NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Tim Tebow and Most Important AFC Wild Card Stars

Eric BowmanJan 4, 2012

Now that the playoffs are here, it's time for each star player to earn his paycheck. All of them are heavily relied upon by their respective team, but some are much more crucial to the outcome of the game than others.

Whether it's because of injuries or poor defenses, plenty of elite players must step their game up during Wild Card Weekend.

It's crunch time, and losing the first weekend of the playoffs would be excruciatingly painful. Having just a taste of the postseason only to be sent home early would crush many spirits, which is why these players are so very vital to their team.

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With that said, here are a few of the most important stars of Wild Card Weekend.

Tim Tebow, QB

The Denver Broncos quarterback will determine whether or not the Broncos beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. If they want to win, Tebow will have to be successful through the air, which is easier said than done.

Willis McGahee has been running strong for Denver, but how Tebow plays will be the deciding factor. The Broncos enter the postseason with three straight losses, and Tebow's sloppy performances were the reason the team lost.

His completion percentage decreased with each game during the losing streak, and he threw one touchdown and four interceptions.

Playing at home will greatly help, but if Tebow slips up and is inaccurate with horrible decision making, the Broncos will fall.

This game could come down to "Tebow Time," and if it does, he had better come through, or there will still be many unanswered questions about the Broncos' future at QB.

Arian Foster, RB

The Houston Texans also enter the postseason on a three-game losing streak, which doesn't bode well for their game against the Cincinnati Bengals this Saturday.

Having played each other earlier this year, fans should get excited for a close game. The Bengals did an excellent job keeping Arian Foster in check, and they'll be looking to do it again.

Foster will be the primary focus of offense for the Texans, and he can't afford to struggle. A poor performance from him, and Houston virtually stands no chance.

The Texans' defense will keep it close, meaning it's up to Foster to deliver a superb game. He has rushed for 100 yards seven times this season, but the Bengals held him to just 41 yards.

Foster is Houston's offense, and if he struggles, then so does the team. With this being his first playoff game ever, the pressure is very high for Foster to carry the load for the Texans.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB

With Rashard Mendenhall out with a torn ACL, the Steelers offense becomes much more one-dimensional, which means Big Ben becomes arguably the most important player on the field.

It's uncertain if Big Ben himself is at 100 percent, but he'll play through whatever pain he has to endure to help Pittsburgh get the victory.

The Broncos' secondary knows that Roethlisberger will pass the ball a lot, which makes life harder on the Steelers. If the backup running backs can step up, then that's great.

However, if the run game is lacking, it's up to Big Ben to push the Steelers to victory. Pittsburgh's defense is banged up as well, which puts even more pressure on Roethlisberger.

Everyone knows he's capable of winning in the clutch, and he's going to have to do exactly that to avoid losing to a sub-par team like Denver.

2012 NFL Playoff Schedule

Wild Card Round

Saturday, Jan. 7

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans - 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints - 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC

Sunday, Jan 8

Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants - 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos - 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS

Divisional Round

Saturday, Jan 14

Highest Remaining NFC Seed at San Francisco 49ers - 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX