Which members of the Patriots could be classified as X factors coming into Sunday's game?

ATLANTA — We’re all familiar with the talent at the top of the Patriots’ roster, and the need for that group to execute come Sunday against the Rams. But who are the X factors — players who we might not initially anticipate as being a sizable part of the outcome, but could end up playing a major role when it comes to how things play out on Sunday? Based on matchups and history, here are our five potential X factors for New England heading into Super Bowl LIII.


Marcus Cannon

We all remember the 2015 AFC title game, the one where Tom Brady was nearly vaporized by Von Miller and the Denver pass rush. It was the unquestioned low point of Cannon’s career, as the right tackle was demoralized by Miller on a number of occasions. And it’s the game some Rams are pointing to as a template for getting to Brady. The only difference is the New England offensive line is far better now than it was that afternoon, Cannon included. Regardless of how much time has passed, I’d expect Phillips to draw up a scheme that will test Cannon all evening. If Cannon can rise to the challenge, it’ll go a long way toward lifting the New England offense.

Lawrence Guy

While the Patriots have had varying degrees of success at the defensive tackle spot this year, the 6-foot-4, 315-pound Guy has quietly had an excellent season in the middle. He’s been used as a first- and second-down defender, primarily against the run, and while some of his fellow DTs (Malcom Brown, Danny Shelton) have been up-and-down this year, he’s been as good as it gets. Per Pro Football Focus, among Patriots defenders with at least 500 snaps, Guy was best with a 0.2 percent missed tackle rate. In addition, he was also ranked fourth among qualified defenders in PFF’s run stop percentage metric. The Los Angeles run game right now is a bit of a mystery — is Todd Gurley II hurt, or just ineffective enough where the Rams feel better giving more reps to C.J. Anderson? Regardless, Guy will play a big role in trying to slow down the L.A. running attack. Regardless of whose out there for the Rams, I wouldn’t expect Guy to walk away with the Super Bowl MVP award. But if Gurley and Anderson can’t get started, I’d be willing to watch a big part of that will be because of the work of Guy.