Unheralded players give contenders much-needed boost

After the Atlanta Falcons' comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers two weeks ago, guard Harvey Dahl, the man I proclaimed the "dirtiest player" in the NFL, was leaning back on a stool being interviewed by a reporter.
Next to him sat Falcons right tackle Tyson Clabo, the man who also happens to play next to him, forming one of the better and tougher right sides in the NFL.

Tyson Clabo forms the outside half of one the game's best RT-RG combos. (US Presswire)

I chatted up Clabo and told him that I was the one who gave Dahl the title he lives up to on a weekly basis, one he secretly loves having.
"False stuff there," Clabo said.
See, Clabo wants the title for himself.
That's who he and Dahl are. They're also very good, part of an offensive line that is a big reason why the Falcons are 11-2. If you want a fight, line up opposite that right side. You will get one.
Clabo this season is more than a mauler. He also happens to be one of the NFL's best right tackles. He has had some good games against some good players. He held Green Bay's Clay Matthews to three tackles, one pressure and no sacks.
It couldn't come at a better time for Clabo. He is in the final year of his contract paying $2.5 million this season. A self-made player who came into the league as an undrafted free agent and was let go by two teams before joining the Falcons, Clabo is set to hit it big.
Before then, he will play a key part in the Falcons' push for a Super Bowl. He is just one of the many unsung heroes on the good teams as we head down the stretch.
Here's a look at some others:
Greg Jones, FB, Jaguars
Maurice Jones-Drew is second in the NFL in rushing. He has racked up most of that yardage running behind Jones, who is a brutish blocker.
"I feel protected," Jones-Drew said. "He just doesn't go man-for-man; he moves the guy out of the way and clears a lane. He can catch. He blocks defensive ends, linebackers [and] safeties. He is the total package. He is nimble enough to block safeties [and] strong enough to block defensive linemen."
Jones was a star runner at Florida State. But his chiseled body and three knee surgeries have combined to make him the perfect fullback. He is a force in the run game.
The Jaguars once considered using him as a feature back, a role he has filled at times, but there is little doubt that his strong suit is leading Jones-Drew through the hole. If you want to see collisions, watch Jones on a linebacker. It hurts just watching it.
"There are a lot of people that say there are so many different guys that are better fullbacks," Jones-Drew said. "There is not one that has been a star tailback moved to fullback. I think that shows a lot. You are so used to getting the ball and being that guy to where you come in and take your role to a whole different level. He sees the way I see it."
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, Patriots
They call him the "Law Firm" because of his odd name.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis has a shot at 1,000 yards as the surprising starter in New England. (Getty Images)

The way he's running, he might need a good lawyer to look over his new contract.
Green-Ellis was not drafted when he came out of Mississippi. But he was a productive back and Bill Belichick signed him to the practice squad in 2008 and he was activated because of injuries that season.
Every year he seems to be one of those players most count out come cut time, yet here he is, the team's top running back. When injuries hit this season to Fred Taylor and Kevin Faulk, it was Green-Ellis who stepped into the starting role. Taylor is back now, but it's Green-Ellis who continues to start.
Green-Ellis runs hard and he's tough for a player who is only 205 pounds. He has 786 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, both career highs. He has a shot at 1,000 yards. Not bad for a player who was considered a possible cut during camp.
Donald Penn, T, Buccaneers
Penn received a six-year, $48 million contract extension from the Bucs before this season, which opened some eyes around the league. Had he earned it?
He has now.
Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik took heat for giving Penn the big deal, but it has proven to be the right move. Penn has played at a high level and did an outstanding job on John Abraham two weeks ago to the point where we were joking about whether Abraham was even in the game. Penn has also played well against Will Smith and some other top pass rushers.
Antonio Dixon, DT, Eagles
He has overcome a lot. He has a stuttering problem. He was an orphan for a time. He wasn't drafted coming out of Miami.
Now he's a big reason why the Eagles are tied for first place in the NFC East.
What a great story.
Dixon, a 325-pound defensive tackle, was plucked off waivers from the Redskins in 2009, played little as a reserve last season and won a job in Philadelphia this season when Brodrick Bunkley got hurt. Now he's a fixture in the middle of the Eagles' line.
His play down the stretch and in the playoffs -- starting Sunday against the Giants -- will go a long way in deciding whether the Eagles can make a Super Bowl run.
Israel Idonije, DE, Bears
You know all about Julius Peppers. He's a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

Israel Idonije gives foes something to worry about on the other side of the Bears' D-line. (Getty Images)

You probably don't know much about Idonije.
He has played both tackle and end for the Bears since 2004. He has also excelled on special teams. But this season he dropped some weight and won the job at left defensive end opposite Peppers. He has been a force off the edge. He has seven sacks to eight for Peppers and has three fewer tackles (41 to 44).
The Bears did the wise thing and gave him a contract extension before the 2009 season.
That looks like a bargain now. Peppers got the huge contract as a free agent, but the guy on the other end is playing some good football opposite him.
Ryan Lilja, G, Chiefs
The Colts released Lilja in what has proved to be a mistake. He has started all but one game for the Chiefs at left guard and he's a big reason why they lead the NFL in rushing.
The Chiefs' line has played well, and some scouts think Lilja might be playing at a Pro Bowl level.
It has to kill the Colts to see him playing so well, while their line struggles inside at the guard positions.
Barry Cofield, DT, Giants
At 6-feet-4 and 305 pounds, Cofield is having his best season. He has 46 tackles and four sacks, both bests of his five-year career with three games to go.
Cofield has helped the Giants' turnaround on defense this season. They struggled inside in 2009, but Cofield, Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard have all played better this season. Canty and Bernard were big free-agent signings last season, which is why Cofield is the one who doesn't get as much attention.
He does on Sundays.
Danny Clark, LB, Saints
This 33-year-old has played well since taking over as a starter four games into the season.
Clark has never been a speedy linebacker, and he isn't as fast as he was when he came into the league, but he is a tough guy who will tackle well.
The Texans cut Clark this summer and the Saints signed him as depth. It's his second stint with the team, having played in New Orleans in 2006. When Scott Shanle was hurt, Clark started at strong-side linebacker. Shanle has returned, but he has moved to the weak side.
Clark has 46 tackles and plays a big part in the Saints' run defense. He doesn't play in sub-packages since he doesn't run that well, but he has been a nice surprise for the Saints.

extracted from cbssports.com