It was [.
David Kenyon is a featured Columnist for the National Football League.
Jeff Roberson is a photographer.
Anyone can become a legend in the NFL playoffs.
While superstars and future Hall of Famers occasionally put together remarkable playoff runs, role players and perceived mid-tier players can become postseason heroes all the same.
In the last 10 years, the greatest individual performances lean toward the latter group. On the other hand, there are other captains of Super Bowl runs. Sean Murphy-Bunting, SonyMichel and Joe Flacco are leading the championship surge.
Each player's team won the Super Bowl because of their total production throughout the playoffs.
Matt Ludtke is an Associated Press photographer.
In the last decade, two players have gotten three picks in the playoffs, but they lost.
The first player since Ed Reed to grab a pick in each of the first three games was the second-year corner. It seems decent, right?
The most important touchdown came in the playoffs.
The Green Bay Packers were down 14-10 at the end of the second quarter. Tom Brady hit Scotty Miller for a 39-yard score before the half. The touchdown was crucial in the win.
Murphy-Bunting had six tackles against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. He had 19 stops, three intercepts and five pass breakups in the playoffs.
The person is Julio Cortez/ Associated Press.
Ray Lewis put together a four-game stretch in the final season of his Hall of Fame career.
Lewis, who missed 10 regular-season games with a torn right triceps, returned in time for the playoffs and recorded 13 tackles, one for loss, and a pass breakup in a win over the Indianapolis Colts. He made 17 stops in the "Mile High Miracle" victory against the Denver Broncos.
The Ravens avenged their loss to the New England Pats in the playoffs by getting 14 tackles from the LB. Lewis made seven tackles in the Super Bowl to help the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers.
We are focused on the last 10 years. Lewis has 51 tackles in the playoffs, which is more than any other player.
David J. Phillip is a photographer.
The postseason almost never happened.
Leonard Fournette was placed on the inactive list. The running back was told to either embrace his role or request a release. Within a month, Fournette became an important part of the offense.
In the Wild Card Round victory over Washington, he had 132 yards from scrimmage, and in the divisional round against the New Orleans Saints, he had 107. In the playoffs, he provided 74 yards at Green Bay and 135 at Kansas City. He scored a touchdown in every game.
The legend of Lenny Playoff with 448 yards and four scores was both shocking and shocking considering he'd totaled 600 yards and six touchdown in 13 regular-season games.
Matt Slocum/ Associated Press
He wasn't perfect. In the playoffs, Tom Brady threw at least one interception. The perception of Brady's postseason run might be different if not for Malcolm Butler's heroic goal-line pick in Super Bowl XLIX.
He came up with the clutch. Twice.
Brady connected with Brandon LaFell for the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter to propel New England past Baltimore. Brady threw for 226 yards and three scores in a 45-7 victory over Indianapolis in the AFC Championship game.
Brady won his first Super Bowl in a decade and claimed his third of five Super Bowl Most Valuable Player awards. He prevented Seattle from becoming the first back-to-back champion since his Pats.
Gregory Payan is a photographer.
The New York Giants were the worst team in the playoffs in 2011. You can imagine that expectations were low.
The G- Men kept winning.
The Atlanta Falcons were eliminated by Eli Manning. He had a career-high 330 yards and three touchdown in the road game against Green Bay.
He put up 316 yards and two scores as the Giants defeated the 49ers in the playoffs. Manning launched the famous 38-yard pass to Mario Manningham that sparked the last-minute, game-winning drive to defeat the Pats.
Manning won the Super Bowl with 1,219 passing yards, nine touchdown, and one turnover.
The person is Charlie Riedel.
Von Miller created the defining plays in the playoffs.
Miller dominated after notching two tackles in the divisional-round win. He had 2.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, and an important pick-six when the Broncos beat Brady and the Pats in the playoffs.
In the Super Bowl, Miller had 2.5 sacks and forced two turnovers. T.J. Ward picked up the second touchdown that ensured Carolina would not mount a late comeback. Miller had two quarterback hits.
No defender has had a bigger impact on a team's championship run than Miller.
Jeff Roberson is a photographer.
The team's hopes of winning Super Bowl LII were ended by a torn leftACL of Carson Wentz.
Nick Foles took over and guided the underdogs to the title.
After throwing for 246 yards to dispatch Atlanta in the divisional round, Foles scorched the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs. In the 38-7 win, he racked up 358 yards and three touchdown, setting the stage for Philly's first title in 57 years.
He passed for 373 yards and three scores in the epic 41-33 victory over New England. The "Philly Special" trick play, in which Foles caught a one-yard score, was one of the highlights of his career.
This postseason made Nick Foles a franchise legend, even though he regained his starting job when healthy.
Doug Benc is a photographer.
The Kansas City Chiefs were behind the Houston Texans 24-0 at the start of the divisional round. It gave the league's reigning Most Valuable Player a chance to shine.
Kansas City was in front at halftime after Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdown passes. K.C. didn't slow down after the break, winning 51-31. He ran for 53 yards.
The Kansas City Chiefs overcame an early deficit to beat the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs. The 35-24 triumph was closed by Mahomes with .
San Francisco took a 20-10 advantage into the fourth quarter after Kansas City started slowly in the Super Bowl. With 2:44 to play, Mahomes found Williams for the winning score, after he had responded with two touchdown passes. In the 31-20 win, Mahomes had 343 yards and three touchdown.
Three games, three double-digit comebacks and three wins. The first Super Bowl victory for the franchise in 50 years.
The person is Charlie Riedel.
Tom Brady won his sixth career championship, but the New England Pats also leaned on a young running back named SonyMichel.
In his playoff debut, the New England's first-round draft pick ran for 129 yards and three touchdown. He followed that performance with two scores to help the Pats beat Kansas City.
In Super Bowl LIII,Michel ran for 94 yards and a touchdown in a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
He had 336 rushing yards and six scores. In the Super Bowl era, only the Denver Broncos and the Arizona Cardinals have more touchdown in one game.
Matt Slocum/ Associated Press
Joe Flacco's place among the league's hierarchy was debated by fans. How good was a quarterback who often struggled in the playoffs?
The answer is Elite. At least in the playoffs.
The Colts were bounced with 282 yards and two touchdown by the Ravens. He threw for 331 yards and three scores to upend the Broncos in the divisional round.
The Baltimore Ravens defeated the New England patriots 28-13 in the playoffs. He passed for over 300 yards and three scores in the Super Bowl as the Ravens defeated the 49ers 34-31.
The final line read 1,140 passing yards, 11 touchdown and zero interceptions. It was nothing short of sensational.
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