PLAYER: Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
COLLEGE: South Florida
TEAM: Kansas City Chiefs.
POSITION: Wide receiver.
HEIGHT: 6-4.
WEIGHT: 206.
DRAFT: Round 5, 174, 2018
2022 STATS: 42 receptions, 687 yards, 2 TDs.
PLAYER: JuJu Smith-Schuster
COLLEGE: USC
TEAM: Kansas City Chiefs
POSITION: Wide receiver
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 216
DRAFT: Round 2, 62, 2017
2022 STATS: 78 receptions, 933 yards, 3 TDs.
From David Tyree’s “Helmet Catch” to Malcolm Butler’s goal line interception, the Super Bowl is rife with stories of “B List” players who had a huge impact on the Super Bowl.
Tyree, of course, caught a 32-yard pass off his helmet with 59 seconds left that set up the Giants’ winning touchdown in a 17-14 upset of the undefeated Patriots. Tyree, a former sixth-round pick, had four receptions for 35 yards with no touchdowns during the regular season. He had three catches for 43 yards and one touchdown in Super Bowl XLII.
Butler had signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of West Alabama in 2014. His pick of a Russell Wilson pass with 20 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIX secured New England’s 28-24 win over the Seahawks. It was the first pick of Butler’s career. He became a starter the next season.
With Super Bowl LVII days away, who will emerge as the unexpected star?
This is the fifth in a BetBasics.com series intended to find the player worth a Super Bowl parlay, or dare we say, an MVP trophy bet.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a Replacement Player. So is fellow Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Valdes-Scantling, the former Green Bay Packer who never amounted to more than a tertiary option for Aaron Rodgers. He, along with Smith-Schuster, was one of the Tyreek Hill Replacement Players.
The Chiefs, of course, traded Hill to the Miami Dolphins, stripping star QB Patrick Mahomes of his second most dangerous weapon and the most lethal downfield threat in the game. K.C. tried to fill the void by adding Valdes-Scantling, Smith-Schuster, and later, Kadarius Toney. As was the case in Green Bay, Valdes-Scantling was more of an afterthought – fourth on the team in catches (42) for 687 yards (third) and tied for sixth with two touchdowns.
There was little reason to believe Valdes-Scantling would break out in the playoffs, but he is thisclose to doing that. He’s second on the Chiefs in targets (10), receptions (7), yards (122) and touchdowns (2). These are not overwhelming numbers, for sure. But let’s consider how the Chiefs offense works.
Everything, of course, starts and ends with Mahomes. It’s clear the likely regular-season MVP candidate has a special connection with tight end Travis Kelce, who has dominated the receiving corps in targets (25), receptions (21), yards (176) and touchdowns (3). The Eagles will not make the same mistake the Jacksonville Jaguars made in the Divisional Round when Kelce caught a staggering 14 passing for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
The Eagles will prioritize stopping Kelce and limiting Mahomes’ opportunities to improvise, which means a Valdes-Scantling or fellow Replacement Player Smith-Schuster will have to win some one-on-one battles. There have only been co-MVPs once (Harvey Martin/Randy White, Cowboys, Super Bowl XII) so pick you poison here – Valdes-Scantling (+9000) or Smith Schuster (+9000).