New England Patriots: 5 Dark horse Super Bowl MVP candidates

FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 21: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown with Danny Amendola #80 in the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 21: Danny Amendola #80 of the New England Patriots reacts with teammates in the second half during the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /

1. Danny Amendola

When Julian Edelman went down earlier this season, there was some concern whether this Patriots offense would survive without one of their most-reliable receivers. You’d think we would all learn by now, but needless to say, Tom Brady adjusted and had an incredible season with Rob Gronkwoski, Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola.

If I had to give an MVP award to one Pats football player through the team’s two previous AFC Playoff games against Tennessee and Jacksonville, it would have to go to Amendola. According to ESPN, the former Texas Tech standout recorded 18 receptions for 196 yards and two touchdowns over the past two weekends.

We’ve seen some incredible performances from New England over their past two games, but none better than Amendola’s.

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With that said, it only makes sense that Brady relies heavily on the Pats veteran receiver in Super Bowl 51. It’s no secret that the Eagles defense is legit, but Amendola is a player who is sneaky-enough to get open, despite great coverage.

If there’s one under-the-radar player who I believe can win the Super Bowl MVP award this year, again, it’s Danny Amendola.

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