MINNEAPOLIS — The second half of the season was definitely disappointing for receiver Chris Hogan.
The fifth-year receiver missed seven of the final eight games in the regular season after suffering a shoulder injury while reaching for an errant throw by Tom Brady with just over three minutes left to play in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8.
And in the one game Hogan did appear in, he caught only one of five passes to come his way, for 5 yards.
Hogan returned for the postseason, but continued to keep a low profile.
He pulled in a combined 3-of-8 targeted passes for 24 yards in wins over the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars as the Patriots won the AFC Championship to advance to the Super Bowl for the second straight season and the third time in the past four seasons.
All that changed Sunday night as the Patriots and Eagles waged a wild one in Super Bowl LII on Sunday night in Super Bowl LII, the NFC champions rallying for a 41-33 victory before a Philadelphia-friendly crowd of 67,612 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
With leading receiver Brandin Cooks knocked out of the game with a concussion on a vicious, but clean hit following a 23-yard reception with 12:59 left in the second half, Hogan stepped up and filled the void on the outside.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Hogan caught 6-of-8 targeted passes for 128 yards - one off his career high - a touchdown and an additional three first downs. He had receptions of 28, 12, 16, and 26 yards, the latter for a TD that pulled the Patriots within 29-26 with 3:23 left in the third.
He also drew a pair of defensive holding penalties, one each one linebacker Mychal Kendricks and cornerback Jalen Mills, and rushed once for 4 yards.
The Patriots trailed by 10 points at halftime before scoring on their first three drives of the second half to take their first lead, 33-32, with 9:22 to play. Tight end Rob Gronkowski sandwiched touchdown receptions around Hogan’s score, his fourth TD catch in six career playoff games.
On first and 10 at the Philadelphia 26, Brady took the snap under center, dropped back, looked left and then turned his attention to the right.
He spotted Hogan with inside leverage and separation on safety Rodney McLeod and lofted a perfectly thrown pass that Hogan pulled in at about the 2-yard line before rolling into the end zone to complete the 26-yard pass play. The drive spanned seven plays, covered 75 yards, consumed 3:55, and kept the good times rolling for Brady & Co.
Hogan’s production was part of a record-shattering offensive performance by both teams with the Patriots piling up 613 yards and the Eagles amassing 538 yards.
Hogan’s sports story is unique in that he played lacrosse at Penn State before transferring to Monmouth University in his home state of New Jersey to play one season of football. Not surprisingly, he went undrafted in 2011, but, shockingly, made the Buffalo Bills in 2012 after being cut by the San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants and Miami Dolphins.
The Patriots signed him away from their AFC East rival in 2016 with a front-loaded, three-year contract worth $12 million the Bills couldn’t match. It’s turned out to be money well spent.
Hogan holds no ill will against the Bills for not retaining him and has relished his time in New England while ingraining himself into the Patriot Way.
“I believed in myself ever since I got in this league that I could play in these games and in the NFL on Sundays,” Hogan said in the days leading up to Sunday’s super showdown. “When I got here I just knew it was going to take a lot of hard work to be out there and win football games. It was something I was doing, but it was something that was definitely hammered home when I got here.”