NFL Playoffs: 10 Biggest Injuries That Could Come Back to Bite

With the regular season done and dusted and our 12 teams all figured out, we fix our eyes and full attention on the playoffs that are soon to be upon us.

And for the 12 sides remaining, there's no turning back now.

The intensity is cranked up a level or two and the bar is set higher than it was all season. Teams must be firing on all cylinders and in complete unity—otherwise they may be facing an early exit.

And the word that all teams dread leading in to the playoffs—and the regular season—is injuries.

Injuries to key players can kill a side's chances of making the playoffs and 2011 is no exception. If you don't believe that statement, look no further than the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears.

So with the playoffs just around the corner and injuries to players rife throughout the league at the moment, let's have a look at the 10 biggest injuries that could kill the playoff dreams of teams that worked so hard to get there.

10. Anquan Boldin (Baltimore Ravens)

Coming off knee surgery, Boldin missed the last two regular season games of the Ravens, and with the week off before Baltimore's next game, Boldin should be healthy and ready to go for the divisional round game.

Harbaugh highlighted Boldin as a player that "provided a spark... we'll be looking to have him be a big part of our offense" and throughout the year, has been a real go-to guy for the Ravens.

In 14 games, the wide receiver has had 57 catches for 887 yards and three touchdowns. His health will be a key factor in the Ravens' postseason offense. Whether his knee holds up for the remainder of the playoff season remains to be seen.

9. Nick Collins (Green Bay Packers)

Whilst you might be wondering why Collins is on the list after only playing two games of the season before being placed on injured reserve, consider the importance that he plays in the Green Bay secondary.

Despite the Packers allowing far too may yards on the defensive fronts, they led the league in pass deflections and an incredible 31 interceptions.

The likes of Charlie Peprah, Charles Woodson and Morgan Burnett have held their own this year well, but the injury to Nick Collins may turn out to haunt the Packers come crunch time this year.

8. Greg Jennings (Green Bay Packers)

With a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee against the Oakland Raiders, Greg Jennings missed the Packers' last three games, but Mike McCarthy felt that Jennings should be right come the playoffs—especially with the Packers having the week off.

Even though Rodgers has arguably the strongest receiving corps in the league, Jennings would be a huge boost to their offensive unit should he stay healthy for the remainder of the playoffs.

Because the Packers offense wasn't already strong enough...

7. Jake Ballard (New York Giants)

After the New York Giants rolled past the Dallas Cowboys in to the NFL playoffs, they now must face the Atlanta Falcons in a matchup that has the potential to be an offensive shootout.

With both sides featuring in high-scoring games in recent weeks, Eli Manning will need all his receivers to be fit and healthy. Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz have been favorites of Manning in recent weeks, and if Ballard can shake the knee injury that hampered him from playing in the Giants' last two matches, the Giants will feel strong enough to take down the Falcons.

This is one of those injuries; Ballard is replaceable, statistically speaking, but if the receiving corps of the Giants can all be healthy come the end of the week, they will prove to be a tough side to take down this January.

6. Mark Ingram (New Orleans Saints)

The dynamic rookie's season is over after needing toe-surgery. He will be sourly missed by the New Orleans Saints, who are at home to the Detroit Lions in a match that may rival the yards put up by the Lions-Packers last week.

Drew Brees is in unstoppable form, yet the injury to Ingram will hurt the Saints, who love to use the likes of Ingram, Sproles and Thomas as receivers, as well as runners. Sproles and Thomas have also had amazing years, though, and will cover for the loss of Ingram.

5. Matt Schaub / Matt Leinart (Houston Texans)

The Houston Texans have limped in to the playoffs on the back of a three-game losing streak and look very exposed, to put it lightly.

After losing starting quarterback Matt Schaub, the Texans then lost his replacement in Leinart, and now have their third-string rookie T.J. Yates under center for the playoffs.

How Houston would have fared in the playoffs under Schaub will never be known, and they may still come away with a victory against the Bengals, but their chances of winning the big one are severely hampered by the loss of both Matts.

4. T.J. Yates (Houston Texans)

If losing their first two quarterbacks wasn't bad enough for the Texans, rookie Yates must overcome an injury cloud of his own to carry Houston throughout the playoffs.

Yates has a exasperated left shoulder, which fortunately for Houston is his non-throwing arm. Despite the injury, he should play against the Bengals. He was 4-for-4 for 47 yards and a touchdown on the drive in which he suffered the injury.

If Yates does end up succumbing to his injury, the job would fall to Jake Delhomme, who threw 211 yards and a touchdown last week.

Exposed really is the right term to use.

3. Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh Steelers)

A torn ACL has finished Mendenhall's season, who in recent weeks was really starting to hit some excellent form for the Steelers.

After chalking up over 1,000 yards of offense and nine touchdowns, he will be sourly missed by the offense—as both a runner and a safe option for Roethlisberger to check down to.

He'll be replaced by Isaac Redman, who ran for 92 yards and a touchdown last week against the Cleveland Browns, but Mendenhall will be a huge miss for the Steelers during the playoffs.

2. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Especially when your quarterback is playing with half a foot at the moment.

A man with his fair share of injuries throughout his career, Ben Roethlisberger's foot injury could play havoc for the Steelers this playoff season.

Throwing for over 4,000 yards and 21 touchdowns in 15 regular season matches this year, Big Ben needs to step up and make clutch throws if the Steelers are to repeat their AFC Championship success last year.

Whilst not uncommon to playing with injuries, Roethlisberger may just have one too many knocks to lead the Steelers to success this January.

1. Tom Brady (New England Patriots)

Tom Brady is the New England Patriots and without him, they cannot win this playoff season.

For the opponents of the Pats, they would be hoping that his shoulder injury continues to give him grief in their upcoming matches.

Unfortunately for them, Brady has another week to rest, recover and overcome the niggling injury. He was strong despite it against the Bills—throwing for 338 yards and three touchdowns—and rallied his team from 21 points down to take the number one seed in the AFC.

Still, if he cannot shake this shoulder injury, it could derail the Patriots season far earlier than they would like to end.

Read more articles by Dan Talintyre here or follow him on Twitter: @dantalintyre