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Super Bowl Sunday is fast approaching, when unsung heroes emerge.
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie developed into a premier NFL cornerback in 2023, with he and L’Jarius Sneed among the best duos in the league.
While the 23-year-old leads the team in passes defended this postseason, there’s still something missing from his resume.
Trent McDuffie’s 2023 Stats
During the regular season, McDuffie registered 80 tackles, the second-most on the Chiefs behind Justin Reid (95).
McDuffie also finished second on the team for passes defended (seven) behind Sneed (14) while registering three sacks.
He led them in forced fumbles, causing five, three more than his next closest teammate, Drue Tranquill.
Those numbers earned McDuffie his first Pro Bowl nod while being one of three First-team All-Pro selections on the Chiefs this season, alongside Chris Jones and Joe Thuney.
McDuffie’s strong play has continued into the playoffs, defending four passes with three tackles for a loss, one behind George Karlaftis for the team lead.
What is missing from Trent McDuffie’s resume?
McDuffie has proven to be a quick study, with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo calling him one of the leaders on that side of the ball.
As impressive as he has been in coverage, though, McDuffie still has a goose egg in one statistical category.
The former Washington Huskie and first-round pick in 2021 is still searching for his first career interception in the NFL.
There would be no better time to get that monkey off his back than Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
Super Bowl firsts
Super Bowl time is when records are broken, and we see many firsts.
In Super Bowl XLVII, Seattle’s Malcolm Smith came up with a pick-six on Peyton Manning while also running back a fumble for a touchdown, helping the Seahawks capture their first and only title to date.
That was the first interception of his playoff career.
His performance earned him Super Bowl MVP honors, making him one of only seven defensive players to claim the award.
The following season, another Malcolm ended the Seahawks’ hope of a dynasty with a massive play in the latter stages of the Super Bowl.
The New England Patriots’ Malcolm Butler began that game as the fifth cornerback on the team’s depth chart.
After Kyle Arrington struggled to cover Seattle’s Chris Matthews, Butler was brought into the mix to cover Jermaine Kearse, with Brandon Browner assigned to Matthews.
While Kearse made a circus catch to put the Seahawks in position for a go-ahead score in the latter stages of that game, Butler would get the last laugh.
Butler intercepted a Russell Wilson pass at the goal line to seal the victory for New England.
Tom Brady won Super Bowl MVP honors and gave his truck to Butler.
How McDuffie has enabled Sneed to flourish?
McDuffie and Sneed played nearly 2,000 snaps in the secondary over the regular season.
His presence has allowed Sneed to flourish against star wideouts.
This season, he’s flipped his split of slot versus boundary reps, becoming a solid run defender and a pass-rushing threat.
That means Sneed can focus on shutting down the top receiving threats of the opposition.
Everything is lining up for McDuffie to be a key contributor for the Chiefs on Sunday.