Only four NFL teams remain in the playoffs, as last week’s Divisional Round games eliminated half the remaining squads. The Rams, Saints, Patriots and Chiefs are all one win away from advancing to the Super Bowl, but they’ll have their hands full on Championship Sunday.
The Divisional Round never disappoints, this particular season’s slate of conference title games looks to be one of the best ever. And with matchups filled with offensive playmakers, such as Rams-Saints and Patriots-Chiefs, there should be plenty of excitement to go around on Sunday.
And while there’s been a lot of talk about the well-known stars for their respective teams, here are 10 under-the-radar NFL players to watch during the conference title games.
Dee Ford, linebacker, Chiefs
Dee Ford may not be a household name in the NFL, but there’s no denying his impressive production this season. He ranked third in pressures (78) behind Aaron Donald and Fletcher Cox, and his 13 sacks were a career high. Both of those should come in handy when discussing a possible contract extension in the offseason.
What’s even more impressive is that Ford has kept up the pace in the playoffs. He had five pressures in Kansas City’s Divisional Round win against the Colts, including a strip-sack of Andrew Luck in the second half. The Chargers weren’t able to get to get to Tom Brady last week, but it could turn out differently for the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, especially if Ford is able to make an impact.
C.J. Anderson, running back, Rams
Things couldn’t have worked out better for Anderson this season. After getting cut by the Broncos, Panthers and Raiders, the veteran running back has burst on the scene with the Rams, rushing for over 400 yards in the last three games. He and Todd Gurley punished the Cowboys in last week’s Divisional Round, win thanks in large part to a dominant performance up front by LA’s offensive line.
Anderson led the way with 123 yards and two touchdowns against a Dallas defense that ranked fifth against the run during the regular season. Yards on the ground will be harder to come by against the Saints’ second-ranked run defense on Sunday, but Anderson should continue to have success running behind an offensive line that has been owning the trenches.
Tre’Quan Smith, wide receiver, Saints
Saints coach Sean Payton said earlier this season that he’d like to get more consistency out of Tre’Quan Smith. The rookie wideout has had a few 100-yard receiving games, but he’s been quiet for the last month and a half.
Seeing as how the Rams plan to focus most of their attention on Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara and Ted Ginn on Sunday, Smith might be able to take advantage in the passing game. He doesn’t need a lot of targets to do so, either. In a Week 5 win against the Redskins, Smith racked up 111 yards on just three catches.
James White, running back, Patriots
The Patriots have quite the duo at running back in White and rookie Sony Michel. The latter has shown to be most effective on the ground, with 931 rushing yards on the year. White, on the other hand, is the better receiver of the two, with 87 catches. Only Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley had more receptions at the running back position this season.
In last week’s Divisional Round win against the Chargers, White finished with a game-high 15 catches on 17 targets. In what should be a pass-heavy approach against the Chiefs on Sunday, White appears set for another heavy workload in the game.
Aqib Talib, cornerback, Rams
The last time the Rams and Saints met, Thomas went off on the LA secondary, catching 12 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown. However, it’s important to note that Talib missed that game with an ankle injury. To put into perspective how much of a difference his absence makes, here’s how the Rams defense has performed with and without Talib this season:
Aqib Talib? More like A-need Talib.
The @RamsNFL CB changes the game when he's on the field pic.twitter.com/0cLDWU1XZ1
— NFL Total Access (@NFLTotalAccess) January 17, 2019
With Talib back for the rematch against New Orleans, it will be far more difficult for Thomas to potentially explode for another big game. And if the Rams can keep him in check, it’ll put a lot of pressure on the rest of the Saints receiving corps.
Phillip Dorsett, wide receiver, Patriots
After watching Julian Edelman pick apart the Chargers’ secondary in the Divisional Round, it’s safe to say the Chiefs defense will be devoting a lot of attention to the Patriots’ scrappy veteran receiver. That could create some opportunities for other players to step up.
One player in particular is Phillip Dorsett, who saw a lot of targets the first four weeks of the season when Edelman was suspended. It’s also worth mentioning that Dorsett’s snap counts have increased since Josh Gordon’s departure from the team last month.
Phillip Dorsett fell out of favor in the Patriots offense for a while, but his workload has climbed back in recent weeks. He could be a contrarian play this week.
Conference Championship FanDuel advice ($): https://t.co/GOkozRzNeB pic.twitter.com/OTNs32fKU0
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) January 18, 2019
If Kansas City succeeds in taking away Edelman, look for Dorsett to step up for New England in an increased role.
Cory Littleton, linebacker, Rams
Littleton was voted to the Pro Bowl this season as a special-teamer, but he’s also been one of LA’s best players on defense. His 90 solo tackles ranked eighth in the NFL, and he led all linebackers with 13 passes defended.
In addition to Thomas, the Saints have a running back in Kamara, who’s just as lethal catching passes out of the backfield as he is running the ball. As the Rams’ best coverage linebacker, Littleton will often be matched up with Kamara on Sunday, and it will be his job to limit the damage done by the Saints’ dynamic running back.
Eli Apple, cornerback, Saints
The mid-season acquisition of Apple has gone over well for the Saints. Not only has the former first-round pick played his way into the team’s No. 2 cornerback slot, but he’s been solid opposite fellow Ohio State Buckeye Marshon Lattimore in the postseason.
Should come as very little surprise that Marshon Lattimore is currently the postseason's highest-graded cornerback. pic.twitter.com/CIsdTOtEJE
— PFF (@PFF) January 16, 2019
Apple and the rest of the Saints secondary struggled against the Rams last time out, particularly against Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp. New Orleans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Kupp won’t be a factor this time around, but Cooks and Robert Woods are still a problem that Apple and Co. will be forced to deal with on Sunday.
Sammy Watkins, wide receiver, Chiefs
With the exception of the fumble he had in the second half of last week’s game, Watkins actually played pretty well for the Chiefs in his first game back from a foot injury. He caught six of his eight targets on the day, and finished with 62 yards receiving against the Colts.
When healthy, Watkins has proven himself to be more than capable of being a third playmaker for Kansas City, playing alongside Tyreek Hill and Kelce. He was fairly quiet in the last meeting against the Patriots, but that should change this time around, as Watkins has the vertical speed to stretch opposing defenses to help get Kelce open over the middle, and also make the team’s run game more effective.
Dont’a Hightower, linebacker, Patriots
One of the more intriguing matchups this Sunday will be Mahomes going up against the Patriots defense for a second time this season. Despite throwing for over 350 yards and four touchdowns in their last meet-up, Mahomes struggled in the first half of that game. He was picked off twice, and the Chiefs offense was held to just nine points. One of those interceptions came on a throw intended for Travis Kelce that Hightower read perfectly and nearly returned for a touchdown.
The Patriots are well known for having creative gameplans on defense, and Hightower is one player in particular who they like to move around. It will be interesting to see what New England throws at Mahomes the second time around.
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