NFL Playoffs 2012: Projecting the Top Rookie Performers on Wild Card Weekend

The NFL Playoffs are finally here and fans are being treated to some new teams and new matchups that will almost certainly create new rivalries.  Gone are teams like the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles and in come the Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals. 

It's certainly going to be an exciting weekend that will offer a good mix of traditional powers, other teams making long awaited returns and of course, Tim Tebow trying to continue his run in Denver.

As we get ready for the games this weekend, it's clear that rookies on every team will go a long way to determining whether their team succeeds or fails.  More than ever, rookies are asked to become leaders on their team.

What rookies will be the top performers this weekend?  Let's take a look. 

9) Nick Fairley: Detroit Lions

Fairley is a rookie that had a lot of attention as a guy who many believed had the skills to be a top pick in the draft, but fell due to worries about his off-field conduct.

Since draft day, many people have forgotten about Fairley who has been nagged by various injuries throughout the season. 

However, if the Lions want to have any chance to beat the Saints in New Orleans, they will need people like Fairley to step up and cause possible NFL MVP Drew Brees to be uncomfortable. 

There is no better time for Fairley to remind the NFL world why some people thought he could have been the No. 1 pick in the draft this time last year. 

8) Jake Ballard: New York Giants

When Kevin Boss left the Giants in the offseason, many people feared the worst as it appeared the G-Men really did nothing to fill this roll.  But out of nowhere, Jake Ballard emerged as a very good target for Eli Manning.

Ballard continued to improve as the season went on and ended up with 38 receptions for 604 yards and four touchdowns.  While Atlanta will focus on Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, Eli now has a good target in the middle of the field.

If the Giants win, Ballard won't likely be a guy you think of as a major factor.  But it's players like him that are often unsung heroes when a team emerges victorious. 

7) J.J. Watt: Houston Texans

A big reason for the turnaround on Houston's defense has been the emergence of several rookies, most notably J.J. Watt who finished the season with 55 tackles and 5.5 sacks. 

The Texans will need Watt and the rest of the defense to take on another team full of valuable rookies in the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Texan defense is the main reason why Houston is about to play in their first ever playoff game.  For too many years, their defense would fold like a lawn chair in the most important situations.  Now ironically, they'll need to carry the team.  If J.J. Watt can continuously put pressure on Andy Dalton, perhaps we'll be gearing up for a Houston trip to Baltimore. 

6) Titus Young: Detroit Lions

One of the more quiet rookie success stories is that of Titus Young in Detroit.  While all the attention was paid to Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, Young ended the year as the de facto No. 2 receiver in Detroit, proving that players coming out of Boise State can succeed. 

Young finished the season with 48 catches for 607 yards and six touchdowns and his play seemed to get better every week.  With more teams focusing on Johnson, it could be Young's time to shine in the postseason. 

Considering the Lions were beat down by New Orleans earlier in the year they will need secondary production on the offense to try and keep up on the score sheet, similar to what the world saw last week in Green Bay. 

5) T.J. Yates: Houston Texans

T.J. Yates is the one rookie you never thought you'd see on this list about five weeks ago.

But when Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart both went down with season ending injuries, the Texans turned to their fifth round draft pick.  Now as Houston prepares to host their first ever playoff game, there are injury concerns for Yates as well.

Since taking over as starter, Yates has been asked merely to not lose any games as they have perhaps the best 1-2 combo at running back with Arian Foster and Ben Tate. 

But going up against one of the more solid defenses in the league, Yates will need to help lead his team similar to what he did at Cincy a few weeks ago when he led Houston to a game winning last second win.

Will T.J. Yates be able to rise up?  The fate of the Texans are likely in his hands. 

4) A.J. Green: Cincinnati Bengals

A big reason why the Bengals are back in the postseason is because of the success A.J. Green had in his rookie season. 

Quickly making Bengal fans forget about Chad Ochocinco, Green caught 65 passes for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns.  That's an impressive 16.2 yards per catch.

Playing against the surprisingly vaunted Houston Texan defense, it's doubtful Green will have a huge game.  But he is still one of the bigger deep-ball threats already in the NFL and all it takes is one big catch to possibly swing the game around in what could be a very close and low scoring contest. 

3) Von Miller: Denver Broncos

During the Tim Tebow winning streak in Denver, an unsung hero was the Bronco defense led in part by rookie Von Miller and his ability to get to the quarterback.

Just like when the Broncos were winning, the focus of the struggles now center around Tebow, which is understandable, seeing he completed just six passes last week.  But along with his struggles have also been the defense allowing more points.

Von Miller lately hasn't gotten nearly as much pressure on the quarterback lately, due in large part to the fact that he has an injured thumb which needed surgery over a month ago.

Playing virtually one handed, his production has slipped.  But if Pittsburgh offers a bad matchup to Denver, one area the Broncos might succeed in is rushing the passer as the Steelers are well known for having a weak offensive line.

If the Broncos want to have any chance of beating the Steelers, it's imperative that Miller lead the way in pressuring Ben Roethlisberger.  It's pretty clear the Broncos will only win if they surrender less than 14 points.

If Miller can get a hand on Big Ben seven or eight times during the game, perhaps Denver's defense can give Tebow a chance to win. 

2) Andy Dalton: Cincinnati Bengals

While he won't win any awards, there has been no more pleasant rookie surprise this year than Andy Dalton. 

Considering how horrible he looked in the preseason, many feared the worse for the second-round pick from TCU.

But all he has done is fill the shoes left by Carson Palmer remarkably well, throwing for nearly 3,400 yards and 20 touchdowns.  Because of the play of Dalton, A.J. Green and a surprising defense, the Bengals are off to Houston in a game they can (and probably should win).

The Bengals are not expecting Dalton to put up Aaron Rodgers-like numbers in Houston, seeing as the Texans have the best defense in football this season.  But they need Dalton to do what he's done so well this season.

Make smart decisions with the football and when possible, find the deep threats.  If Dalton can do this, then Cincy may win their first playoff game in several decades. 

1) Julio Jones: Atlanta Falcons

Julio Jones made a lot of people nervous in the opening weeks of the NFL season as he was producing nowhere near his ginormous expectations when the Falcons traded away a good amount of their draft for his services.

But Jones has had a coming out party since then and has been a valuable asset to the Atlanta Falcon offense in their second-half run that saw them go from a potential playoff bust to going to New York this Sunday.

Jones finished the year with 54 receptions for 959 yards and eight touchdowns as his production helped Matt Ryan throw for over 4,000 yards. 

Jones is prime to have a big game against a Giants defense that isn't good against the pass.  A game of eight catches and over 100 yards with at least one touchdown can easily be found here for Jones.

The question is, will it be enough?