Tom Brady and 3 NFL Players Just Warming Up for the Postseason

With only six weeks left in the NFL regular season, many teams have already set their sights on the playoffs. Nobody has officially locked up a playoff berth, but a few teams would need a major collapse to not reach the playoffs.

NFL players and coaches always talk about taking it a game at a time, but it has to be difficult not to look forward. This has to be especially true for teams all but guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. The players on these teams are basically just warming up for a run at the Super Bowl.

Nobody is trying to coast through the rest of the regular season, but you can bet that more than a handful of players just can't wait until the playoffs begin.

Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens Defense

The Baltimore Ravens are coming off an impressive Thanksgiving Day victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

This was an emotional game that pinned their head coach against his brother Jim Harbaugh. It wasn't only an emotional game, but also a very physical game.

Baltimore's defense was able to limit the 49ers ground attack to only 74 rushing yards. Entering the game, the 49ers were averaging close to 130 rushing yards per game. The Ravens defense saw this game as a challenge and performed at a very high level.

This defensive unit appears capable of leading this team to another Super Bowl.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Due to his history of mental lapses, Tony Romo needs to stay focused on the task at hand. However, he likely can't help but look forward to a possible playoff appearance.

Throughout his career, Romo has heard the criticisms about how he can't win the big game.

He is playing at a very high level right now and likely would love nothing more than to perform like this in the playoffs. At this point, the rest of the regular season just seems to be standing in the way of a strong playoff run.

Romo is likely hoping he can make through the regular season without another dud performance.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers is seeing the field very clearly, easily finding his open targets and putting up big numbers. He is the early leader in the MVP race and doesn't appear to have much competition at this point.

The MVP trophy and a possible undefeated season might be the only thing keeping Rodgers focused.

The Green Bay Packers have a three-game lead in their division and a two-game lead for the top playoff seed. They can basically put it in cruise control and still finish the season with a first-round bye and home playoff game.

These last few games could be used to work out some of the minor offensive kinks and prepare for the playoffs.

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

The New England Patriots own a two-game divisional lead and are the only team in their division playing really good football. Both the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills are coming off bad losses and appear to be quickly falling out of the playoff race.

New England's success this season is all because of Tom Brady and the offense. Defensively, the Patriots rank towards the bottom of the NFL in most categories. However, Brady and the offense are playing at a very high level.

The Patriots have a very easy end-of-season schedule, as they do not face another team with a winning record. This should allow Brady and company to make some final tweaks before the start of the playoffs.