2012 NFL Playoffs: 5 Players That Let Their Teams Down

For every upset and Cinderella story during the NFL postseason, there are just as many goats. If a team is going to be able to make that push to the Super Bowl, it's going to need stellar play from all of its weapons. 

This list is dedicated to five players who either didn't perform or flat out cost their team a chance to win their respective playoff game.

Tim Tebow

Just when Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow was starting to win over the critics with his playoff performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he puts together that horrible performance against New England.

Tebow had the most statistically pleasing game of his career a few weeks ago, with 316 passing yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions against the NFL's top-ranked defense.

Just one week later, he struggles to complete nine passes, throws for a measly 136 yards with zero touchdowns.

The Broncos offensive attack lived and died by Tebow this season, and though a playoff win is great, not being able to perform against one of the worst defenses in the league allows the critics back into the conversation.

Jordy Nelson

Jordy Nelson made a name for himself last postseason where he was a pivotal part of the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl run, but was almost invisible last weekend at Lambeau Field.

The Packers wide receiver was held to just three catches for 39 yards and zero touchdowns en route to Green Bay's early exit from the playoffs.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was under duress from the New York Giants stout pass rush, but the receiving corps did him no favors with several dropped passes throughout the game.

Andy Dalton

During the 2011 regular season, Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton looked like a seasoned veteran leading his team to a surprising trip to the postseason. Once the playoffs began however, his greenness began to show.

Dalton struggled against the Houston Texans' stellar defensive front all day back on Wild Card weekend, with three interceptions and a subsequent quarterback rating of 51.4.

Given it was his first playoff game and first season in the pros, the rookie's struggles in the postseason can be excused, but they were a contributing factor to the Bengals being eliminated.

Matt Ryan

While Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan may have somehow received the nickname of "Matty Ice," he tried his hardest against the Giants to prove he doesn't deserve that moniker.

Ryan had less than 200 yards through the air on Wild Card weekend, with no touchdowns against the Giants defense. The Atlanta offense was unable to get going during this contest, with zero points to show for their effort.

The only points the Falcons were able to put on the board against the G-Men was on a safety created by their defense.

Ryan wasn't drafted to put together nice regular season stats with this franchise and then disappear during the postseason, but that's all he's done during his first several NFL seasons.

Ryan Grant

Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant was actually having himself a solid performance against the New York Giants rushing defense last weekend, until his soon-to-be infamous fumble happened.

While his 33 rushing yards were helpful in moving the chains and contributed to the Green Bay offense, Grant all but sealed his team's defeat when he lost control of the football.

The Pack was down 10 points to the Giants, desperately needing to add points to the scoreboard in order to stay in the game. While Grant was only trying to fight for extra yards to help his team, his actions lead to a Mario Manningham touchdown catch that all but ended the Packers promising season.