NFL Playoffs 2012: Under-the-Radar Difference-Makers for Divisional Matchups

Sports are star-driven. Big-name players garner big-time ratings. They set viewership records and make Twitter explode after throwing for 316 yards and winning in overtime. But for every Tim Tebow, Tom Brady or Drew Brees in the NFL, there are plenty more who are doing yeoman's work in relative anonymity, types who are known only by the diehards and fantasy buffs.

They make crucial tackles and come up with clutch catches. They'll throw a key block or disrupt an opponent's game plan. They are key cogs for the their team's Super Bowl hopes, even if they don't appear in "Discount Double Check" ads or get referenced by Lady Gaga.

Your non-football friends may not know who these five people are, but with AFC and NFC title game berths on the line this weekend, these players could make the difference in who advances through the divisional playoff matchups.

Green Bay Packers: Charlie Peprah

Be honest with yourself for a second. If you were asked to name a player on Green Bay's defense, this sixth-year safety from Alabama wouldn't be the name that rolls off your tongue. No, you'd say Clay Matthews or B.J. Raji, or maybe A.J. Hawk if you're an Ohio State fan.

But while Charlie Peprah isn't know for belly-gyrating dances or having Fabio hair, he does have five picks (with 147 return yards) to go with 95 tackles, and the Packers are going to need every bit of their defense working to stop the surging Giants, whom they narrowly beat by a field goal in their regular-season shootout.

Given the right opportunity, Peprah could make the interception that forces Eli Manning to give everyone his sad face. Oh, and his backstory is incredible too.

Denver Broncos: Britton Colquitt

Sometimes, amid all the ESPN fluff and improbable overtime wins and Internet-taking-over memes, the fact the Denver Broncos have 52 players on the roster besides Tim Tebow can get a little clouded. We're mesmerized by No. 15—this is indisputable. Ratings don't lie.

Still, even if Tim wasn't making Colorado swoon, our mind wouldn't be thinking of the team's punter. We never think about punters; they're boring and small. Yet they're also crucial, and Britton Colquitt will need to be on point if Tebow Time is to continue onward to the AFC championship game.

Think about it. You want Tom Brady to work as hard as possible, to be saddled with awful field position again and again. Make him go 80 yards, not 60. This is obvious. Tebow's also going to have three-and-outs—a lot of them. When it inevitably happens, the Broncos need their man, the man who has punting in his blood, to perform at his top-tier level.

Houston Texans: T.J. Yates

Yes, T.J. Yates is a playoff quarterback, someone who will garner large blocks of fame time from CBS' cameras come Sunday afternoon. This doesn't exactly bellow "under the radar."

Yet it still feels that way—especially considering the rookie fifth-rounder from a basketball school was thrust into the QB1 role after injuries depleted the Texans' depth chart.

Look who's left quarterback-wise in the playoffs. You've got Tim Tebow, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning, all of whom are superstars. You've got Joe Flacco and Alex Smith, both of whom are former first-round picks. Then there's Yates, a 24-year-old from UNC quarterbacking a team that had never made the playoffs.

Household name he isn't. But winning changes that, and he proved himself last week. Now if he can—with the help of Arian Foster, of course—lead the Texas past the Ravens, his name will be all the more common across the country.

San Francisco 49ers: Aldon Smith

West Coast team, non-starter at the beginning of the season—these two factors alone make Aldon Smith's radar blip a fainter than it should be, even with his blog-friendly sack celebration a few weeks back.

But Niners fans know Aldon, as does Ben Roethlisberger, who couldn't seem to escape the big-blitzing rookie on Monday Night Football. It was brutal, though you may have stopped watching after Candlestick couldn't keep the lights on.

But the upside on this kid? Oh, it's huge. He's got 14 sacks. Fourteen. He's going to give offensive linemen—and the signal-callers they're supposed to be protecting—fits for a long time. So while he's not getting Justin Tuck-type pub, he could very well be the difference-maker the 49ers need if he can get to Drew Brees in the backfield on Saturday.

New Orleans Saints: Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson

The Saints are Drew Brees' team, even if he tries to deflect all the glory with unselfish locker room speeches. But even after mentioning the record-breaking QB, the big names on the Saints offense are guys like Marques Colston, Jimmy Graham and Darren Sproles.

Then there are Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson. Neither did much during the regular season, but they certainly did their part against the Lions as the Saints pulled away for good. Meachem: four receptions, 111 yards, TD. Henderson: 64 yards, TD. Not bad considering the most famous wideout in this game was playing for the other team.

Now, Meachem's probable (as of Monday) for the weekend's game. If he's hurt or hobbling, that could mean an even greater role for Henderson. Regardless, these two have the potential to give the 49ers defense a couple extra problems.