NFL Playoff Predictions: Stars Who Will Choke Under Postseason Pressure

The NFL postseason is a grueling test that separates the weak from the strong, the pretenders from the contenders and the chumps from the champs.

While some stars step up with legendary playoff performances, others crumble in shame.

I would never wish ill on any player not named Phillip Rivers (seriously, I hate that guy). Still, I'm expecting these three stars to choke under the bright lights of the NFL playoffs.

Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow's magical ride has come to a screeching halt after the Broncos three-game losing streak.

After getting blown out by New England and Buffalo, Denver suffered an embarrassing 7-3 loss to AFC West rival Kansas City.

Tebow was awful in the last three weeks of the season. He completed just 41.1 percent of his passes and committed six turnovers during that stretch.

Despite the late-season slide, Tebow still got his team into the playoffs. His reward: a matchup against the vicious Pittsburgh Steelers defense.

The Steelers have the league's best pass defense and eighth-ranked run defense.

With Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and the rest of the Steelers wreaking havoc, there will be no "Tebow Time" in the playoffs.

Arian Foster

I love Arian Foster, but he will struggle against the Baltimore Ravens next week.

Foster was excellent against the Bengals in the first round, racking up 153 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. It was his third straight 100-yard game, and his performance was pivotal in getting the Texans their first playoff win in franchise history.

However, don't expect similar similar success from him against Baltimore's stingy D.

In the regular season, the Ravens allowed just 92.6 rushing yards per game (second in NFL) and 10 rushing touchdowns (t-sixth in NFL).

In their first matchup this season, Foster had no room to run. He only gained 49 yards on 15 carries.

That was back in October when the Texans still had Matt Schaub at quarterback. Now that T.J. Yates is starting, the Ravens will be even more focused on stopping Foster.

Alex Smith

The 49ers have followed a simple formula for success this season: play suffocating defense, pound the ball with Frank Gore and don't ask Alex Smith to do too much.

It's worked well, as the Niners cruised to a 13-3 record and a first-round bye. Unfortunately, they'll have to ditch that formula in their matchup with the New Orleans Saints.

They'll still play hard on defense, and Frank Gore will get plenty of touches. But when they fall behind—and trust me, they will fall behind—Alex Smith will have to keep pace with Drew Brees, and he's just not capable of doing it.

Smith only completed 61.3 percent of his passes this season and threw for under 200 yards in nine of 16 games.

San Francisco has an elite run defense, but their secondary is so-so. Brees will torch them early, and when the 49ers have to play catchup, Smith will be completely helpless.