AP Photo/Steven Senne

By Nick O'Malley | nomalley@masslive.com

The New England Patriots' blowout win over the Tennessee Titans will go down as a juggernaut steamrolling a lesser team, another example of the NFL's top talent churning out a win in a game where they were big favorites.

That's definitely the case. But to categorize this Patriots team as a squad of blue-chippers wouldn't exactly be accurate. Sure, they've got a future Hall of Famer at quarterback, multiple All-Pro picks and a long list of Pro Bowlers. But a lot of those players weren't always well-regarded.

If you take a closer look at the talent who actually made a big impact in Saturday's win, you'll see a long list of undrafted free agents, free agent castoffs and late-round draft picks.

This 2017 Patriots team is as much "Island of Misfit Toys" as it is NFL juggernaut. Here's a look at the gems the Patriots have unearthed to make this win possible.

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He is down but what a play by Dion Lewis 👀 #TENvsNE #Patriots pic.twitter.com/wH5FtkaeKe — Casey Baker (@CaseyBake16) January 14, 2018

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RB Dion Lewis

How he was overlooked: Signed on a futures contract

Contributions: 15 carries, 62 yards, 9 catches, 79 yards

Lewis is the most vivid example of the Patriots taking advantage of talent that wasn't given a proper shot by other NFL teams. Lewis' talents were on display for the Browns, but he was cut in favor of backs with higher draft pedigrees.

Lewis was miles off teams' radars when the Patriots grabbed him after the 2014 season. Still, they gave him a chance to earn a role on the team to the point where he's the lead back on a Super Bowl favorite.

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LB Marquis Flowers

How he was overlooked: Acquired for a seventh-round pick

Contributions: Sack on Mariota

Flowers was limited to a special teams role on the Bengals, and raised a few eyebrows when he was the subject of a trade made by the Patriots earlier this year. In terms of trade compensation, it doesn't go much lower than "seventh-round pick."

Over the past few games, though, Flowers has emerged as a difference-maker for the Patriots defense. Flowers' athleticism has flashed in coverage, and in chasing down mobile quarterbacks. It's also netted him a few sacks over the past month.

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AP Photo/Steven Senne

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LB Kyle Van Noy

How he was overlooked: Acquired for almost nothing from Lions

Contributions: 2 tackles

Van Noy didn't have a huge impact on paper in Saturday's game, but has been one of the Patriots' key defenders when healthy this season. After losing Dont'a Hightower, the Patriots have been reliant on Van Noy's versatility.

The actual compensation that went into the trade with Detroit was New England moving down from a sixth-round pick to a seventh-round pick -- a negligible different in value.

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DL Ricky Jean-Francois

How he was overlooked: Signed off the street midseason

Contributions: Sack on Mariota

The Patriots signed Jean-Francois earlier this season, waived him and then re-signed him again on Dec. 13. He hasn't made a huge impact this season. But leave it to the Patriots to have a veteran pickup like Jean-Francois get a key sack in the third quarter instead of a big-name edge rusher.

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DL Adam Butler

How he was overlooked: Undrafted rookie

Contributions: Sack on Mariota

The Patriots look to have a steal in the undrafted rookie out of Vanderbilt. Butler has been a part of the team's interior pass rush all season, and played a big part in keeping Mariota contained in the pocket for the second half of Saturday's game. He also came away with a sack for his troubles.

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DE Deatrich Wise

How he was overlooked: Fourth-round pick

Contributions: Two sacks

A fourth-rounder isn't completely overlooked in the broad scheme of things. But considering how desperate a lot of teams are to add pass rushing talent, the Patriots were fortunate to add a guy like Wise to their lineup.

The Arkansas product was sixth among rookies with four sacks this season, and is one of a small percentage of rookies to record a sack in the postseason as well.

Wise has been a regular on the Patriots defense since Week 1, and looks to remain a fixture down the road.

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RB James White

How he was overlooked: Fourth-round pick

Contributions: 4 rushes, 11 yards, 4 catches, 29 yards, 2 total TDs

Another fourth-round pick who's producing, White has developed as a postseason star for the Patriots.

Slowed by injuries (and overshadowed by Dion Lewis) for much of the year, White picked up right where he left off in the playoffs. He scored the Patriots' first two touchdowns of the game and was a huge part of getting the team out of a 7-0 hole and shooting straight into blowout mode.

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AP Photo/Steven Senne

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OL Cameron Fleming

How he was overlooked: Sixth-round pick, has hit waivers in the past

Contributions: Took over at right tackle

It's one thing to have a sixth-round pick come in and contribute at offensive tackle. It's another thing when any other team could have had him on their roster if they wanted to.

The Patriots have waived Fleming before (as recently as 2015) to get him on their practice squad. At that point, any of the other 31 teams could've swooped in to put him on their active roster. They also could've acquired him at the 2017 trade deadline, when the Patriots were reportedly shopping him.

Fortunately for the Patriots, no team did. Fleming came in and played well after LaAdrian Waddle left with an injury midway through Saturday's game (with Marcus Cannon already on injured reserve).

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WR Chris Hogan

How he was overlooked: Undrafted free agent

Contributions: Touchdown catch

Hogan, as you may have heard on pretty much every TV broadcast, was a lacrosse player at one point and has eventually developed into one of the top options in the Patriots passing game.

Hogan had limited production in his second game back from an October shoulder injury (he played in one game in November before getting shut down again), but was back out there on the perimeter Sunday.

While Hogan wasn't an unknown by the time the Patriots got to him, but had been cut by the 49ers, Giants and Dolphins by the time the Bills nabbed him. It was the Patriots, though, who sweeped in and deemed him worth pursuing as a restricted free agent before the 2016 season.

So far, it's worked out.

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By popular request: you can fit seven Brandon Boldens in that hole pic.twitter.com/WjS4YGjY3V — Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) January 14, 2018

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RB Brandon Bolden

How he was overlooked: Undrafted free agent

Contributions: Wide open touchdown run, special teams leader

Bolden's contributions on the Patriots rarely show up on the stat sheet. Fortunately for him, Saturday's game gave him a rare chance to do just that.

With the game well in hand late in the third quarter, the Patriots put in Bolden for some redzone carries -- seemingly to spell Lewis and James White. Bolden responded by bowling forward for a first down, then walking in untouched for a touchdown.

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AP Photo/Charles Krupa

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CB Malcolm Butler

How he was overlooked: Undrafted free agent

Contributions: Starting cornerback

The story's been told over and over again, but it's remains a fact that the Patriots took a flyer on a no-name prospect out of West Alabama and turned him into a Super Bowl hero and a Pro Bowler.

Butler's had an up-and-down year in 2017 and gave up both touchdowns Sunday, but has still been a vital part of the Patriots defense this season.

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AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

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OL Shaq Mason

How he was overlooked: Fourth-round pick, not even invited to scouting combine

Contributions: Arguably Patriots' best O-lineman

Again, the Patriots have taken a mid-round pick and turned him into a valuable contributor. But Mason's status as a mid-round pick was far from a sure thing heading into the draft. Heck, he wasn't even invited to the NFL scouting combine in 2015. That's right: 323 other guys were deemed better NFL prospects than him. In the end, the Patriots deemed him worthy of the 131st pick.

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AP Photo/Steven Senne

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OL David Andrews

How he was overlooked: Undrafted free agent

Contributions: Leader on offensive line

Andrews had a productive college career, but got passed over in the draft due to concerns about his size. The Patriots didn't draft him, but did bring him in to see if he could play. He ended up taking a job away from former Super Bowl start Bryan Stork.

Now, Andrews is entrenched as the glue guy at the center of the Patriots' offensive line.

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CB Eric Rowe

How he was overlooked: Traded by Eagles on the cheap

Contributions: Key third down tackles

In 2015, the Eagles drafted Eric Rowe in the second round out of Utah. A year later, they traded him to the Patriots for a fourth-round pick.

The deal has proven to be a deft one for the Patriots. Rowe was a valuable third cornerback for last year's Super Bowl run. Though he's been hampered by a groin injury this year, Rowe has stepped up spots as well. Saturday, he showed off his tackling skills, making two open-field tackles to prevent a conversion on third down.

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AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

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WR Danny Amendola

How he was overlooked: Undrafted free agent

Contributions: 11 catches, 112 yards

By the time he got to New England, Amendola wasn't exactly an overlooked commodity (not at five years, $31 million). But still, the Patriots saw an asset in the undersized receiver who initially went undrafted out of Texas Tech.

Even now, the Patriots are sticking with Amendola (after having him take a pay cut) and it's paid off. In 2017, he posted his best season since jumping to New England. He continued his year by saving his best game for the postseason, as well.

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AP Photo/Winslow Townson

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RB James Develin

How he was overlooked: Undrafted free agent

Contributions: Pro Bowl fullback

Develin doesn't (usually) get a whole lot of love league-wide. But ask anyone in the Patriots locker room, and they'll start pouring praise over the Brown product.

At one point, Develin was playing for the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of the Arena Football League. The Patriots eventually picked him up as a free agent after he was cut by the Bengals in 2012. In 2017, he was named to his first career Pro Bowl.

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TE Rob Gronkowski

How he was overlooked: Draft stock took a hit due to back injury

Contributions: 6 catches, 81 yards, 1 touchdown

OK, a second-round pick isn't what you'd normally call "overlooked." But looking at what Gronkowski is doing now, it's hard to look and not ask "How were 41 guys taken ahead of him?"

Gronkowski was a first-round talent at tight end, but had injury concerns coming out of college due to a back injury sustained while weightlifting. As fans have seen, the back issues have been a problem. On the other hand, Gronkowski made yet another All-Pro team this year. The Patriots rolled the dice on an injury-prone player with their second pick of the draft, and it worked out.

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LB James Harrison

How he was overlooked: Cut by the Steelers

Contributions: Three tackles

Harrison made his biggest contribution early in Saturday's win, when he set the edge on a run by Derrick Henry (in the above clip). Harrison overpowered tight end Delanie Walker and then proceeded to tackle all 6-foot-3, 238 pounds of Henry with one arm.

Just think: The Steelers had this guy, chose not to play him and cut him so that the Patriots could pick him up.

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Former #Sooners standout Geneo Grissom with the sack for the Patriots. pic.twitter.com/EOfq4RGZBL — Nate Feken (@TheGreat_Nate) January 14, 2018

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DL Geneo Grissom

How he was overlooked: On and off the practice squad

Contributions: Two sacks in garbage time

Grissom is a big part of what really turned this into a blowout. Getting rocked by the Patriots' starters is one thing. It's another when the backups come in and start making plays.

Grissom has bounced on and off the Patriots roster over his career (making him available to all other 31 teams whenever he's put on the practice squad), and has primarily worked as a special teamer.

On Saturday, he made an impact on defense as well, picking up two sacks in quick succession in the closing minutes.

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QB Tom Brady

How he was overlooked: 199th pick in 2000 NFL Draft

Contributions: 35-of-53 passing, 337, 3 TDs

At the end of the the day, it all comes back to the fact that the Patriots have built a dynasty around a sixth-round pick who started as a fourth-string quarterback. It's crazy to think of now, considering the Patriots have carried only two quarterbacks for much of the Belihick era.

The Patriots were lucky they landed Brady -- and even luckier that he made it to the sixth round of that draft without any other teams wising up.

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