New England Patriots: Ranking Top 5 Performers in the 2017 NFL Playoffs
By Hal Bent
Trey Flowers
The New England Patriots pass rush struggled to generate pressure consistently all season long but do not blame edge rusher Trey Flowers. Flowers was the most consistent pass rusher all season despite the team often moving him inside on third down instead of rushing only from the outside. In addition, his ability to set the edge in run defense makes him a solid three-down player.
In the playoffs, Flowers piled up 17 combined sacks, hits and hurries over the three games. While he did not get any sacks in the Super Bowl, he was one of the few defenders to find his way into the backfield to get pressure on quarterback Nick Foles, particularly in the fourth quarter. Beyond the quarterback numbers, he was huge against the run in the playoffs finishing second on the team with 17 tackles.
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The New England Patriots may have come up short in their quest for victory in Super Bowl 52 against the Eagles, but these five players are not to be blamed for the loss. In fact, these five players played a key role in New England beating out 30 other teams for the right to play in the Super Bowl. For these five players, they can stand proud this offseason knowing they were among the best performers on the biggest stage.