New England Patriots: 5 Unlikely Heroes of Super Bowl LI

Eric Rowe 

To expose the New England Patriots secondary and have success, a team will probably focus on the third cornerback.  In this case Eric Rowe might just be the most important defensive player on the field on Sunday.  Whatever his role will be, Matt Ryan will target him and the former second-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles will have to made some plays to limit the exposing passing game of the Falcons.

As the tallest of the Patriots cornerbacks, Rowe could get the assignment of covering Julio Jones with safety help.  While this would scare most Patriots fans, it may just make the most sense.  By taking away the deep threat ability of Jones, the Patriots could use Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan to limit Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel.

Plus, there’s a feeling you get when a player is talked about in the span of two weeks as much as Rowe has been discussed.  While much of the discussion has not been popular, it would be poetic if the Houston native played the game of his life to help his team win.

As far as covering a player like Jones, Rowe knows what he would be up against.

"“He can do it all,” Rowe said via CSNPhilly.  “The short routes, the intermediate routes, the deep routes.  He can run.  He’s got long strides.  Great route running skills.  Great hands.  Strong.  I mean, you pick it.  I’ve seen it all from him on film.  We just gotta slow him down.”"

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Rowe has had experience going up against big wide receivers like Brandon Marshall, Demaryius Thomas and A.J. Green.  While talented, none of them are the beast Julio Jones is.  Still, Eric Rowe may perform better than expected.