams has settled down in the postseason and has given up just six total pressures across three games, despite coming up against some good-to-great pass rushers. The ultimate test comes on Sunday, though. Joe Burrow has survived with limited protection up until now, but the Rams defensive front will look to make life miserable for the 2020 number one overall pick this weekend.
If Williams can hold up in protection against the likes of Miller and Floyd on Burrow’s blindside, he’ll have at least a modicum of time to operate in the pocket. Williams wouldn’t win a Super Bowl MVP for a strong performance, but he’ll definitely earn his flowers and make a difference.
Van Jefferson, Rams receiver
The Rams are blessed with talent at the wide receiver position. Cooper Kupp emerged as one of the best, if not the best, receivers in the NFL in 2021. Odell Beckham was a mid-season acquisition after a public falling out with the Cleveland Browns. Robert Woods is one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL, but has been sidelined for the year after suffering a torn ACL. Oh, and they have Van Jefferson too.
The former second round pick had a relatively quiet rookie season in 2020, catching just 19 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown. Despite the Rams using a lot of 11 personnel, there wasn’t much of a role in Sean McVay’s offense – he preferred Josh Reynolds in that third receiver role. With Reynolds leaving the team in free agency, it opened up a spot for Jefferson. After a Week 1 performance where he totalled 80 yards and a touchdown on just two receptions, Jefferson found his niche as a big-play threat for the Rams thanks to his explosive speed and ability to win contested catches downfield.
Matt Stafford is more reliable than most quarterbacks when it comes to pushing the ball downfield, and the results have been pretty promising through the regular season and the playoffs, with Stafford having the second-highest Big Time Throw Percentage in the NFL. And a frequent benefactor? Jefferson. The receiver is in the top 10 for yards per reception this season and has three touchdowns on receptions of over 20 yards.
Expect the Rams to go deep, and expect Jefferson to be a target when they inevitably do.
Mike Hilton, Bengals cornerback
The Bengals designated slot corner, Mike Hilton, might have the toughest task of any player in the Super Bowl in terms of one-on-one matchups: guarding Cooper Kupp.
Kupp has risen to the top of the receiver food chain in 2021 and was the first receiving triple-crown winner (led the NFL in yards, receptions, and receiving touchdowns) since 2005. Unfortunately for Hilton, Kupp is at his best when operating as the slot receiver for the Rams – his 1635 receiving yards out of the slot was more than double the second-most in the NFL.
Hilton has been a key contributor for the Bengals all season, but his star has shone bright in the postseason. He’s only allowed a reception every 15.3 coverage snaps, per PFF and has allowed just six receptions on 13 total targets. That’s unlikely to be the case when he’s covering Kupp on Sunday, but Hilton does have the ability to make life, at least, a little tougher for the wide receiver.
Kupp will likely get his, but if Hilton can slow him down, then a large portion of the Rams game plan could be out of the window. If that happens, the Bengals could have the upper hand.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @thomasvalenfine