NFL Playoffs 2012: 5 Players Who Didn't Live Up to Expectations

Last year's Green Bay Packers gave hope to the four wild-card teams in the 2012 NFL playoffs that were looking to make a run at the Super Bowl.

Eh, not so much this year.

All four wild-card teams lost during Wild Card Weekend by an average margin of 16.5 points. Not exactly the parity most experts predicted coming into NFL's postseason.

Much of the blame can be attributed to the following players who, when expectations were highest, came up small during the biggest moments. 

James Harrison

There is no questioning the fact that linebacker James Harrison is the most feared hitter in the National Football League.

His aggressive plays make ball-carriers think twice before roaming into his territory.

However, Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos put Harrison on his heels on Sunday afternoon. The read-option particularly dazed Harrison, putting him squarely in no-man's land for much of the day.

Harrison is accustomed to speed rushing off the edge with reckless abandon. With Tebow, however, the Broncos froze Harrison for a split second, forcing him into decision after decision.

The result was a frustrated, tentative player who got burned on several run and pass plays. With only three tackles, Harrison's impact was all but taken away. 

Ben Roethlisberger

Given Ben Roethlisberger's history of extraordinary play in lieu of injuries, it was not unreasonable for fans to expect another admirable performance from the gutsy signal-caller.

Unfortunately, Big Ben's gimpy ankle limited him just enough to send the Steelers packing on Wild Card Weekend.

Unable to plant his follow-through weight on his left foot, Roethlisberger struggled to throw the ball down field.

More critically, his bum ankle prevented him from having any mobility in the pocket. As a result, the Broncos accrued five sacks, one forced fumble and one interception en route to the victory.

Completing 22 of 40 passes is certainly not a terrible performance by any means. But for a quarterback with a 10-3 postseason record, a loss to Tim Tebow and the Broncos is very disappointing. 

Matt Ryan

He was given the nickname, "Matty Ice", coming out of Boston College.

Regrettably, Matt Ryan has been ice cold during his postseason career with the Atlanta Falcons.

His most recent effort produced merely 199 yards on 41 attempts against the New York Giants. More embarrassingly, the Falcons produced zero offensive points for the entire game.

Ryan is blessed with a plethora of weapons around him. With the likes of Michael Turner, Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, Ryan has no excuse for his lackluster showings during the postseason.

His career playoff passer rating stands at 71.2 with three scores and four picks in three starts. With a record of 0-3, Ryan must get the monkey off his back to be considered elite going forward. 

Michael Turner

Speaking of Matt Ryan's weapons, Michael Turner has similarly come up small for the majority of his postseason career.

With three seasons of 1,300 yards or more rushing, you would expect Turner to be a focal point in the playoffs when establishing the ground game is paramount.

However, Turner has never rushed for 100 yards in a playoff game. In seven postseason games, Turner has averaged a mediocre 3.48 yards per carry with merely three touchdowns.

It is quite curious as to why Ryan and Turner are struggling in the postseason. One would think if the defense focused on one, the other would excel.

That has simply not been the case. Ultimately, that could be the downfall of head coach Mike Smith. 

Andy Dalton

Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton has greatly exceeded expectations under center for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011.

However, his first experience in the 2012 playoffs ended with a thud versus the Houston Texans.

Dalton was finally stifled versus a very tough Texans defense in the wild-card round's first game. He threw for 257 yards in 42 attempts, but it was the three picks that riddled the rookie throughout the contest.

The turnovers put the Bengals defense in insurmountable positions, thus tipping the scales in favor of Houston's rookie quarterback, T.J. Yates.

Were expectations too high for Dalton in his first postseason? Absolutely.

However, if the Bengals can improve the ground game in the coming seasons, Dalton's confidence will skyrocket and Cincinnati could become a scary contender in the AFC.