NFL Playoffs: Secret Superstars of the wild-card round — the defense

If your team is going to win a Super Bowl, at some point along that ride, your team will have to get at least one remarkable postseason performance from a player nobody saw coming. Yes, we all expect the big names to come up big in big moments in big games, and other attendant cliches, but somewhere along the line, you will need a Secret Superstar to get the job done.

If you expected Buffalo Bills receiver Gabe Davis to go off for four touchdown catches against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2021 divisional round, you should probably be working for a team. Because, with all due respect to Davis, I don’t think even the Bills were expecting that.

The same could be said for Houston Oilers defensive back Vernon Perry in the divisional round of the 1979 playoffs against the San Diego Chargers of Don Coryell and Dan Fouts. The undrafted rookie from Jackson State picked off four of Fouts’ passes, and blocked a field goal for good measure. As the game ended 17-14 in Houston’s favor, that block was as important as any of the picks.

You get the idea. At some point in the wild-card round of the upcoming playoffs, there will be at least one player whose name you don’t know who will pop up on the screen, and grab your attention. Here are my most likely players to do just that on the defensive side of the ball; the Secret Superstars on offense for the wild-card round can be found here.

And here’s the wild-card schedule for all who are curious; I tried to focus on repeat matchups as much as possible.

Darrell Taylor, EDGE, Seattle Seahawks

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

The Seahawks selected Taylor in the second round of the 2020 draft out of Tennessee, and it took him a while to get things going — he missed his entire rookie season due to injury, started to show his bend and quickness around the edge in 2021, and really became a force late in the 2022 regular season. From Weeks 13-18, Taylor tied for third in the NFL with seven sacks, and he added two quarterback hits and six quarterback hurries in that time. At 6-foot-3 and 253 pounds,

Taylor has an appealing combination of movement skills, technique, and acceleration to the quarterback you’d want in any edge defender. His strip-sack of Justin Herbert in Week 7 might have been his most impressive quarterback takedown of the season, but there have been other splash plays.

The Seahawks will need Taylor and his edge buddies to do more against Brock Purdy of the 49ers than they did in Week 15. Taylor had no pressures of any kind on 13 pass-rushing snaps, and of Seattle’s other edge-rushers, only Uchenna Nwosu got to Purdy at all, with two quarterback hurries. This season, Purdy has a passer rating of 74.4 when pressured, and 113.3 when clean. In that Week 15 game, without pressure, Purdy completed 15 of 21 passes for 197 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 132.4. If this edge quartet can’t do any better than that, the Seahawks are in big trouble.

Anthony Nelson, EDGE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Full disclosure: I wasn’t aware of Nelson’s transformative effect on Tampa Bay’s defense until my “4-Down Territory” colleague Luke Easterling mentioned him on this week’s show.

Nelson, a fourth-round pick for the Bucs in 2019 out of Iowa, became a full-time starter after Shaquil Barrett suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 8. And since Week 9, Nelson has amassed four sacks and six quarterback hurries, Three of those four sacks came in the Buccaneers’ last four games of the regular season.

On this strip-sack of Carolina’s Sam Darnold in Week 17, Nelson just tore right past left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft, and a generally outstanding power blocker. But Ekwonu had little answer for Nelson’s ability to bend the edge and get momentum to the quarterback.

Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami Dolphins

(Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports)

The Dolphins selected Phillips with the 18th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Miami, but it still seems as if he’s slipped under the radar in a relative sense. In the 2022 regular season, he tied for fifth among edge-rushers with 70 total pressures with Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter. Phillips had nine sacks, 17 quarterback hits, and 44 quarterback hurries to get to that mark.

And though Phillips is dynamic off the edge, he can also get to the quarterback inside. On this sack of Houston’s Kyle Allen in Week 12, Phillips beat right guard A.J. Cann with a killer spin move, going from shoulder to shoulder against his poor blocker.

Charles Omenihu, DL, San Francisco 49ers

(Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

Nick Bosa is the obvious table-setter on the defensive line of the 49ers’ league-best defense, but Bosa isn’t the only one on that line getting to the quarterback at an impressive rate. There’s also Charles Omenihu, who has put up five sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and 39 quarterback hurries this season. Moreover, Omenihu is getting that action from all over the line. The four-year veteran lined up at nose tackle on 9% of his snaps, at defensive tackle on 30% of his snaps, and at edge on 60% of his snaps.

Omenihu didn’t have any sacks in two regular-season games against the Seahawks, but he did have five pressures, and those pressures came from all over the place. On this Week 15 hurry of Geno Smith, Omenihu (No. 94) ran an inside stunt with Arik Armstead, beat center Austin Blythe and left guard Gabe Jackson, and very nearly came down with the takedown.

The Seahawks should expect to see this kind of production and versatility in the wild-card round.

Christian Wilkins, DI, Miami Dolphins

(Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)

As is the case with Jaelan Phillips, Wilkins is a Dolphins former first-round pick (13th overall in the 2019 draft out of Clemson) who hasn’t received the praise his game deserves. Aaron Donald’s unfortunate injury situation this season has allowed us to put the spotlight on other dominant defensive tackles, and it’s past time for Wilkins to be seen in that light.

No interior defensive lineman had more stops than Wilkins’ 55 this season, and it wasn’t close — DeForest Buckner of the Colts finished second with 47. And Wilkins is more than just a run-plugger, as his five sacks, three quarterback hits, and 22 quarterback hurries prove. Wilkins also tied for the league lead at his position(s) with Zach Allen and J.J. Watt of the Arizona Cardinals with seven passes batted at the line of scrimmage. No matter how you try to deal with Wilkins, he has a way to mess up your offense.

Morgan Fox, DL, Los Angeles Chargers

(Syndication: The Indianapolis Star)

An undrafted free agent out of Colorado State – Pueblo, Fox signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2016 and had his best season with that team in 2020 (seven sacks, three quarterback hits, 23 quarterback hurries, and 20 stops) with Brandon Staley as his defensive coordinator. So, not a big surprise that the Chargers, with Staley as their head coach, signed Fox to a one-year deal in 2022. Fox has been everything Staley could have expected this season — he’s another multi-gap lineman who can disrupt from anywhere. When you have a guy who can disrupt from the edge at 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds and then kick inside to do the same, it obviously adds a lot to your fronts.

In 2022, Fox tied his career high with seven sacks, and set new career benchmarks in quarterback hits (five), quarterback hurries (28), and stops (20). On this sack of Nick Foles of the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16, Fox drove through left guard Quenton Nelson to get to the quarterback. While Foles should have gotten rid of the ball earlier in the down, it’s always nice to have a defender who can beat a guard of Nelson’s caliber.

B.J. Hill, DI, Cincinnati Bengals

(AP Photo/Steve Luciano)

Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has built a unit based on the ruthless efficiency of every man on the field as opposed to a “stars and scrubs” approach, but there are players deserving of more attention. Hill is primary among them. In 2021, his first season in Cincinnati, the former third-round pick of the New York Giants helped the Bengals to the Super Bowl with his best season to date — eight sacks, eight quarterback hits, 22 quarterback hurries, and 30 stops. 2022 was second verse, same as the first — Hill tallied four sacks, 11 quarterback hits, 19 quarterback hurries, and 31 stops in the regular season alone.

Hill’s ability to affect quarterbacks from the nose tackle position — head over center or shaded to one side — allows the Bengals to scheme their other linemen to do different things, because he’s strong enough to displace a center, and quick enough to jump multiple gaps to wreck the play. On this pressure of Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett in Week 11, Hill started aligned to the center’s left shoulder, and walked all the way around the right tackle, bending back inside to force the throwaway.

Dre Greenlaw, LB, San Francisco 49ers

(Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

The 49ers have both superstars and Secret Superstars at every level of their defense. At linebacker, Fred Warner is the rock star, and that’s entirely justified — Warner is the NFL’s best player at his position. But that defense run by DeMeco Ryans isn’t the same without Greenlaw, the 2019 fifth-round pick out of Arkansas. 2022 was by far Greenlaw’s best season to date; he had 105 solo tackles, 25 assists, 59 stops, and the ability to shut things down in short and intermediate coverage.

The Seahawks found Greenlaw to be a real pain in the butt in Week 15 — he had a bead on Seattle’s passing game to great effect. This near-interception of a Geno Smith scramble-drill throw to tight end Noah Fant showed just how aware Greenlaw is in coverage. Greenlaw followed Fant through his short pivot route, and then, when Fant crossed over the middle, No. 57 was right there to nearly take the ball away.

You can assume that if Smith decides to get cute under pressure again, Greenlaw will be there to make him pay for it.

Duke Shelley, CB, Minnesota Vikings

(Syndication: Stevens Point Journal)

It seems as if we’ve been asking the same question for months: Are the Minnesota Vikings, who finished their season with a 13-4 record, actually… y’know… good? Issues do abound, and cornerback has been a problem outside of 32-year-old future Hall of Famer Patrick Peterson and Duke Shelley, who didn’t see serious time with the team until Week 12. The former Chicago Bears defender, who was anonymous in a reserve role over three seasons in the Windy City, picked the perfect time to put his best game on the field.

In the second half of the 2022 season, Shelley allowed 20 catches on 41 targets for 249 yards, 56 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, one interception, 10 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 57.9. On this deflection of a deep pass from Aaron Rodgers to Christian Watson against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, Shelley showed the backpedal, hip turn, closing speed, and ball skills that have made him an indispensable part of Minnesota’s defense.

DaRon Bland, CB, Dallas Cowboys

(Syndication: Florida Times-Union)

Speaking of playoff teams with cornerback issues and an overall sense or “How good are these guys right now?”, there are the Dallas Cowboys, who head into the playoffs with the NFL’s second-best defense and third-best pass defense by DVOA. This despite a group of cornerbacks who have struggled with consistency. Even Trevon Diggs has been more bust than boom for the most part, allowing five touchdowns to three interceptions after 2021’s amazing season, in which he picked off 11 passes. Diggs gave up five touchdowns in that season as well, but when your interceptions drop from 11 to three, it’s more of a problem.

So, the ascent of DaRon Bland, the fifth-round rookie from Fresno State, seems like a big deal. Bland really wasn’t a starter until Week 8. but he picked things up pretty quickly. On the season, he’s allowed 48 catches on 65 targets for 453 yards, 231 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, five interceptions, two pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 76.0. That’s right, folks — a fifth-round rookie leads the Cowboys in interceptions.

Bland’s first NFL game came in Week 4 against the Washington Commanders and Carson Wentz. So, there would be opportunities for turnovers, and Bland was able to take one away on this sit route attempt to Curtis Samuel. Bland hovered in Cover-2, and he just jumped the route for his first NFL interception.

Tashaun Gipson Sr., S, San Francisco 49ers

(Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports)

As we’ve said before, the 49ers have both superstars and Secret Superstars at every level of their defense. At safety, Talanoa Hufanga has made enough big plays in his second NFL season to become a big name, so let’s focus on Tashaun Gipson Sr., the 12-year veteran who has been a bastion of stability in the back of San Francisco’s defense. Gipson has generally enjoyed favorable interception/touchdown allowed ratios; he had picked off 27 passes in his career before 2022 to just 19 touchdowns allowed.

This season, however, has been a positive outlier even in that regard. In his first year with the 49ers, Gipson has allowed 17 catches on 30 attempts for 301 yards, 73 yards after the catch, five interceptions, no touchdowns, and an opponent passer rating of 51.5.

One of the reasons that Hufanga can go nuts all over the field in a Troy Polamalu-lite sense is Gipson’s reliability up top. Hufanga and Gipson also work very well together, as the Seahawks could attest on this Week 2 interception. Hufanga carried receiver Tyler Lockett on the post in Cover-3, deflected Geno Smith’s pass, and Gipson was right there to catch it.

When you have pass-rushers, linebacker, and safeties at this level of quality, you can get away with some liabilities at cornerback (which the 49ers have to a point). Gipson, quite under the radar, has become a force multiplier in everything DeMeco Ryans wants to call.

Rayshawn Jenkins, S, Jacksonville Jaguars

(Syndication: Florida Times-Union)

“Yeah, I envisioned it. Man, that stuff I just think about all the time. I always dream about making big plays. Especially when my number is called. Especially if my coaches have the trust to call my number on a play, I take that very personal. So, I would say I’m having a good season, man. But that’s what you are supposed to do when you get brought into a team and supposed to change the culture. You’ve got to be one of those guys, especially when you come in. You know, if they went to go hand-pick you, you have to be one of the guys that help change the culture.”

That’s what Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins said after his team’s win-and-in victory over the Tennessee Titans last Saturday — a 20-16 win that turned on Jenkins’ strip sack of Titans quarterback Joshua Dobbs, and end Josh Allen’s 37-yard touchdown run with that fumble, with 2:51 left in the game.

You could say that it made a difference.

This was not the first time in the 2022 season that Jenkins made a play that won a game for his team; there was also the 52-yard overtime pick-six against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15 that sealed a 40-34 score in Jacksonville’s favor.

So, yeah… whatever the “Clutch Gene” is, Jenkins has it. But he’s not just a guy with a couple of plays and nothing else. On the season, alternating primarily between box, slot, and free safety, Jenkins gave up 41 catches on 52 targets for 491 yards, 228 yards after the catch, one touchdown, three interceptions, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 88.4.

Add in his Forrest Gump-level ability to be in the right place at the right time, and you get a basic idea of how valuable Jenkins has been to this defense.

Story originally appeared on Touchdown Wire