New England Patriots: Eric Lee an under the radar player to watch
New England Patriots pass rusher Eric Lee was picked as an under the radar player to watch in Super Bowl 52.
The New England Patriots are set to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52 on February 4th. The Patriots earned the opportunity to play for the championship after a come from behind victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship game.
Throughout the season, the Patriots had a number of different players step up. Injuries are a part of every team’s journey, and that was no different for New England.
The Patriots dealt with a number of injuries across the board. One area that was hit hard was the linebacker and pass-rushing spots. Defensive leader Dont’a Hightower was able to play in only five games this season. Every down linebacker Kyle Van Noy also missed time. Third round pick Derek Rivers missed the whole season with a torn ACL.
Despite missing so many key components, the Patriots rolled throughout the regular season. Pass rusher is shored up now with Van Noy healthy and veteran James Harrison being added prior to the final game.
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However, there is another key acquisition the Patriots made. Prior to their Week 12 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots were in need of pass-rushing help. They found it off the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad, signing Eric Lee.
Lee turned out to be quite the find for the Patriots. In six regular season games, Lee had 19 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one interception, and one safety. He did that all in 282 snaps.
As a result, Lee ended up on ESPN’s list of under the radar players to watch in the Super Bowl. To land on this list, a player must have played fewer than 500 snaps, been a third round or later pick, has yet to sign a contract extension and is 26-years old or younger.
Lee hit all those requirements and landed himself on the list. Here is what they had to say about Lee.
"A surprise starter for the Patriots down the stretch, Lee had nine hurries and 3.5 sacks in his sparse number of snaps. Lee is a success story who went straight from the Bills’ practice squad to New England’s roster after Cassius Marsh was bounced off.Lee spent 2016 with the Texans and was a project of former Texans personnel exec Brian Gaine, following him to Buffalo after Gaine left for more power with the Bills. He’s more of an effort end who stops the run than a pure, raw pass-rusher, but with Jason Peters on the shelf and Halapoulivaati Vaitai on the edge, Lee could be a big factor if given a winnable matchup against Vaitai."
With Harrison now in the fold and players such as Trey Flowers and Van Noy getting healthy, the Patriots have quite a pass rushing group. Lee could be a legitimate difference maker against the Eagles given his matchup, as Rivers McCown noted, and his skill set.
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Despite being signed so late in the season, Lee is tied for fourth on the team in sacks. Will he be able to keep up the great play on the biggest stage in football? We will have to watch and see!