Despite Underachieving Season, Who Was Patriots Unsung Hero?

If the 2022 New England Patriots were a movie, the leading man could be quarterback Mac Jones or coach Bill Belichick. The cast of main characters would include linebacker Matthew Judon, running back Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie Marcus Jones.

But as the credits roll on, which player would earn the spotlight as unsung hero?

NFL.com picked one unsung hero, whose contributions flew under the radar, from all 32 teams. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers is the Patriots selection:

New England's second season with Mac Jones under center didn't go as planned, and their final record stands as proof of the disappointment (which extended well beyond quarterback). One player who didn't underwhelm was Meyers, who led the team in receiving with a healthy 804 yards despite clear issues existing within the Patriots' offense throughout 2022, so much so that the Pats are apparently bringing Bill O'Brien back to man his old offensive coordinator post.

After finally reaching the end zone for the first time in his career in 2021, Meyers did so plenty in 2022, recording six receiving touchdowns while playing in the NFL's 20th-ranked passing offense. He outperformed lauded offseason addition DeVante Parker and still found a way to make a difference even while the Patriots struggled to get out of their own way.

To add to the 'unsung hero' storyline, Meyers battled through injuries throughout the season and still started 13 games. He led the team and set career highs with 804 receiving yards and six touchdowns and finished second on the team with 67 receptions.

Meyers, who went undrafted in 2019, established himself as the Patriots' most reliable receiver with a close off-field relationship with Jones and an emerging leader in the locker room. Meyers took pride in being consistently Jones' go-to guy.

"I like to be the guy when (Jones) needs somebody just to get rid of it, I'll take the hit and get back up," Meyers told Patriots.com. "I feel like we have a lot of good players who can make big plays, so I just have to sit around and be the safety blanket."

His production on offense helped the Patriots reach the postseason but ultimately to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round. New England will be watching the Super Bowl from home on Sunday, Feb. 12. The Kansas City Chiefs (1.5-point underdogs) will try to pull the upset over the Philadelphia Eagles in Glendale, Ariz. to become Super Bowl LVII Champions. 

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