New England Patriots: 5 Unlikely Heroes of Super Bowl LI
Kyle Van Noy
In theory, there is no replacing a talented freak-of-nature linebacker like Jamie Collins. However, Bill Belichick was able to find a player in Kyle Van Noy willing to make the plays necessary to put his team in position to win games.
Acquired in a trade from the Detroit Lions in October, Van Noy spent his first three weeks with the Patriots studying the playbook. When he finally got his chance to play, he had a key sack and since then has been a reason why the Patriots’ defense has emerged and is the No. 1-ranked scoring defense towards the end of the season.
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Part of why Van Noy is a key contributor in the Patriots’ defense is the opportunity and freedom the team has given him.
"“Just get to play football, not worry about your gap or anything, you just get to play free,” Van Noy said via the Detroit Free Press. “The players get a lot of say. It’s awesome to play for a defensive coach like Matt Patricia who believes in his players, allows them to make field adjustments and be out there and change what you need to change, according to what you see. And I think that’s awesome. It speaks volumes to him and it shows why all his players play for him a long time and they enjoy playing in the Patriots’ system.”"
Related Story: Linebacker Kyle Van Noy Trending Upward
That doesn’t mean Van Noy is without some flaws. One of which could be exposed on Sunday as the Patriots linebackers will be challenged by running back Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. As both running backs can catch the ball out of the backfield, Van Noy will have to be on his game to keep them from breaking a big play.
Also, expect the product of BYU to blitz Matt Ryan a few times. Blitzing Ryan will be risky, but the Patriots did something similar with Teddy Bruschi against Donavan McNabb in Super Bowl XXXIX.