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Patriots’ unsung heroes make the difference in Super Bowl 49

By Steve Silverman

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots strong safety Malcolm Butler (21) makes an interception during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots strong safety Malcolm Butler (21) makes an interception during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tom Brady won the MVP, but the unsung heroes made the difference in Super Bowl 49

The New England Patriots are Super Bowl XLIX champions, and thanks to a dramatic fourth-quarter, two-touchdown rally, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have joined Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Chuck Noll in the NFL’s pantheon of quadruple greatness.

The quarterback and coach certainly did their parts – and so did Seattle head coach Pete Carroll for not vetoing the Seahawks final play call – but the Patriots won this game because their role players made big plays.

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Let’s start with the running back position, where it was Shane Vereen who carried the load against the Seahawks, instead of power back LeGarrette Blount.

The Pats gave Blount an opportunity fairly early, but the Seahawks warmed to the task and held him to 40 yards on 14 carries. Once the Seahawks sent the message that the Patriots were not going to be able to gash them on the ground, the Vereen option came into play.

Whenever Brady needed to get rid of the ball before he sensed that Seattle pressure would cause problems, he found Vereen. Brady threw 12 passes in Vereen’s direction, and the running back caught 11 of them.

That included five passes that resulted in first downs. Vereen is clearly New England’s best pass-catching running back, having caught 52 passes for 447 yards and three touchdowns this season, but he didn’t catch more than eight passes (vs. Detroit in Week 12) in any one game. Nevertheless, he was a vital part of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ gameplan.

Oct 16, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA;New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen (34) celebrates his touchdown during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA;New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen (34) celebrates his touchdown during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /

“Shane, this is his kind of game,” running backs coach Ivan Fears said. “If they’re going to let you throw it to Shane underneath, he’s going to hurt you a little bit.”

Many of the catches Vereen made were difficult. Some of Brady’s passes required Vereen to extend himself or make adjustments to the ball that left his rib cage exposed to Seattle’s Legion of Boomsters, who wanted nothing more than to dissuade Vereen with their brutality.

Vereen wasn’t the only New England pass catcher to rise above expectations. Danny Amendola has largely been an injury-prone disappointment throughout his six-year career with St. Louis (four years) and the Patriots (two years). Originally signed after the Patriots decided to part company with Wes Welker, Amendola caught 27 passes for 200 yards and a single touchdown this season.

But he came up big in Super Bowl XLIX, catching five passes for 48 yards and a key fourth-quarter touchdown.

With the Patriots trailing 24-14, Brady had just missed a throw to a wide-open Julian Edelman in the endzone. On the next play, Amendola made a quick move near the back line of the endzone, got open and made the clutch catch that got New England within a field goal and transferred momentum to the AFC champions.

But neither Vereen’s nor Amendola’s contributions would have mattered if not for the huge play of rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler.

It appeared the Patriots were about to suffer the David Tyree treatment, after Seattle wideout Jermaine Kearse made a circus catch along the sidelines that gave the Seahawks a 1st-and-goal situation at the New England five-yard-line with 1:14 remaining.

A four-yard power run by Marshawn Lynch left the ball at the one, and the football world was sure that Carroll and the Seahawks would go with another Beast mode rushing attempt that would have given the Seahawks a 31-28 lead.

However, Butler proved that he was no dumb rookie. This undrafted smart cookie out of West Alabama recognized the Seahawks formation and realized that they were going to run a pick play, and Ricardo Lockette was likely going to get the ball.

“I remembered the formation they were in, two receivers stacked, I just knew they were going to [a] pick route,” Butler said. “I just beat him to the route and just made the play.”

As soon as Wilson dropped back, Butler shot to the spot where he knew the ball was going. The 180-pound Butler outfought the 211-pound Lockette and came away with the ball, and that clinched the game for the Patriots.

While the play call was dubious at best and has been labeled as the worst in football history by Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Butler made a brilliant, physical and winning play at the key moment of the game.

The Patriots had 53 players active in the Super Bowl. Butler may not have been No. 53 on that totem pole, but he is a lot closer to the bottom than the top. Still, he made the play that gave New England the Lombardi Trophy and their first Super Bowl in 10 years, and he will have a place in Super Bowl lore for many years.

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