Who's This Year's That Guy?

Larry Brown was that guy twelve years ago. Just ask Neil O’Donnell. Desmond Howard was that guy the following year, and it drove the New England Patriots’ kick coverage unit crazy. In 2003, Dexter Jackson was that guy, too, and Rich Gannon still has nightmares about him.

That guy seems to show up in every Super Bowl, masquerading in the jersey of a little known player on the winning team. In the most extreme cases—such as Brown, Howard and Jackson—that guy is so effective that he outshines star teammates like Troy Aikman, Brett Favre and Warren Sapp to earn the Super Bowl MVP.

More commonly, that guy simply plays superbly in the Super Bowl after being a minor role player all season. Short of winning the Super Bowl MVP trophy, that guy’s unexpected impact helps his team raise the Lombardi trophy year after year.

Rules to qualify as that guy in a Super Bowl

1. Starting quarterbacks are automatically ruled out. That means no Tom Brady and no Eli Manning
2. Pro Bowl selections are also overqualified. In addition to Brady, that rules out Randy Moss, Mike Vrabel, Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Vince Wilfork and Asante Samuel for New England. It also eliminates Osi Umenyiora, the lone Pro Bowl selection for the Giants.
3. Fantasy football studs are ineligible. Some people pay more attention to fantasy football than the real games so there’s no way Plaxico Burress, Brandon Jacobs or Wes Welker is going undetected. Obviously Brady and Moss fall into this category as well.
4. Veterans with a significant playoff history. Check off Junior Seau, Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Troy Brown, Richard Seymour and Adalius Thomas from New England, as well as Michael Strahan, Sam Madison, R.W. McQuarters and Amani Toomer from New York.
5. No repeats. If you were already named That Guy in a Super Bowl, you can never be him again. Mike Vrabel is the only one playing in Super Bowl XLII who has been that guy before for his six-tackle, two-sack, one-touchdown-reception performance against Philadelphia in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

New York Giants top five nominees for Super Bowl XLII’s That Guy

5. Steve Smith, WR
The Giants are hoping their Steve Smith can do what the Panthers’ Steve Smith did against the Patriots (4 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD) in Super Bowl XXXVII. The Patriots will likely be focusing their coverage on Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, leaving opportunities for the rookie wideout who has made nine receptions in three postseason games.

4. Antonio Pierce, MLB
The middle linebacker typically orchestrates the defense. Pierce will need to be active around the ball for the Giants to have any chance of slowing down the NFL’s all-time highest scoring offense.

3. Kevin Boss, TE
Boss has done an admirable job filling in for the injured Jeremy Shockey on the field and does not have the same disruptive personality as Shockey either.

2. James Butler, SS
At some point in the game, the Patriots will try to go deep on Randy Moss. If Butler can lay a clean hit on Moss and rattle his cage early, the Giants secondary will have a much better chance of containing New England’s vertical passing game.

1. Ahmad Bradshaw, RB
Bradshaw has been a revelation since week 16, complimenting Brandon Jacobs and making everyone forget about Tiki Barber. The Giants’ best defense in this game may be their running offense. If Bradshaw can use his speed and power to control the ball and the clock, the Giants can limit the opportunities for Brady and company to score.

New England Patriots top five nominees for Super Bowl XLII’s That Guy

5. Nick Kaczur, RT
Yes, it is possible for a lineman to receive that guy status, and perhaps, if I was more football savvy in my younger years, I would have watched for strong line play in the Super Bowl. Kaczur will draw the assignment of Michael Strahan, the Giants’ future Hall of Famer. Containing one of the all-time sack leaders in his quest for that elusive championship ring won’t be easy though.

4. Heath Evans, FB
Evans could be the fourth fullback to earn that guy status. Howard Griffith did it with blocking, William Floyd did it with receiving and Tom Rathman did it running. Evans may contribute in any of those areas, and he’s proven to be especially valuable in short-yardage situations for New England.

3. Ty Warren, DE
Playing on a defensive line that includes Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork, Warren is the unsung man. He had just four sacks all season, but added one against Jacksonville in the playoffs. If he can get any pressure on Eli Manning, the Giants will be in trouble.

2. Kevin Faulk, RB
Faulk has been in New England since his career began in 1999. Only Troy Brown (1993) and Tedy Bruschi (1996) have longer tenure with the Patriots. And while he’s never been a featured back in the Patriots offense—only topping 100 carries twice—he’s always been a valuable weapon out of the backfield. Indeed it was Faulk—not Moss or Welker—who led the team in receptions and receiving yards in the Patriots’ AFC Championship win over San Diego.

1. Ellis Hobbs, CB/KR
It’s unlikely that Eli Manning will challenge Asante Samuel, one of the NFL’s premier cornerbacks, who figures to matchup primarily with Plaxico Burress. Whether Hobbs draws Burress or Amani Toomer, Manning is likely to look that way early and often. If Hobbs can stay on his man and record an interception, Manning could have a frustratingly bad Super Bowl experience.


The Pick for Super Bowl XLII’s That Guy
Donte' Stallworth, WR, New England

The rationale
The New England Patriots disproved the notion all season long that you have to run the ball effectively to win games. They were throwing the ball 10-15 straight times to open games and no one could stop them. In recent weeks, as opponents have vowed not to get beaten by their high-powered passing attack, the Patriots have returned to a more conventional ground game, allowing Laurence Maroney to rack up big numbers.

I suspect that Belichick is anticipating the Giants preparing for the team that they’ve seen from week 17 onward. Thus, they’ll key on Maroney and the running game a bit too much. Yet, they also know they don’t want to get beat by Randy Moss, who set an NFL record for touchdown catches, or Wes Welker, who led the league in receptions. That makes Donte’ Stallworth a prime candidate for that guy.

Of course, if you ask him, he won’t even admit that he, Donte’, is ever on the field at all, let alone as that guy. He says it’s an alien named Nicco that takes over his body when he’s on the field. I swear I’m not making this up.
But all of that aside, Stallworth is a talented former first round pick of the Saints. He was fourth on the team in receptions behind Welker, Moss and Faulk and had two touchdowns in the playoffs last season as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Still, no one is talking about him heading into this game. That’s the setup for that guy to shine.

Matt’s Super Bowl XLII pick
New England 41, New York 33

Who’s the ultimate That Guy?

I was four years old when the San Francisco 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 in Super Bowl XXIII, but I’ve seen the highlight of John Taylor catching the game-winning touchdown enough to feel like I was there. Taylor’s touchdown grab was his only catch of the game—he had just 14 catches all season—and it made him that guy for Joe Montana and the 49ers.

The only vague memory I actually have from game was that my 3-D glasses did absolutely nothing during the “Be Bop Bamboozled in 3-D” halftime show. Nonetheless, it was the first Super Bowl I remember watching, and I haven’t missed one since.

In honor of watching my 20th Super Bowl this Sunday, I’m ranking That Guy from all 19 games I’ve had the privilege to watch in order to crown the ultimate that guy in Super Bowl history—or, at least since I’ve been watching it.

Here’s the complete list of 19 Super Bowl That Guys.

^An exception to rule number one. Hostetler was the starting quarterback of the Giants in the Super Bowl, but he was backup until Phil Simms went down with an injury late in the season. Hostetler had just two career starts and zero postseason passing attempts prior to this season.

*An exception to rule number two. Taylor was named to the Pro Bowl as a returner during the 1988 season, but he earned his that guy status as a receiver in the Super Bowl.