10 NFL Studs We Wish Were in the Playoffs

As we approach the final week of the 2011 NFL regular season, we have a pretty good idea of which teams and NFL stars we'll be seeing this postseason.

While we love the idea of matching the best teams in the NFL up against each other in a single-elimination playoff, there are some players that we will miss watching week in and week out. We have become accustomed to being able to watch 32 teams and all the players that make up those squads.

We all have those players that we just love to watch.

Whether it is because they are just fantastic athletes or you like the way they play the game, you are always willing to sit down and watch them. Unfortunately, these guys aren't always on playoff teams. 

It may not be their fault that their team missed the playoffs, but that doesn't make us miss watching them take the field every Sunday. 

Here are 10 studs we wish were in the playoffs this year.

Devin Hester

Who wouldn't miss the most electrifying return man in the history of the NFL?

Devin Hester has redefined the return game. He has broken several return records for both the Chicago Bears franchise and the NFL. There are other return men in the game that can have a big impact, but none have matched Hester's consistency.

The Bears appeared as if they were on track for a playoff appearance this year until the loss of Jay Cutler.

Losing Cutler and then Matt Forte crippled the Bears offense. You will only be able to win so many games without your starting quarterback and running back. Even Hester's incredible return ability wasn't enough to overcome that lack of offensive production.

Unfortunately, this postseason will have to go on without the league's most dangerous return man.

Larry Fitzgerald

Even without a premier quarterback throwing to him, Larry Fitzgerald was still one of the league's top wideouts and made another Pro Bowl roster.

Fitzgerald currently has 71 receptions for 1,262 yards and eight touchdowns. This is in a year where he alternated between the disappointing Kevin Kolb and the young John Skelton at quarterback. It seems that it doesn't matter who is throwing him the ball; Fitzgerald is just going to produce.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals were not good enough to get into the postseason this year.

The emergence of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West stopped them from making a run at the division title and there were just too many good teams in the NFC to steal a wild-card spot.

Hopefully for Fitzgerald's sake, the Cardinals will come up with a more permanent solution at quarterback this offseason. Otherwise it could be awhile before we see him in the NFL playoffs again.

Cam Newton

Cam Newton has been the most exciting rookie quarterback in the NFL this year.

He surprised many with how easily his game transferred from college to the pro game. Newton was able to light up opposing secondaries with his strong arm and terrorize defenses with his amazing agility. 

The first overall pick was able to produce a total of 4,567 yards and 34 total touchdowns.

He will certainly be in the running for Rookie of the Year and is widely considered one of the biggest snubs of this year's Pro Bowl. 

It is clear that Newton is going to do great things for the Carolina Panthers. It seems all they need to do now is build the team around him and they will be making some serious noise in the NFC.

However, they just didn't have the talent this year to get into the playoffs. I wouldn't be concerned. I have a feeling we will be seeing Cam Newton in the playoffs sooner rather than later.

LeSean McCoy

If the Philadelphia Eagles had lived up to expectations this year, I would say that LeSean McCoy would be in the conversation for MVP of the league.

McCoy has quietly been a bright spot on an overall disappointing year for the Eagles. They came into this season with expectations of cruising to a Super Bowl, but instead fell flat. 

A late-season surge wasn't enough as the damage had already been done earlier in the year. 

Regardless of the struggles and injuries around him, McCoy managed to score 20 total touchdowns. He was the driving point behind the Eagles offense as his teammates Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson struggled.

McCoy may just be the best running back in the league, but he won't get a chance to prove his case until the start of the 2012 season.

Marshawn Lynch

Marshawn Lynch is just another example of a great player overcoming poor talent around him.

The Seattle Seahawks really didn't have any sort of passing attack this year. Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst combined for 14 passing touchdowns, but also racked up 13 interceptions.

Even with no real threat from the Seahawks passing game, Lynch was able to pound the ball at defenses for 1,118 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. Lynch is one of the last remaining "workhorse" running backs in the NFL.

It is very rare today for a running back to consistently get 20 carries per game. However, since Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys, Lynch has not had one game where he dipped below 20 carries. 

He even ran the ball an incredible 32 times against the Baltimore Ravens, one of the toughest defenses in the NFL.

Lynch has the ability to create huge plays by bowling through opposing defenders. With a poor Seattle squad around him he will be absent from this year's playoffs.

This offseason will recharge his batteries and "Beast Mode" will be back next year.

Jared Allen

Jared Allen has made another Pro Bowl and dominated opposing quarterbacks for another year. 

Allen has compiled a league-leading 18.5 sacks. Even though the rest of the Vikings defense has struggled, Allen has continued to be one of the best defensive ends in the league.

Allen's great play wasn't enough as the Minnesota Vikings were one of the worst teams in the NFL this year. They are sitting at the bottom of the barrel of the NFL rankings and will most likely have a top-three draft pick.

Hopefully they can use that pick to get a support cast around one of the league's most entertaining defensive players. 

Jared Allen may be disappointed that he won't see any playoff action this season, but I imagine that opposing quarterbacks will be sleeping a little sounder at night. 

Maurice Jones-Drew

It is disappointing that the league's leading rusher will be sitting on his couch come playoff time this year.

Maurice Jones-Drew was the only running back to top 300 carries this year and this allowed him to compile more yardage than any other back in the league. He also managed to find the end zone eight times on the ground.

It is incredibly impressive considering the Jacksonville Jaguars have the worst passing game in the league. They are averaging a dismal 140 yards per game through the air. 

Every opposing defense knew the Jaguars' offensive game plan and still Jones-Drew was able to find success. 

It'll be interesting to see whether or not his body will hold up next year after the brutal beating he took this year. We have seen what carrying the load for a team can do to great running backs and it isn't pretty.

The Jaguars may not be close to returning to the playoffs, but we'll always enjoying watching Maurice Jones-Drew tear up defenses.

Darrelle Revis

The New York Jets were one of the popular picks to make this year's Super Bowl.

They had made the AFC Championship game two years running and they were able to get back most of their key players this offseason. However, things just didn't pan out as expected.

The offense was incredibly disappointing this year. Mark Sanchez didn't improve from the previous year and now has the Jets questioning him as their long-term option at quarterback. The running game wasn't any better, as they were ranked 22nd in the league.

The Jets' stellar defense that had carried them in years past was not quite as dominant. 

However, star cornerback Darrelle Revis did not disappoint. Revis was still locking down opposing wideouts with ease and didn't let the struggles of his teammates around him slow him down.

Revis made another Pro Bowl, but will be missing out on his shot at a ring. 

There may be some big changes ahead for the New York Jets, but you can be sure that Darrelle Revis isn't going anywhere.

Steve Smith

Steve Smith has been one of the best deep-threat wide receivers in the league for many years.

Even though he has had his fair share off-the-field issues including fights with his own teammates, Smith continued to torch opposing defenses. Smith was growing increasingly frustrated with the Panthers' struggles and there was even talk that they made trade him at some point.

That was until the arrival of Cam Newton.

Newton's huge arm and playmaking ability turned Smith back into a Pro Bowl receiver. 

Smith is currently sitting fourth in the league in receiving yards and is top 15 in receptions. He may not be the most stable personality on the Carolina Panthers, but there is no denying that he can make plays.

As I mentioned before, Newton's emergence wasn't enough to push the Panthers into the postseason. 

Although, I have a feeling it won't be long before we see this dangerous duo in the NFL playoffs.

Reggie Bush

Reggie Bush finally appears to becoming everything he was supposed to be when he was taken second overall by the New Orleans Saints.

Bush struggled to live up to expectations after being one of the most dynamic players in college football at USC. He was dangerous in both the running and passing attack for the Trojans. He had experts comparing him to Gale Sayers, which is one comparison that shouldn't be taken lightly.

As we know, Reggie Bush didn't live up to the hype.

After becoming mostly a gadget player for the Saints, they finally decided to cut ties and traded him to the Miami Dolphins.

Bush gave the Dolphins much of the same early on in the year until Week 8 against the New York Giants. He broke 100 yards rushing and didn't look back. He continued to produce throughout the rest of the season including a 203-rushing-yard game against the Buffalo Bills Week 15.

He may not be classified as a stud player by everyone, but I would have loved to see what Reggie Bush would have done in the postseason.