New England Patriots: Ranking Top 5 Performers in the 2017 NFL Playoffs
By Hal Bent
Even though the New England Patriots fell short of their ultimate goal, they did still make the Super Bowl this season. Here were their top playoff performers.
The New England Patriots fell short on their drive for back-to-back Super Bowl victories but there were players on both sides of the ball who played well. After rolling through the first two rounds of the playoffs, New England was derailed by a deep and talented Philadelphia Eagles team with a creative and efficient offense and a defense that stepped up with a huge play on defense in the waning moments of the game.
Let’s be honest: the New England Patriots dodged a couple of bullets on their way to Super Bowl 52 against the Philadelphia Eagles. In retrospect after their Super Bowl performance on defense, going up against Kansas City’s offense in the Divisional round would likely have been a disaster again. In the AFC Championship game, would the defense have been able to show the explosive Pittsburgh offense a second time?
Looking back at their three playoff games, there are five players who stood out with strong performances in the playoffs. These players stepped-up their game on the biggest stage and either justified their big paychecks or helped set themselves up for a big payday in the near future. With all eyes on them, these five New England Patriots players were the top performers in the 2017 NFL Playoffs: