New England Patriots’ Julian Edelman Should Have Been Named Super Bowl MVP
By Michael Woolfson
@Bigwoolf5
Matthew Emmons-USA Today Sports
The New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night in Super Bowl XLIX for Tom Brady‘s fourth career championship. Brady will get all of the attention, and rightfully so because winning four championships as a quarterback is an unbelievable feat, but he should not have been named Super Bowl MVP.
Brady’s numbers look nice in the final box score: 37 completions, 328 yards and four touchdowns. However, the key to the game was his quick receivers, namely Julian Edelman. Edelman ended the game with nine catches for 109 yards and a touchdown, but those numbers don’t show how much of an advantage he really gave the Pats.
If you watched the game, you know it wasn’t the best Brady has played. Yes, he made a couple of great throws, but he was doing it against a severely banged-up secondary, and he also missed his fair share of throws. Brady also threw two key interceptions, otherwise the Patriots might have routed the Seahawks instead of needing a miracle interception by Malcolm Butler.
The Patriots had their most success on Sunday when Brady was getting rid of the ball quickly on short passes to guys like Edelman, Danny Amendola and Shane Vereen, and letting them run after the catch. The Patriots were worried about the Seahawks’ pass rush and rightfully so, because there was a time in the middle of the game when Michael Bennett was unblockable.
Because of this, the Patriots’ game plan was to throw low-risk passes to get Brady’s playmakers in space and break tackles, which they had great success doing.
Not to take anything away from Brady, but it was clear that he was not the most important Patriot on the field on Sunday. His stats look really nice, and it’s a good story because he now has three Super Bowl MVPs, but it can be argued that Vereen, Amendola and Edelman were the key to this Patriots win.
Predicting Where Top NFL Free Agents Will Land
2015 NFL Free Agency is just over a month away, and there are several huge names waiting to find out their fate. Read More
15 Little-Known Facts About the NFL Combine
You’re not a combine expert if you don’t know that 'The NFL Combine' isn’t even its official name. Check out these other fun fact,, including the name of the legendary NFL executive who suggested it. Read More
10 Must-Watch Prospects At 2015 NFL Combine
The NFL Combine is a great opportunity for prospects to display their talents in front of NFL decision makers. Here are 10 players you have to watch. Read More
Giants Cannot Afford to Ignore Defensive Line
Everyone has focused on the offensive line but the New York Giants can't afford to ignore the defensive front. Read More
Philadelphia Eagles Pre-Combine Seven-Round Mock
Before the combine begins, here's a seven-round mock of how the Eagles might play their cards in the upcoming draft. Read More
5 Big-Name Free Agents Raiders Must Target
If the Oakland Raiders are going to return to relevance, they need to target these big-name free agents this offseason. Read More
2015 NFL Draft: Ranking the Top 10 QBs Pre-Combine
There's no disputing the importance of an elite QB in today's NFL, and these 10 signal-callers are the cream of crop in the 2015 NFL Draft class. Read More
Tinder Pic of Edelman Asleep With Woman Leaked
Since dominating the Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Sunday, Patriots' wide receiver Julian Edelman has been seen celebrating the victory in a number of ways. Read More
Browns' 5 Biggest Draft Needs Heading Into Combine
The Cleveland Browns are looking to improve this offseason through the 2015 NFL Draft. Here are the five biggest needs before the NFL Combine. Read More
Titans' 5 Biggest Draft Needs Heading Into Combine
The NFL Combine is just two weeks away, and here are the five biggest draft needs for the Tennessee Titans heading into it. Read More
Guion Arrest Latest in Nightmare '15 NFL Offseason
After a year to forget for the NFL, the three days of the 2015 offseason have already been more of the same type of negative headlines seen far too frequently in 2014. Read More
Panthers' 5 Biggest Draft Needs Before Combine
With the NFL Combine just two weeks away, here are the Carolina Panthers' five biggest draft needs. Read More