The Most Disappointing Performances of NFL Divisional Round Weekend

Nobody is perfect. Even those who get paid to do one thing—excel above expectations—are always going to come up short once in awhile and let down a whole bunch of people.

This NFL post season hasn't been immune to this outcome, and we have seen many great players fall far from expectations. Especially those who we saw as game changers.

These players, while they were looked upon to do great things this past weekend, ultimately were unable to deliver performances many of us had expected.

T.J. Yates

While many will not condemn Houston Texans' quarterback T.J. Yates for coming through big for the franchise after losing both Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, his performance against the Baltimore Ravens was a disappointment.

After managing a great game against the Cincinnati Bengals in last week's wild-card round, Yates seemed like a completely different player. He failed to reach the end zone, and was responsible for turning the ball over three times.

The Texans only lost by seven points, but the Texans were a lot closer to coming out of this with a win than many would think.

Yates and wide receiver Andre Johnson were making strides down field with just a little less then three minutes on the clock, but all that didn't matter since the drive ended in an Ed Reed interception.

The Texans' defense, playing incredible once again, stopped the Ravens' offense and got the ball back for the offense with just 45 seconds left on the clock on their own 48.

While it was quite a lot of pressure to put on the young quarterback, he certainly had plenty of opportunities that he blew in this game.

Robert Meachem

The New Orleans Saints' wide receiver Robert Meachem was incredible in the team's wild-card victory over the Detroit Lions.

In that game, he had four receptions for 111 yards and a score. Many assumed he would be an x-factor going into this game, but he failed to get into the mix.

While three receivers all had over 100 yards, Meachem finished the game with just three receptions for 18 yards.

This was a big game for him, as he is in a contract year. They needed him just as much, and the Saints could have really benefited if their second best receiver could have gone off and got free.

There is no reason that he shouldn't be able to get open as players like Darren Sproles or Jimmy Graham did all game having more yards and receptions. Although, Sproles was phenomenal—bringing in 15 passes from quarterback Drew Brees.

Ray Rice

The Baltimore Ravens did win their game over the Houston Texans, but it could have been a much easier defeat if running back Ray Rice would have been able to be productive.

Rice was given the ball 21 times, but he was only able to accumulate 60 yards with no touchdowns. His performance was far away from his usual performances, but it can be attributed to his oppositions strong defense.

They have been holding their opposition to just 96 yards per game, and they proved how good they were once again by stopping one of the best backs in the NFL.

Quarterback Joe Flacco was able to get things done on his own, but they will need Rice to come up big next week in order to defeat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Aaron Rodgers

It is hard to put Green Bay Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers on this list, but he honestly just did not look like the same player we have seen all year.

While he was impressive in gaining 66 yards on the ground on just seven carries, Rodgers wasn't able to make things happen with his arm like he is known to do.

He completed only 26 of 46 passes, compiling 264 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The team went 6-12 on third down, and this team just didn't seem like the most dominant team in the league.

The New York Giants defense had his number all game, and Rodgers was unable to come through once again and woo the world on the national stage.

While it is certainly true that the lack of a rushing game likely effected the opposition's focus on the passing game, Rodgers just didn't look as elite as he did this regular season and in last season's Super Bowl run.

The Saints Running Game

Everybody knows that the New Orleans Saints have an incredible passing game, but many seem to forget that they also have a very good running attack.

So did they, as they essentially had no running game against the San Francisco 49ers this past weekend.

Veteran back Pierre Thomas got knocked out of the game early, after getting hit hard on the team's first offensive drive. That led them to rely on both Chris Ivory and Darren Sproles.

While Sproles did take off in the passing game with 15 receptions that turned into 119 yards and an incredible touchdown run, his existence in the run game was nowhere to be seen.

The team ran the ball just 14 times, with Ivory getting nine carries for 23 yards and Sproles with three for three yards.

The entire team had just 37 yards on the ground, far below the team's 132.9 per game average this season.

The team decided that Drew Brees' arm was the way to go, but perhaps mixing it up here and there would have given them the slight advantage to come out on top.

Tim Tebow

After keeping his team in so many games this past season, Denver Broncos' quarterback Tim Tebow was unable to find that magic in their game against the New England Patriots in this weekend's divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

Tebow was held to just 9-26 on passing attempts, and he was kept to just 136 yards through the air with no touchdown passes.

After coming off of a huge performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers—10/21, 316 yards and two TDs—No. 15 was unable to find his stride against Bill Belichick's defense.

The Patriots have been one of the worst teams in terms of stopping the pass, allowing their opponents to gain 293.9 yards per game through the air. They didn't seem to have a hard time stopping Tebow though.

It will be interesting to see where the Broncos decide to go from here. It is hard to imagine them looking to attain a new quarterback to replace Tebow, as it will likely cause an uproar amongst their fan base.

After this performance, many have to be wondering if he is the true answer to their future.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis

The New England Patriots rely on the arm of quarterback Tom Brady, but they really need running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis to step up his game. 

If they continue to rely on the pass, a team with a defense made up of Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs will find a way to stop them in next week's conference championship game.

Green-Ellis has proven throughout the year to be able to move the ball, but gaining only 28 yards on 13 carries isn't getting it done.

They will need him to become more threatening next week, otherwise they could fall victim to their oppositions great pass defense.

While Brady did look unstoppable against the Denver Broncos, the Ravens are a completely different team that will give them a much more difficult time.

It will remain to be seen if Green-Ellis will be able to step up his game, but the Patriots better hope he does just that.

Otherwise, they could be in trouble.