One Player on Each Team Who Pittsburgh Steelers Fans Hate to See

The NFL has a variety of talent spread nicely throughout the 32 teams. There are players that pull you to the end of your seat and others that have you biting your nails.

The Steelers faithful follows their team through thick and thin, but there are some faces Steeler fans don't mind seeing on the injury report when a game is approaching.

Here is the list of each team's best player at giving Steeler fans a headache.

Baltimore Ravens: Haloti Ngata

Haloti Ngata is a monster along the Ravens defensive line. While the Ravens have plenty of guys Steeler fans don't like seeing, Ngata is probably has the most impact on a play-to-play basis.

Ngata regularly bursts through the Steelers iffy offensive line to stop running plays and sometimes to sack quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Ngata's nasty mean streak stresses Steeler fans out twice a year.

Cleveland Browns: Joe Thomas

The Steelers are 16-1 in their last 17 meetings with the Browns. What was once an intense rivalry has fizzled down to a one-sided affair.

What Steeler fans want to see when their team plays Cleveland is their team sacking the quarterback. In Pittsburgh, no stat is as revered as the sack, and Joe Thomas is the only man who stands in the way.

Thomas is a former first-round pick by the Browns, and his job against Pittsburgh is to contain James Harrison. Since he's so good at his job, Steeler fans hate to see Thomas on the field.

Cincinnati Bengals: AJ Green

The Steelers beat Cincinnati in both of their meetings last season and even held Green to just one catch in the first match. The only problem is, that catch was a 36-yard touchdown.

In the second meeting, Green collected six catches for 87 yards, one of which being a 43-yard touchdown. Just finishing his rookie season, Green will gives Steeler fans something to worry about for years to come.

The 6'4", 207-pound Green is only getting better, as the Steelers will need to find a way to slow down the big receiver.

Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers has started two career games against Pittsburgh, and in both, he threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. The more memorable game being Super Bowl XLV, where Rodgers was named MVP.

Like most teams, the Steelers struggle against the league's best quarterbacks, and Rodgers is definitely one of them.

In his two career starts, his totals against Pittsburgh add up to him completing 50 of his 87 pass attempts for 687 yards and six touchdowns without a single interception.

Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson

The last time the Steelers played the Detroit Lions was in 2009 when the Lions went 2-14. A lot has changed since then, as the Steelers have never faced receiver Calvin Johnson.

Johnson is sure to give Steeler Nation a hard time, as he has become one of the best receivers in the NFL.

Minnesota Vikings: Jared Allen

The Steelers have only played the Vikings twice over the past seven years and beat them both times. With a stout defense against the run, Adrian Peterson isn't actually the most feared player by Steeler fans.

Instead, I say it's defensive end Jared Allen. He's been a sack machine, and since joining the Vikings in 2008, he has 62 sacks and 13 forced fumbles.

Knowing how long Roethlisberger likes to hold onto the ball, Allen becomes a big factor in trying to sack him.

Chicago Bears: Julius Peppers

Similar to Jared Allen, Peppers has the ability to get inside Roethlisberger's head. Not to mention his innate ability to bring Roethlisberger to the turf.

In 10 seasons in the NFL, Peppers has a crisp 100 sacks.

When Pittsburgh faces Chicago, Julius Peppers should be the No. 1 concern.

Tennessee Titans: Cortland Finnegan

The Steelers have won three straight against the Titans, and you'd have to go back to 2008 to recall the last time Tennessee won this matchup.

Finnegan is a rough cornerback who seems to get in some sort of fight with everyone he faces. That's no different for when he plays the Steelers, as Finnegan and receiver Hines Ward have gone after each other for years now.

Finnegan is a free agent, so his time in Tennessee may be up.

Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning

His future is still in question with Indianapolis, but as of now, Manning is Steelers fans' least favorite Colt. The reason being that he is just too good.

In the 2005 playoffs, Manning and the Colts almost stole a win away from Pittsburgh that eventually led the Steelers to Super Bowl XL.

Steeler fans will hope Manning winds up somewhere far from Pittsburgh if he leaves Indianapolis.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Maurice Jones-Drew

The 5'7" Jones-Drew has been a touchdown machine since joining the NFL in 2006. He has 62 rushing touchdowns and 10 receiving touchdowns for his career.

The Steelers used to have a rivalry with the Jaguars from their time in the AFC Central. The games are still tightly contested when these two meet up, and Jones-Drew is the biggest threat on the team as of now.

Houston Texans: Arian Foster

2011 was a special year for the Texans for several reasons. They finally became a playoff team, and were even led to a playoff victory by third-string quarterback TJ Yates.

The Texans also beat the Steelers for the second time in franchise history, and Arian Foster was the key in that game.

Foster carried the ball 30 times for 155 yards and a touchdown; not a stat line you'd expect against the Steelers defense.

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees

Drew Brees is another elite NFL quarterback who gives the Steelers secondary issues.

The Saints attack Pittsburgh with short, quick passes when the two teams play. Brees' accuracy gives Steeler fans a headache every time.

Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton

Over the last 10 years, the Steelers have beat the Panthers in all three meetings between the two. Adding all the scores up gives Pittsburgh a 94-17 advantage. Clearly, the Panthers have had a problem with scoring against Pittsburgh.

Cam Newton had a phenomenal rookie season, throwing for 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also ran the ball well, gaining 706 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns. Newton gives the Panthers offense a huge boost, and Steeler fans should be aware.

The teams met in the preseason, and in little action, Newton completed three of five passes for 25 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball once for 19 yards.

Atlanta Falcons: Roddy White

The Steelers have only played the Matt Ryan-era Falcons once; the  2010 opener for both teams resulted as a Steelers victory. For their last three meetings against Atlanta, the Steelers have a 1-1-1 record.

Roddy White is the biggest threat to the Steelers defense. He is a physical receiver who can bully the sometimes inconsistent Steeler secondary.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Adrian Clayborn

The Buccaneers fell apart last season, losing 10 straight games to end the season. Adrian Clayborn was their first-round pick a year ago, and he played well, with 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles last year.

Clayborn is the only player who poses irritation towards Steelers fans. His ability to stop the run, as well as get to the quarterback are good assets that would keep the Steelers offensive linemen on their toes.

Philidelphia Eagles: Mike Vick

Michael Vick has yet to play a regular season game against Pittsburgh as a member of the Eagles, but the matchup has always been heated between the two. It began in 2002 when the teams tied at 34 after a thrilling overtime game, and it continued when Vick and the Falcons beat the Steelers in 2006 by a score of 41-38.

The Steelers focus against Vick is to make him throw the ball instead of letting him win with his legs. In those two games, Vick compiled 526 passing yards.

Pittsburgh fans hate seeing No. 7 walk on the field against their team.

New York Giants: The Defensive Line

The Giants' Super Bowl run was built on the foundation that is their defensive line. It's every team's worst nightmare, including Pittsburgh.

Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora are the headliners of a group that can dominate the line of scrimmage every week.

With offensive line troubles in Pittsburgh, the last thing a fan wants to see is the league's best defensive line unit.

Dallas Cowboys: Demarcus Ware

The Steelers have played against the Cowboys in three Super Bowls, winning two of those meetings. On a yearly basis, the two teams don't meet often.

Demarcus Ware is probably the most feared and hated Cowboy for Steeler fans now. In a way, it is a matter of envy. Already equipped with talented outside linebackers, Steeler fans still admire the way Ware handles his business.

Ware has 99.5 career sacks and 27 forced fumbles in his seven seasons in the league playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme.

Washington Redskins: London Fletcher

London Fletcher is 36 years old, but when the Steelers play the Redskins, he is still the most hated player by Steeler fans.

Fletcher is a tackling machine who is great at stopping the run, something the Steelers like to establish. With 1,782 tackles throughout his 14-year career, there is good reason to hope Fletcher isn't playing against your team.

New England Patriots: Tom Brady

Tom Brady has started against the Steelers seven times in his career, including the playoffs. His record is 5-2, and he has 2,091 yards passing with 16 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

These numbers against the regularly dominant Steelers defense leaves Pittsburgh fans furious at No. 12.

Brady is a lethal quarterback and the biggest threat on the Patriots roster.

New York Jets: Santonio Holmes

After the 2009 season, the Steelers made the decision to part ways with Santonio Holmes, who was the MVP in Super Bowl XVIII. Steeler fans back what the front office decides, even when it involves trading away someone who contributed a lot to the franchise.

Holmes hasn't been completely comfortable in New York, but Steeler fans still hate seeing him play for another team. It becomes worse now that the Jets have also added ex-Steeler Plaxico Burress.

Buffalo Bills: CJ Spiller

After a disappointing rookie season, Spiller bounced back and had a decent second year. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and was also a threat in the passing game.

A weapon like Spiller could be dangerous against the Steelers. Spiller is fast, quick and can also pitch in some help with the return game.

The Steelers struggle on kickoff coverage, and the fans know it. Seeing Spiller back to return a kick just leaves Steeler fans hoping he doesn't break it for a score.

Miami Dolphins: Vontae Davis

The Steelers have won five in a row against the Miami Dolphins, but every game was competitively fought to the end. The Dolphins could have taken one of these games if they had a game-breaker.

Vontae Davis has nine interceptions in his three seasons in the NFL. He could become the big-play guy who the Dolphins look for on defense.

Davis has the ability to crush the heart of every Steelers fan with a late interception off Big Ben.

Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow

Tebow-mania exploded after he led his Broncos to a playoff victory over the Steelers. From now on, most Steeler fans will probably always spite Tebow.

He had a combined three touchdowns in the game, including the game-winning 80-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas.

Now that we've all seen what Tebow is capable of, it will be interesting to see how the Steelers approach him next time they meet.

San Diego Chargers: Antonio Gates

The Steelers have taken all of the last three games between these two teams, including one playoff game.

The reason Steeler fans hate to see a healthy, flowing Antonio Gates on the other side is because he requires so much attention.

To be more specific, he requires the attention of Troy Polamalu. Polamalu focuses on stopping Gates, which takes away from the rest of his game, thus making the Steelers defense vulnerable.

Oakland Raiders: Richard Seymour

Richard Seymour is the leader of the Oakland Raiders defense. He brings confidence to a team that would be lost without him.

Steeler fans hope he's not on the field when their team plays the Raiders; his impact is unquestionable.

Kansas City Chiefs: Eric Berry

Like most of the talent the Chiefs have, Eric Berry missed the entire 2011 campaign due to injury. However, in his rookie season, he put up Pro Bowl-worthy numbers with 92 tackles two sacks and four interceptions.

He is going to be feared for years to come in the NFL, and the Steelers are lucky he wasn't on the field for their 13-9 win over the Chiefs this season.

St. Louis Rams: Steven Jackson

With Sam Bradford missing most of the season, the Rams offense relied on running back Steven Jackson. Jackson wasn't able to help his team when they played in Pittsburgh this season, as the Rams ended up losing, 27-0, to the Charlie Batch-led Steelers.

Jackson had 103 rushing yards in the game and can be scary with his tough running. He is a player many Steeler fans admire, so because he is not a Steeler, they hate him.

Seattle Seahawks: Marshawn Lynch

Including Super Bowl XL, the Steelers have won three in a row against Seattle. The last two times they played, the Steelers shut the Seahawks out with a combined score of 45-0.

Although Lynch only had six carries for 11 yards in last year's meeting, he is still their biggest threat to the Steelers.

Lynch has shown he can be a great running back at times. If he becomes more consistent, the Steelers will hate to see him running the ball down their throat.

San Fransisco 49ers: NaVorro Bownman

The 49ers tortured Pittsburgh last season in a 20-3 blowout. They did so without their best player on defense in Patrick Willis.

The reason they were able to play at such a high level was because of their other inside linebacker, NaVorro Bowman.

Bowman had eight tackles and two for a loss against the Steelers in that game. He finished the season with 143 tackles and will be a staple in the San Fran defense for years to come.

Arizona Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald

Larry Fitzgerald has played three career games against the Steelers and lost two of those games. Still, he got his receptions in each game and was a threat to the Steelers secondary.

In the three games, he has 21 catches for 325 yards and two touchdowns. The ex-Pitt player would be more than welcome if he wanted to play for the Steelers, but for now, Steeler fans hate him because of just how good he is.