9 NFL Players Teams Absolutely Cannot Lose to Injury in 2012

The Green Bay Packers are a lock to go to the playoffs in 2012 with Aaron Rodgers behind center, but if he were to go down with an injury, all bets would be off.

Rodgers isn't the only NFL star that has this amount of influence, either. 

If the players on this list stay healthy, their respective teams will have an excellent chance to make the postseason; but if they go down, their teams will go down with them. 

Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins

Robert Griffin III gives the Washington Redskins as good a chance as any other NFC East team to win the division. He's a dynamic playmaker who will keep things lively on offense, and his rookie highlight reel will surely be on par with the one Cam Newton put together in 2011. 

The team's fanbase is rightfully hopeful that this year will finally be the team's return to glory. 

All will be lost if RG3 were to go down, though. Rex Grossman and Kirk Cousins might do enough to win the team eight games, but that won't cut it. 

This team desperately needs RG3 to stay healthy. If he does, I predict they will win 10 games and the division. 

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

If Matthew Stafford could just manage to stay on the field for the Detroit Lions, he could become one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. So far, though, he's proving to be a bit of an accident-prone player, as we once again witnessed in Week 3 of the preseason against the Oakland Raiders. 

Shaun Hill is Stafford's backup. He's not incompetent, but he isn't going to be able to generate enough offense on a regular basis to compete within his own division—minus the Minnesota Vikings, of course. 

Without Stafford, the Lions would be lucky to win two out of six games in their division. The Lions also have games against the San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans—teams with a strong pass rush and good secondary. 

The Lions desperately need Stafford to be in the lineup if they have any hope of competing for a playoff spot. 

Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

Philip Rivers won't ever admit it in public, but there was certainly something wrong with him health-wise in 2011. He just wasn't himself. 

With an improved defense in 2012, the Chargers will compete with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos for the AFC West divisional crown...as long as Rivers stays healthy. 

If he goes down, the team is in big trouble. 

Charlie Whitehurst is the team's No. 2 quarterback. He's won only one game in his four career starts, tossing three touchdowns and four interceptions while completing only 54.2 percent of his passes. As good as Norv Turner is at calling games on offense, he can't work with that. 

Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos

Any questions about Peyton Manning's arm strength should be erased after his masterful performance against the San Francisco 49ers in the third preseason game for the Denver Broncos. 

He was back to his old tricks once again, and I have had to reevaluate my perspective of where I believe the Broncos will end up once the season is finished. If Manning stays healthy, the Broncos will be in a dog fight with the Chargers for the AFC West. 

Caleb Hanie is Manning's backup. He's a career 51 percent passer with a record of 0-4, and he's thrown three career touchdowns to nine interceptions. 

If Manning doesn't stay healthy, God forbid, the Broncos will be lucky to win eight games and will miss the playoffs. 

Eli Manning, New York Giants

The New York Giants would be a mediocre team without Eli Manning. 

Without his magical ability to make plays under duress at the most crucial times in ballgames, there is no way this team would have won two Super Bowls in the past five years. 

He's the most underrated superstar in the NFL, and without him, the Giants would be a cellar dweller on an annual basis in the NFC East. 

David Carr is the team's backup quarterback, and if the Giants are forced to try to win games with him behind center, they will fail.

Matt Schaub, Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are good enough to overtake the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC for the next few years...if Matt Schaub stays healthy and plays 16 games. 

Schaub is an elite quarterback. Watching him last year when he was healthy and then again in preseason this year, it's clear that he is among the top-five quarterbacks the NFL has to offer. He sees the entire field, makes excellent decisions and puts the ball right where it needs to be. 

The only problem he's had since joining the Texans is that he seems to be made of glass. 

If he stays healthy in 2012, the Texans are my favorites to go all the way to the Super Bowl. If T.J. Yates is forced back into the lineup, the team will still be good, but they'll be ousted in the playoffs once more. 

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are going to run into trouble a few times this year without Sean Payton calling the shots. Don't get me wrong, the team isn't going to stink, but I have the Atlanta Falcons overtaking them for the NFC South as it is. 

If Brees goes down, the Saints don't have a chance to make the wild-card spot and will likely completely fall apart with Chase Daniel behind center. 

Brees will be the glue that keeps this team cohesive in 2012. Without him, the team is doomed. 

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

There isn't a quarterback on earth as good as Aaron Rodgers. His mastery of Mike McCarthy's offense, combined with his incredible arm strength, throwing accuracy and rushing capabilities, makes him darn near unbeatable. 

He's the sole reason that the Green Bay Packers won 15 games in 2011, and it's not inconceivable that they will match that total in 2012. 

If Rodgers is injured, though, the Packers will struggle to win half of their games. 

Graham Harrell has been really shaky throughout the preseason, actually getting worse as the weeks go by. 

In hindsight, perhaps getting rid of Matt Flynn wasn't such a good idea...

Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders

If Darren McFadden could somehow stay healthy for an entire season, he'd be the best overall running back in the NFL. 

He's almost as powerful as Adrian Peterson, yet he can do the same things in the passing game as LeSean McCoy. He's seriously fast, to boot. 

Without McFadden, the Raiders don't stand a chance of competing with the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos in the AFC West. With him, the team has a fighting chance. 

Oakland has an under-appreciated and underrated defense, and with McFadden as the centerpiece on offense, the team is dangerous on both sides of the ball. 

If only Carson Palmer could stop gift-wrapping footballs for the opposing teams...

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78.