Five NFL stars who can decide the outcome of Super Bowl 51
Pre-season is now well underway as all 32 National Football League franchises are in the midst of determining their rosters for the upcoming campaign beginning in early September.
Reigning champions, the Denver Broncos and last season’s bridesmaids, Carolina Panthers will again be among the favorites to collect the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Houston next February, but with several other teams hoping to reach the ultimate prize in Football, another exciting season is almost upon us.
In this article, we will focus on five players, who could help their team towards Super Bowl glory.
Unstoppable
The New England Patriots are missing their talisman quarterback, Tom Brady for the opening four games of their campaign this season, but Head Coach, Bill Belichick will already have plenty of tricks up his sleeve to counteract his main man’s absence. Future Hall of Fame tight end, Rob Gronkowski is entering his seventh season for the Pats, and the 27 year-old will again be the main concern of most defensive coordinators attempting to curb his almost unstoppable scoring ability. ‘Gronk’ has scored 65 touchdowns in 80 games for New England, and provided his fitness holds up this season, another big TD haul is likely once again.
Serious numbers
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, Antonio Brown proved to be another fine pick-up out of the 2010 draft class and provided the 27 year-old can maintain his performance level of the recent past, then the Steelers could well be in the mix to win their seventh Super Bowl crown. The former Central Michigan star has put up some serious numbers – 23 touchdowns and over 3,500 receiving yards – in the past two seasons alone, proving his worth to the Steelers franchise. Injuries to LeVeon Bell and Ben Roethlisberger hampered Pittsburgh’s chances last year, but if their key men can stay healthy, the Steelers will be a big threat to all.
Talisman
Carolina’s talismanic signal caller, Cam Newton begins the Panthers’ Super Bowl run with a trip to Denver in a repeat of last season’s showpiece. The 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player is a points dream for Fantasy owners – but his worth to the Panthers team collective is worth far more than just his scoring abilities. Having said that, Newton orchestrated 45 trips to his opponents’ end zone in the regular season in 2015, with 30 passing and 15 rushing scores. The former Heisman Trophy winner and former number one pick of 2011 will also be able to call upon promising wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin again this season after his return from serious injury, and he will offer the Panthers another offensive weapon as Carolina and Newton once more chase their Super Bowl dream.
Potential
Provided that Arizona Cardinals running back, David Johnson doesn’t suffer a sophomore slump, the second year professional could be the key factor in a successful campaign for the perennial challengers. Johnson ended the season ranked 35th overall for yards from scrimmage, but that hardly tells the full story. The ex-Northern Iowa star scored 13 touchdowns in his rookie season, and that performance alone stands the 22 year-old out as a potential NFL star of the future. The Cardinals fell at the NFC Championship stage in 2015 against the Panthers, but with fellow offensive stars, Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald along with a fine defensive unit primed for another assault at Super Bowl glory, Arizona could well improve on last season’s efforts.
Production
It wouldn’t be fair to discuss some of the leading lights of the NFL without offering a defensive player who could potentially determine the destination of the Super Bowl trophy, so step forward, Denver’s Super Bowl MVP, outside linebacker, Von Miller. It is stating the obvious that the Broncos roster has many new faces for 2016, but Miller – fresh from his huge new contract that has made the 27 year-old, the highest-paid defensive player in league history – can galvanise Denver’s defence to offer a healthy fight to keep hold of their crown. The Broncos could heavily miss recently retired Peyton Manning behind centre, with rookie Paxton Lynch taking over, but Miller’s defensive production alone will keep the Broncos very competitive in 2016.