Super Bowl MVP: Which Patriots have the best chance?

5. Dont’a Hightower

Hightower is a fascinating player on the Patriots’ roster, as he was absolutely instrumental in altering his team’s fate in both of its last Super Bowl titles.

If not for his shoestring tackle of then-Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch at the 1-yard line, Seattle would have probably scored a touchdown and taken a late lead with just seconds left in the fourth quarter. No pick play, no Malcolm Butler game-sealing interception, and most likely no red, white, and blue confetti falling on the field.

Same thing against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Not much was going right for New England all game, as the team found itself down by the now-infamous score of 28-3 well into the third quarter of play. But then Hightower found his way around Atlanta’s offensive line for a strip-sack of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan that the Patriots recovered, and from that point on, it was almost all New England en route to another championship victory.

2018 was a relatively down year – at least statistically – for Hightower. He finished with just 24 solo tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception on the year. His value to the team extends well beyond just the numbers he produces, though, as he’s the unquestioned leader on defense; the veteran field general calling audibles for that side of the ball whenever necessary.

It’s Hightower’s smarts and experience that are the most important to Bill Belichick and the Patriots at this point, and that’s why he’s an interesting candidate to take home MVP honors in Super Bowl LIII. He’s already shown a knack for making critical, “gotta-have-it” plays when the teams needs them most, and certainly when the stakes are at their highest.

It’s not unreasonable to assume that he could make a few game-altering plays in the Super Bowl and win the trophy – kind of like Malcolm Smith did for the Seahawks when he won MVP five years ago, after returning an interception for a touchdown, recovering a fumble, and amassing 10 tackles.