5 NFL QBs Who Must Perform Well in 2012

Each and every year there are a number of quarterbacks that come into the season surrounded by various questions. A lot of the questions revolve around any health issues that the quarterback in question may have and whether or not he has the ability to lead his team to success on the field.

This article will take a look at the five quarterbacks, in my opinion, that are under the most pressure to perform well in 2012.

There are just under 100 days until the 2012 NFL season kicks off so, without further ado, let's discuss some quarterbacks that will be feeling the pressure to perform at a high level. 

Michael Vick

It seems like just yesterday that Michael Vick was the most electrifying QB in football. People flocked to Falcons games just to watch No. 7 play. His electricity on the field was something unseen in the NFL for a number of years at that time.

Roughly six years and a prison sentence later, Vick still possesses that unbelievable athleticism, but it is far too often overshadowed by the bouts of inconsistency. 

Those bouts of inconsistency reached a whole new level last season. The former Hokie threw a career high 14 interceptions last season leaving Eagles fans dumbfounded at some of the throws he made.

From the perspective of an Eagles fan, watching Michael Vick play has turned into one of the most frustrating aspects of the game. Too often does Vick rely on his athleticism, trying to make a play happen that isn't there. This usually leads to one of three things: an incomplete pass into coverage, a sack, or an interception. Not to mention the bone-crushing hits that Vick takes every Sunday.

In 2012, in order for Philadelphia to finally live up to the hype, Vick must return to the form he displayed in 2010 following the injury to Kevin Kolb.

At the age of 32, No. 7 isn't getting any younger and this season almost seems like a crossroad of sorts.

One has to think that if Vick disappoints this year, the Eagles will likely try and go in a different direction under center. 

Mark Sanchez

This former Trojan QB may actually be under more pressure than any of the other quarterbacks on this list. Now that Tebowmania has arrived in New York, Sanchez's leash will be even shorter. 

The first interception or mind-boggling throw by Sanchez will undoubtedly draw boos from Jets fans everywhere. 

2011 was a roller coaster ride to say the least for Mark Sanchez. The career best 26 touchdowns represented the high, while the 18 interceptions provided the low on that roller coaster. 

During his three years in the league, the USC product has thrown at least double digit interceptions each year, often times leaving Jets fans searching for answers.

Going into last season, there still seemed to be a belief that the 5th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft could actually be the quarterback of the future for Gang Green.

However, following a less than impressive final 3 games of the 2011 season, Sanchez has come under fire and must show that he can respond once the 2012 season kicks off.

The recipe for success is simple: either prove the critics wrong and remain the starting QB or falter under pressure and it will be Tebow Time for the Jets. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick

This may seem like the surprise on the list, but believe it or not, the Buffalo Bills may have been the biggest winners of all in the offseason.

The Mario Williams signing, along with the drafting of Stephon Gilmore and Tank Carder, has Buffalo fans excited for the 2012 season. The aforementioned additions, combined with an already solid unit from last year, should give the Bills one of the top defenses in football. 

The return of a healthy Fred Jackson will give this long-suffering franchise their own version of Thunder and Lightning. C.J. Spiller, entering his 3rd season out of Clemson showed flashes of brilliance down the stretch last season and is the other half of that combination.

With that being said, if the Bills have plans of ending the league's longest active playoff drought, it all starts under center with Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The Harvard grad had mixed results in 2011, throwing for a personal best 3,832 yards and 24 touchdowns. However, Fitzpatrick also threw 23 interceptions, tops in the NFL. 

The key to the Bills' season will lie on the right arm of No.14. He has the talent to be a successful QB in this league, but must prove it over the course of the 2012 campaign.  

This is Buffalo's best chance in a long time to end their playoff drought and this upcoming season will tell us a lot about Ryan Fitzpatrick and his ability to lead a team. 

Alex Smith

This former No.1 overall selection is coming off the best season of his career in 2011, but his team fell just a few steps short of their ultimate goal.  

San Francisco is set on returning to their glory days of the 1980s and '90s, showing complete faith in having Alex Smith at the helm.

Last season, Smith threw 17 touchdowns and 5 interceptions to go along with 3,144 yards. A similar season in the 2012 campaign would do well to quiet the critics.

Prior to the 2011 season, inconsistency had been the theme of Smith's career. One of the biggest keys for the 49ers this year will relate to how their franchise quarterback handles his first real success in the NFL.

He will have an improved receiving corps to work with this season, as the 49ers added Randy Moss and Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham in free agency. They also spent their first round draft choice on a receiver, selecting Illinois WR A.J. Jenkins. 

Unlike some of the other quarterbacks on this list who are just trying to get their teams back to the playoffs, Smith is charged with repeating last year's performance and getting San Francisco back to the promise land. 

Matt Ryan

From a pure numbers standpoint, Matt Ryan has shown improvement in every season of the course of his career. In this case, though, numbers do not tell the whole story.

There are two big knocks on Ryan that he just cannot seem to shake thus far. His teams have never had a problem reaching the postseason, the Falcons have gone 43-21 in the regular season. Ryan has started 62 of those 64 games, missing a pair of games during the 2009 campaign.

The gaudy records have translated into three playoff appearances, but that is where one of the knocks lies. Ryan and the Falcons have come up short in all three of those playoff games, with only one of them being competitive. 

Let's look at the 2011 NFC Wildcard game vs. the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. Big Blue used their fearsome front line to rattle Ryan and force him to hurry his throws.

The game plan proved to be successful as Atlanta managed to put just two points on the board.

The Giants game ties into critics' other big knock on Ryan. The other big fault in his game is that people say he can't throw when facing pressure from the opposing defense. For now, that is the biggest difference between Ryan and the elite QBs in this league. 

The former Boston College gunslinger has a lot to prove this season as the search continues for his first career playoff win. He must also display an ability to not get rattled in the face of heavy pressure, those two things will be paramount in Ryan being able to realize his full potential.