The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots every have a number of longshot MVP candiates who might emerge as heroes in Tremendous Bowl LX.
Super Bowl LX will see both the New England Patriots declare a seventh Lombardi Trophy or the Seattle Seahawks win for simply the second time in franchise historical past.
Sometimes, the Tremendous Bowl MVP award is the area of quarterbacks, with the honour going to a signal-caller 34 occasions because the sport’s inception.
That was the case within the first Tremendous Bowl assembly between these two groups, when Tom Brady gained the MVP after orchestrating a fourth-quarter comeback win over the Seahawks in Tremendous Bowl XLIX.
However the Tremendous Bowl can also be a stage for unlikely heroes, with this earlier matchup famously determined by cornerback Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception of Russell Wilson.
Butler didn’t win the MVP regardless of these heroics, however there’s a clear risk that the prize might go to an surprising recipient because the confetti falls on Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.
The likes of Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs would be the favourites for MVP honours, however right here we have a look at a few of the extra under-the-radar candidates.
Tremendous Bowl LX longshot MVP candidates
Seattle Seahawks
Rashid Shaheed
Shaheed has already demonstrated his super worth to the Seahawks this postseason, along with his opening kickoff return for a landing setting in movement the blowout of the San Francisco 49ers within the Divisional Spherical.
His pace makes him a considerable big-play risk as a receiver, a runner out of the backfield and within the return sport. Because the likes of Desmond Howard, Devin Hester and Jacoby Jones have proven in years passed by, it’s on the largest stage that such skills typically shine brightest.
Ernest Jones
The celebs up entrance and within the secondary get many of the limelight on the Seattle protection, however the man who makes that group tick is Jones.
Jones is the defensive signal-caller for Mike Macdonald. He’s the one which relays the defensive calls to the remainder of the group, and Jones can also be the participant whose aggressive type of play typifies the mindset of a ferocious protection.
A second-team All-Professional this season, Jones led the Seahawks with 5 interceptions within the common season. Within the Seahawks’ lone Tremendous Bowl victory, linebacker Malcolm Smith was the unlikely MVP after returning an interception for a landing. With Jones’ ball-hawking talents, might historical past repeat itself?
Nick Emmanwori
Whereas Jones is the heartbeat of the Seattle protection, rookie Emmanwori is the Swiss Military Knife that offers the Seahawks an extra benefit on that facet of the ball.
Possessing super athleticism at 6ft 3in and 220 kilos, Emmanwori can function as a conventional security, play down within the field as a de-facto further linebacker or work as a slot defender.
It’s within the latter position the place he has been most impactful for Seattle. His mix of measurement and protection means that means the Seahawks can basically keep in nickel personnel (5 defensive backs) no matter whether or not groups assault them with heavier personnel teams or try and unfold them out with further broad receivers.
Within the common season, Emmanwori had 2.5 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, 11 move breakups and an interception, illustrating his means to make performs in any respect ranges of the protection. A 12 months in the past, the Philadelphia Eagles’ blowout was highlighted by a pick-six by rookie Cooper DeJean. Emmanwori doing the identical for the Seahawks is a definite risk.
New England Patriots
Kayshon Boutte
Boutte was an afterthought in a depressing rookie season in 2023, however is starting to blossom into the type of productive professional receiver he typically prompt he might grow to be throughout an up-and-down school profession at LSU.
All six of his touchdowns within the common season got here on targets of 20 yards or extra. Per Professional Soccer Focus, Boutte had a passer ranking when focused of 143.8 on such targets, the best passer amongst all broad receivers (min. 20 deep targets).
Boutte has already made an enormous impression this postseason along with his 32-yard landing catch that iced the Divisional Spherical sport with the Houston Texans. In a sport wherein the Seahawks will probably look to take Diggs out of the image, Boutte might write his title into Patriots legend with some extra huge performs at Levi’s Stadium.
Harold Landry
Whereas their performances have a tendency to not translate to Tremendous Bowl MVP awards, so typically it’s move rushers who’ve a decisive influence on the season-ending showpiece.
The Eagles’ line of defense had Patrick Mahomes working for his life final 12 months, whereas Mahomes’ team-mate Chris Jones has constantly been a decisive issue of their Tremendous Bowl triumphs.
Patriots edge rusher Landry isn’t a participant on the identical degree as defensive deal with Jones however, as a disruptive power, he has been frequently underappreciated.
Landry had 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss within the common season. He has been stored quiet to this point within the postseason and missed the AFC Championship Recreation with a knee harm. Nonetheless, if Landry is wholesome sufficient to function on Sunday, he will likely be central to the Patriots’ hopes of derailing the Seattle offense.
Marcus Jones
Nickel corners don’t are typically sturdy candidates for the MVP, however there’s an interesting case for Jones.
The diminutive former third-round choose has made performs all through his profession since being drafted in 2022. He already has an interception returned for a landing within the postseason, and picked off three balls within the common seasons.
As well as, Jones is a big risk within the return sport, main the league within the common season with two punt return touchdowns. He’s the lively chief for profession punt return common, racking up 14.3 yards per run again.
It’s not arduous to ascertain a situation wherein Jones picks off Darnold and has a key punt return. Ought to that occur, Jones will likely be in a superb place for MVP if the Patriots prevail.
