NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Key Players to Watch in Each Championship Game

As you're watching the NFC and AFC championships this weekend, keep your eye on these four key players: Justin Smith, Terrell Suggs, Aaron Hernandez and Victor Cruz.

While these are all notable players that even the average NFL fan probably knows, they aren't the star names that you would expect to be key, like Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Vernon Davis, Ray Rice, Rob Gronkowski, Frank Gore, Ray Lewis and Hakeem Nicks.

While those names are undoubtedly the stars, and I have no doubt their impact will be felt heavily in all these games, I do not consider them to be the keys for victory.

Once you get into a championship game that pits to very deserving and closely-matched teams against each other, the stars are expected to show up and play big. That is, in fact, why they are the stars of this league.

Where the game is won or lost, though, is in the second level of players. These aren't the biggest names on the team, but they may be the most integral.

Here's a key player from each team to watch:

AFC Championship Game: Sun. Jan. 22 at 3 p.m. EST on CBS

Baltimore Ravens: Terrell Suggs, LB

Suggs isn't the star of the defense, but he's one of the bigger names on the team. He's a playmaker and always has some kind of impact on the game.

He's known most for rushing the passer and getting sacks, but I think he's going to play a more important role this week.

Patriots' tight end Rob Gronkowski is unstoppable. He's huge, but he has the skills of a wide receiver, and Tom Brady loves going to him. I don't see how the Ravens, or anybody for that matter, can stop him, so they will have to try to contain him.

The best way to get a tight end and quarterback off rhythm is to jam him at the line and force him off his route. When Suggs is not trying to get after Brady, I expect the Ravens will have him play this role, especially when Gronkowski is on his side of the defense.

It may seem like a small thing, but in this matchup, every little defensive trick helps. Suggs is going to be integral in slowing down the Gronkowski-Brady connection.

New England Patriots: Aaron Hernandez, TE

The scary part about the Patriots is that Gronkowski isn't the only tight end that can make you pay. Hernandez isn't on Gronk's level, but to be fair, nobody is. He'd be the No. 1 tight end on any other team in the league though, and with all the attention on Gronkowsk,i I expect Hernandez is going to find himself open a lot.

The Ravens are really going to have to focus on Gronkowski and Wes Welker as Brady's two main options, and with all the focus going on stopping those two stars, Hernandez should be able to capitalize on the lack of attention and find a lot of open space on the field.

We know Brady will get him the ball, and he's just as good of a target as anyone else out there.

He's going to play a huge role in this game.

NFC Championship Game: Sun. Jan. 22 at 6:30 EST on FOX

New York Giants: Victor Cruz, WR

Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks showed why he's so dangerous thus far in these playoffs, so the 49ers would be absolutely stupid not to pay a whole lot of defensive attention to him. Nicks has notched four touchdowns and 280 yards in the Giants' two playoff games this season.

I have to believe the 49ers are going to look to double cover him when possible or at least shade a safety over him, so that makes Cruz the key man in this game.

Cruz is lightning quick and can be effective just about anywhere on the field. With Nicks getting the attention, Manning is going to need Cruz to step up and be receiver 1B, and I think he will.

He broke out this year as a borderline star, and he has a nose for making big plays and getting into the end zone.

If there is one weakness the 49ers have on defense, it's against the passing game, so look for Cruz to exploit any mismatches he may get due to the attention that Nicks will command.

San Francisco 49ers: Justin Smith, DE

Smith absolutely terrorized Drew Brees and the Saints offense last week, and he's going to have to do the same against Manning and the Giants if they 49ers want to go to the Super Bowl.

He's not the biggest name on the defense, but he's certainly one of the most important.

The Giants offense can be very explosive, but a lot of that is due to Brandon Jacobs and a very physical running game that causes defenses close in on the line of scrimmage.

Jacobs is a downhill runner that doesn't cut back much, so if Smith can get in the backfield and disrupt the running game, as well as protect the edge, they can neutralize that.

With the running game neutralized, he would then be free to get after Manning and not allow the Giants deep-threat receivers the time to get open.

This also makes life a bit easier for rookie sensation linebacker Aldon Smith, coming off the edge as well.

Jeff Smith and the pressure he can get in the backfield will be key for the 49ers defense.