Beyond the quarterbacks, who are five players to watch in the Super Bowl?

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/football/new-england-patriots-G6oNfmi8/seattle-seahawks-f5h1oOee/?mid=foA5Uxwq"]This Sunday's clash[/a] is no different, with endless column inches dedicated to the prodigious rise of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-england-patriots/G6oNfmi8/"]New England[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maye-drake/A5SpHBoA/"]Drake Maye[/a] and the redemption arc of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/seattle-seahawks/f5h1oOee/"]Seattle[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/darnold-sam/zykWdDh4/"]Sam Darnold[/a].[/p][p]But here are five other players to look out for in the upcoming clash between the Patriots and the Seahawks:[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smith-njigba-jaxon/txwNaLzE/"]Jaxon Smith-Njigba[/a][/h2][p]Arguably the most gifted athlete on the pitch this Sunday, Seahawks wide receiver Smith-Njigba was named offensive player of the year at this week's NFL Honors ceremony.[/p][p]His league-high 1,793 receiving yards this regular season was the eighth-most in NFL history. He set a franchise record with a whopping 119 receptions.[/p][embed guid="ac6c18d0-c520-4a9c-ae9e-729bc4967faf" url="https://x.com/fballforeverhq/status/2019617082409656450?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Smith-Njigba has given opposing defensive coaches nightmares all season as he can be deployed anywhere - his explosive runs come from out wide, in the slot, or even the backfield.[/p][p]The 23-year-old from Texas is the bookmakers' favorite to be named Sunday's MVP, if you exclude the quarterbacks.[/p][p]"[b]I don't really focus on that[/b]," said Smith-Njigba, a team player who also does a surprising amount of blocking for a star wide receiver.[/p][p]"[b]Our confidence is very high. We're ready to go,[/b]" he told AFP.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/walker-kenneth/nmrpbWBf/"]Kenneth Walker III[/a][/h2][p]As the Seahawks' NFC-topping 14-3 season progressed, the running game became an increasingly vital part of their success.[/p][p]This was mostly split between running backs Kenneth Walker III and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/charbonnet-zach/p0PYK7M5/"]Zach Charbonnet[/a], but with the latter injured, Walker's rushing will be key at the Super Bowl.[/p][embed guid="9fc8cf4d-6fce-4c93-9b97-3b606f67f30d" url="https://x.com/NFLPlus/status/2019878591576830210?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]He rushed for a team-high 1,027 yards in the regular season, and his four rushing touchdowns in the playoffs are the most by any NFL player.[/p][p]Among his most memorable moments, Walker defied logic and evaded multiple tackles to earn a first down from 3rd-and-17 in a key game against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-francisco-49ers/jBnfYoFr/"]San Francisco[/a] that clinched the NFC West title.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stevenson-rhamondre/OG7lZUGR/"]Rhamondre Stevenson[/a][/h2][p]On the opposing side, no NFL player has rushed for more post-season yards than the Patriots' Rhamondre Stevenson.[/p][p]The fifth-year Patriots star briefly lost his status as New England's automatic go-to running back during an injury hiatus that saw rookie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/henderson-treveyon/WE55WBeg/"]TreVeyon Henderson[/a] thrive.[/p][embed guid="f47f44b3-a35f-4a5f-b073-010c0c646a94" url="https://x.com/NextGenStats/status/2019520547739386263?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]But Stevenson has re-established himself as the Patriots' chief rushing threat during the vital playoff stages.[/p][p]The 27-year-old from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/las-vegas-raiders/Ei4Qg76E/"]Las Vegas[/a] will be key to puncturing Seattle's formidable defense.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diggs-stefon/WnlKoNxa/"]Stefon Diggs[/a][/h2][p]At 32 and representing his fourth NFL team, veteran receiver Stefon Diggs is playing in his first Super Bowl.[/p][p]No player received more targets or receptions from quarterback Drake Maye than Diggs, although his output did diminish as the regular season progressed.[/p][embed guid="28e14202-fb01-4e79-b3ce-4266b4e8356b" url="https://x.com/MLFootball/status/2019157268256756066?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Still the Patriots will be counting on the experience and game-management skills of Diggs.[/p][p]The charismatic athlete will be cheered on by his girlfriend Cardi B, the rapper.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kupp-cooper/OYKcfz7P/"]Cooper Kupp[/a][/h2][p]Just seven of the players who will feature Sunday have played in a Super Bowl before -- and only one was named the NFL championship game's Most Valuable Player.[/p][p]Wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who grew up as a Seahawks fan, joined Seattle last March after he was released by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-rams/z7hZioyR/"]Los Angeles Rams[/a].[/p][p]It was a disappointing end to a stellar career with the Rams that included Kupp's MVP performance in the team's 2022 Super Bowl win over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cincinnati-bengals/bwahmpRr/"]Cincinnati Bengals[/a].[/p][embed guid="9c39a90c-1f82-4a74-b1e5-15ed922857b1" url="https://x.com/NFLUKIRE/status/2017588173723889819?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Kupp scored the winning touchdown with less than two minutes remaining - just moments after he had been flattened by a brutal helmet-to-helmet hit.[/p][p]Reaching an NFL championship decider "[b]never loses its luster,[/b]" Kupp told AFP this week.[/p][p]What is the 32-year-old veteran's advice for his younger teammates?[/p][p]"[b]Understand that once the game starts, it's gonna feel it's like any other game you played in your life[/b]."[/p]