HOUSTON – Chris Hogan. Martellus Bennett. LeGarrette Blount. Dion Lewis. All of the Patriots weapons seem to have gotten plenty of attention in the buildup to Sunday’s Super Bowl LI, except maybe the second-most important guy in the Patriots offense.
Is it possible to overlook a receiver who led the team with 98 catches? If so, Julian Edelman is your guy. For some reason, Edelman does not seem to get the publicity of some of his counterparts. Perhaps it is his subdued style with the media or the freshness of some of the other characters like Hogan and Bennett, newcomers to the Patriots.
Whatever it is, you can almost count on Edelman’s quiet week getting much louder Sunday night against the Falcons. You just know Edelman will make plays … because he always does.
“I’ve played with a lot of great receivers and Jules is right there with all of them,” said Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, the most important guy in the offense. “He’s the linchpin of that group, and he makes our offense go when he’s out there. It’s been that way for a bunch of years. We move the ball, convert on third down, we score touchdowns in the red area and it’s not just his play-making, it’s his attitude, it’s his leadership, it’s how tough he is. I mean you see how big he is, he’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he plays like it. He’s been there every game this year, he’s been incredibly durable and healthy and I love being in that huddle with that guy.”
Edelman showed the attitude that Brady loved this week when he was asked if he was happy about just winning the AFC title.
“I was definitely happy, [but] there is still some meat on the bone,” said Edelman, with a perfect analogy for meat-loving Texas. “I like to bring those ribs right down to the bone. Got to get all the meat.”
Brady and Edelman will be looking to get all the meat off the bone Sunday. You can expect the two to connect plenty of times in this game.
“Jules is like a brother to me,” Brady said. “I mean I just can’t say enough good things about him because he’s just been an incredible player and his development, his maturity, his work ethic, his toughness, his dedication to his craft. I mean, his leadership ability. I mean, everything has been spectacular.”