NFL Playoff Predictions: Tim Tebow and More Stars That Will Fall Flat

There are just a few days until Wild Card weekend, which means teams are going through their final preparations for the season's most important games to date. Each team's chances of victory hinges on getting monster performances from their stars.

Here are three players that won't be able to deliver the goods.

Tim Tebow

Tebow mania took the country by storm during the Denver Broncos' six-game winning streak, but the hype has slowly faded away following three straight losses. While it was a predictable ending, the raging debate about the polarizing quarterback still rolls on.

The Broncos ended up with a terrible first-round matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers and their top-ranked pass defense. Now that there is tape available with ways to stop Tebow from producing magic, the Steelers will be well prepared heading into Sunday's game.

Denver might be able to keep it close due to Pittsburgh's growing injury list, but Tebow won't be able to find enough holes in the Steelers defense to pull off the upset.

Jason Pierre-Paul

The emergence of Pierre-Paul as an elite pass-rusher was one of the major reasons the New York Giants were able to outlast the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East. He finished his season season with 16.5 sacks, which accounted for more than 100 yards lost for opponents.

Being able to chase down Matt Ryan will be no easy task, though. The Atlanta Falcons had one of the best offensive lines in all of football this season and their main focus on Sunday will be slowing down Pierre-Paul.

That lack of pressure on Ryan should allow him to take advantage of a banged-up Giants secondary. Atlanta's offense is rounding into form at the right time and will be a tough out moving forward.

Andy Dalton

Dalton and fellow rookie A.J. Green deserve a boatload of credit for leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a 9-7 record and a surprising playoff trip. Having similar success against an improved Houston Texans defense won't be easy, however.

The Bengals were beneficiaries of a weak schedule and it will be interesting to see how Dalton handles the high-pressure situation. It usually takes time for a young player to find his footing on such a large stage, and he'll probably be no different.

Houston is dealing with a worrisome quarterback situation due to injuries, but Arian Foster and Andre Johnson should produce enough big plays to emerge victorious.