Secret superstars of the wild-card round

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar names eight unheralded players who could make all the difference for their teams in the wild-card round.

Every NFL postseason has its share of surprise performers. Whether it’s Otto Graham in the Browns’ first year in the NFL schooling the 1950 Philadelphia Eagles in that year’s championship game, or L.C. Greenwood — perhaps the least-known member of the Steel Curtain front four — racking up four sacks against the Cowboys in Super Bowl X, or then-Bills backup quarterback and current Colts head coach Frank Reich authoring the biggest comeback in NFL history against the Houston Oilers in the 1992 wild-card round, or Washington running back Timmy Smith shocking the Broncos with 204 rushing yards in Super Bowl XXII, it’s just as likely that the most important postseason performance comes from a guy whose name you’re not familiar with just yet.

This postseason is no exception, and there are all kinds of potential stars you might not know who are mere hours away from their breakout performance. Here’s one potential secret superstar for each of the eight wild-card teams this weekend.

Buffalo Bills: WR John Brown

(AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Bills general manager Brandon Beane has made more than his share of smart personnel decisions since he took the job in 2017, and one of the most astute has to be the March, 2019 signing of former Cardinals and Ravens receiver John Brown to a three-year, $27 million contract with $11.6 million guaranteed. All he’s done this season is set career highs in receptions (72) and receiving yards (1,060), while giving second-year quarterback Josh Allen quite the security blanket — especially on deep passes, where Brown has caught 10 of his 27 targets of 20 or more air yards for 332 yards and four touchdowns. No other Bills player has more than five deep receptions, and that’s tight end Dawson Knox.

There are all kinds of plays we should show to represent Brown’s importance to Buffalo’s passing game, but this 53-yard touchdown against the Patriots in Week 16 is the most compelling example.

Out of the right slot, Brown demolishes cornerback Stephon Gilmore on a nasty out-and-up for the only touchdown Gilmore’s given up all season, and then, he smokes safety Devin McCourty for good measure. No other NFL receiver can claim to have beaten both of these defenders on the same play in 2019; 2020 could be more of the same for the defenders trying to deal with Brown. Houston’s average to below-average cornerbacks could find him to be a particularly vexing test.