ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The underdog theme has been embraced like no other by the Super Bowl-bound Philadelphia Eagles, and that continued into Monday's Opening Night at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center, where a handful of rubber dog masks surfaced among media and players.

It's fitting, then, that one of the biggest X-factors for Philadelphia in Sunday's Super Bowl LII fight with the New England Patriots happens to be, you know, an underdog.

No, not right tackle Lane Johnson, whose Super Bowl importance, like his allegiance to these dog-mask shenanigans, cannot be overstated. It's not Chris Long, either, although, as both another dog-mask activist and an aging defensive end, he may very well have qualified, especially going up against the team he kissed goodbye after 2016.

This particular underdog, the one with a chance to thrust his name into a raging spotlight on the grandest of NFL stages, is Corey Clement.

The former University of Wisconsin running back had wide eyes and all the awe of a first-time title contender at Opening Night, where he told media his Super Bowl participation is "like a childhood dream." But as much as his attitude may have contrasted that of, say, a been-there, done-that, five-time champ in Tom Brady, his 2017 production has him on the same level as even the Patriots' top role players.

His 321 rushing yards are nothing gaudy, but that's not where Clement's story ends. A Glassboro, New Jersey, native who grew up an Eagles fan, the undrafted rookie went from fringe training-camp material to third-down back relatively early in his first season, and since then, he's made a local name for himself as the team's top pass-blocking back, not to mention an underrated target on screen passes out of the backfield. With four touchdowns on the ground and another two as a receiver, he's no slouch when it comes to red-zone opportunities, and even in a backfield that boasts names like Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount, he consistently earns snaps from Doug Pederson over the course of each game.

Ajayi might be a sleeper MVP candidate in the event the Eagles win, especially if he gets involved in the screen game himself. Blount should have his fair share of short-yardage tries. Nick Foles will draw all eyes if he plays anything like he did against the Minnesota Vikings. Alshon Jeffery could be matched up one-on-one for much of Sunday's tilt. Zach Ertz is often automatic over the middle. Even Ertz's backup, Trey Burton, could have a prominent role as another Foles safety valve.

And yet, still, Clement has the scoring resume to warrant touches when the Eagles have a chance to put six on the board, and if the Patriots are bringing extra heat to try to suppress the pocket, Pederson may very well call the rookie's name for extra help. 

Everyone likes to say that New England, under the direction of coach Bill Belichick, is best at stripping an opponent of its best weapon or strategy, and if that's the case, who better for the Eagles to turn to than the guy who screams "underdog" but has yet to cough up an opportunity in 2017?

If getting to the Super Bowl is like a "childhood dream" for Corey Clement, the rookie runner could be in for an even better one: Playing a make-or-break role for his hometown team with a chance to dethrone a dynasty.

To find out who could be the Patriots' X-Factor, click here.