10 Biggest Game-Changers in the NFL

What defines a game-changer? The easiest way to clarify that term is by including the names of guys who can change the outcome of a game with a single play.

Having a versatile, complex skill set and a radiant football mind are important. Add in the galaxy of "freak athletes" we come across every Sunday and what you have are true game-changers.

Before we jump into this list, it's important to remember that this league is loaded with talent. That being said, our job is to carve the list down to 10 names of players who are truly spectacular.

Using an intermix of advanced metrics, tape study and statistics, we've created that list. Here's a look at 10 game-changers currently doing their thing in the National Football League.

DeMarco Murray

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There hasn't been a better running back from a durability and statistics standpoint this season than Dallas Cowboys lead man DeMarco Murray.

The Cowboys have forged an outstanding 6-1 record by putting their offense on the shoulders of the former Oklahoma Sooner. Heading into the team's Week 8 Monday Night Football conclave with Washington, Murray has picked up a staggering 915 rushing yards on 187 carries.

That rapid pace he's on will either whittle him down to nothing more than a pair of legs by the end of the calendar year, or it will put him in the history books as the No. 1 single-season rusher of all time.

Murray is a game-changer because of his talent. He'll beat you with his powerful ways and also with his improbable breakaway speed and vision.

Sure, you could excuse Murray's performance and talk about more explosive backs, or give all of the credit to the Cowboys' strapping offensive line, but that would be an insult to the tape. Murray has done a remarkable job and, by definition, is a true game-changer.

Without him shouldering the load, it would be very hard to picture the Cowboys at 6-1.

Antonio Brown

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Antonio Brown may be under 6'0" but that hasn't stopped him from becoming arguably the most talented wide receiver in the game today.

He's a devastatingly gifted player who teams have to account for on every snap. Brown's blinding speed, shifty route-running skills and ability to separate are what make him so great.

When you factor in that he's the only guy listed at wide receiver on the Pittsburgh Steelers who has a knack for consistently making plays, it further magnifies how good he really has been.

It's wild to think that, before he left the Miami Dolphins, Brown played Robin to Mike Wallace's Batman. With Wallace out of the way, Robin has turned into a better pass-catcher than Batman could ever dream of becoming. 

After seven weeks of football, he's on top of the leaderboard for wide receivers when it comes to yards and is second in receptions, trailing only Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte.

It's going to be hard for teams to stop Brown. With offensive coordinator Todd Haley calling plays for him and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger targeting him an average of 10.5 times per game, the 26-year-old is going to continue to put up huge numbers.

Russell Wilson

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Even with the Seattle Seahawks losing their Week 7 battle against the St. Louis Rams, Russell Wilson became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 100 yards and pass for 300 more in the same game.

The trade that sent Percy Harvin to the New York Jets has turned this offense back into the Russell Wilson show. The combination of his dual-threat ability and the team's ground game is what's going to separate the Seahawks from the rest of the pack, offensively speaking.

He's a classic game-changer in the sense that he can do so much with the football in his hands. Wilson is also one of the smartest players around, and it shows with his play on the field.

His 10 touchdowns and two interceptions this season are a good baseline for how crafty he has been throwing the ball, but it doesn't tell the full story. He's also completed 65.7 percent of his passes (which, to date, is a career high).

If Wilson can continue this upward climb, the Seahawks will once again have a shot at bouncing champagne corks off the side of the Lombardi Trophy.

J.J. Watt

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No defensive player around makes quite the impact that J.J. Watt does. When you talk about the advanced metrics angle, Watt is a favorite.

Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has him ranked as the No. 1 3-4 defensive end in the game today. His positive-38.2 mark is 19 points higher than the second man on that list, Muhammad Wilkerson.

Watt's strengths go beyond his instincts and work ethic. He’s a golden resource for a defense because he's able to dominate from multiple positions on the defensive line. The flexibility Watt provides a defensive coordinator allows him to implement more innovative looks into their scheme.

Like most great players, Watt's snap count has been indestructible. PFF (subscription required) has calculated that he's been on the field 93.1 percent of the time. To have a player who takes control of the line of scrimmage be on the field that much insane.

As far as stats are concerned, he's at the top of class as well. He has 29 combined tackles, five sacks, one interception and three total touchdowns.

Watt is the best defensive player in the NFL, and it's hard to find anyone nearly as good. He impacts the game in so many different ways. Assuming rookie edge-rusher Jadeveon Clowney comes back from injury and becomes an excellent player in his own right, the Texans will have two beasts who they can build this defense around.

Peyton Manning

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The mind can be a powerful thing.

Peyton Manning just got done tearing the NFL records apart, surpassing Brett Favre for the most touchdowns ever thrown. He didn't do it by having a rocket for an arm—although it was strong in his prime—or extending plays with his legs. Manning did it using his mind and his dedication to the craft.

It's difficult to argue that he isn't the greatest quarterback this league has ever seen. Tom Brady and Joe Montana may have more championship rings, but what Manning's accomplished has been remarkable.

NFL offenses have changed because of Manning. He's transcended the quarterback position, taking complete control of an offense and allowing coordinators to instill more trust in their signal-callers.

At 5-1, the Broncos look better than they did last year (and that's nearly unimaginable, considering how productive their offense was). With a loaded defense and Manning firing on all cylinders, it could be an easy run for them to get back to the Super Bowl. 

Jordy Nelson

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Like Antonio Brown, Green Bay Packers seventh-year man Jordy Nelson has become one of the best wide receivers in all of football.

The connection between Nelson and his quarterback Aaron Rodgers is poetry in motion. This season, they've brought that poetry front and center, linking up 47 times for 712 yards and six touchdowns.

Nelson's 73 targets show how much Rodgers trusts him. Not only is he a guy who can move the chains in the middle of the field, but he's also evolved as a major deep threat.

The fact that Nelson has a quarterback like Rodgers—who can use his pistol-of-an-arm to sling the ball 40 yards downfield without breaking a sweat—makes him a true game-changer. Combining those two skill sets has proven to be a nightmare for any team that lines up against the Packers on Sundays.

Von Miller

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Had it not been for J.J. Watt, Von Miller could be considered the most feared defensive player in the game today.

Miller is a hybrid edge-rusher who plays outside linebacker in the Broncos 4-3 scheme. The way defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio uses him has sort of become a blueprint for players with his talent—Anthony Barr of the Minnesota Vikings is another pass-rusher who's been featured in that role.

What makes Miller stand out on film isn't just his propensity for harassing quarterbacks. He's also done a nice job of stopping the run.

PFF (subscription required) has him sitting pretty as the league's top 4-3 outside linebacker. His positive-23.7 grade is divided between stellar run defense and pressuring quarterbacks.

Right now, his league-leading eight sacks is just what the Broncos need. Their defense has made an amazing transition into a fire-breathing dragon, led by Miller and his companion DeMarcus Ware.

Le'Veon Bell

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are blessed to have two playmakers on their roster loaded with nitroglycerin.

Antonio Brown and running back Le'Veon Bell are assaulting defenses and doing it with little help from the rest of their roster. The NFL has a ton of good halfbacks, but it's hard to find one who's as entertaining as Bell.

The way he's able to throw his weight around in a controlled manner and create pockets of space is truly special. I've used the comparison a few times now, but he really has a piece of LeSean McCoy in his game.

As we continue to go along for the ride that is the 2014 NFL season, we see Bell has quietly become one of the most riveting players around. The 117 rushing attempts he received this season have produced 599 yards.

But that's not where his production ends.

Bell has become a receiving threat as well. On 43 targets, he's scooped up 36 catches for 339 yards and one touchdown. He isn't just a back who can catch screen passes. You can also line him up out on the perimeter and put him to work.

For the Steelers to have any shot at winning the AFC North, they will need to lean heavily on Bell's talents.

Calvin Johnson

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Injuries have hampered Calvin Johnson's 2014 season so far. He's only played five games (and two of those were in a limited capacity). But that doesn't take away from his ability to change the course of game with a single play.

We've spoken about some other top-flight wide receivers and given them all of the credit they deserve. Even with all of their talent and greatness, not one of them is quite as gifted as Johnson.

Picture yourself in a public library, sifting through books. Your mission is to find the definition of a game-changer. Then, out of nowhere, there it is: a picture of Megatron coming down with a heroic catch.

The title of "game-changer" can be applied to a lot of players, but the things Johnson can do on the field are set on a different plateau. No one should be allowed to be 6'5" and run a 4.35-second 40-yard dash.

When he makes his way back to the field, defenses are going to have to prepare for the worst. Megatron is coming, and based on the things we've seen in the past, what happens next won't be pretty.

Andrew Luck

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If Peyton Manning has set the benchmark for all quarterbacks, Andrew Luck is already doing his best to reach that level.

In just his third season as the leader of the Indianapolis Colts, Luck has quickly vaulted himself into the upper class of QBs. He's mobile enough to hurt you with his legs but is more of a customary pocket passer.

Seven weeks in, he leads the NFL in passing yards with 2,331 and is tied with Manning for the most touchdown passes with 19. Luck has also added on two rushing TDs.

The 5-2 Colts have won five games in a row and with each passing week they look better. It's still early and the Denver Broncos are lurking in their conference, but Luck appears to be in charge of a dark-horse Super Bowl contender.

One unwavering reason Luck can be called a game-changer is the fact that he isn't limited by a scheme. Whether Bruce Arians or Pep Hamilton is calling the plays, the former Stanford kid has flourished.

All we know at this moment in time is that Luck will be in this league for a very long time, winning football games and putting up prodigious stats.

Unless noted otherwise, all game scores, stats and information come courtesy of ESPN.com.