T.J. Yates and 3 NFL Wild Cards Whose Stock Is Rising

The Houston Texans are going to the postseason for the first time in franchise history behind the arm of T.J. Yates. 

Wait, what? 

The rookie signal-caller actually had a marvelous game against a stout Bengals defense on Sunday and threw the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds.

Talk about making the most of an opportunity. 

Not bad for a guy who was the third-string quarterback a few weeks ago. 

Which other players are seeing their stock rise after Week 14's action?

Laurent Robinson

Robinson filled in admirably for Miles Austin over the last month, but with Austin returning against the Giants, some fans believed Robinson's role would be greatly diminished and he wouldn't be as productive. 

Wrong. 

The new No. 81 in Dallas had four catches for 137 yards and a score against New York. 

The Cowboys have their work cut out for them in both the NFC East and wild-card races, but Robinson is definitely becoming a go-to guy for Tony Romo and will be a key to their final playoff push.  

Tim Tebow

Could this be any more obvious? 

No, I'm not putting Tebow on this list simply to buy into the media circus that's surrounding the guy right now. 

He's winning and is playing much better as a quarterback. 

Against the Bears, Tebow did have a horrible start to the game as a passer and I'm sure his critics finally thought they'd be proven right. 

The fact that his receivers were dropping passes in that first half didn't necessarily help Tebow's case. 

In the fourth quarter, he stood in the pocket like an NFL quarterback and looked the part, finishing the game 21-of-40 for 236 yards with a touchdown and an interception. 

He also added 49 yards on the ground. 

The most polarizing athlete in sports isn't at the level as a thrower of the football that, say, John Elway would want him to be, but he's certainly settling in as an NFL starter. 

Shonn Greene

Mark Sanchez takes a lot of heat as the Jets quarterback when he's inaccurate and makes poor decisions, but if Shonn Greene continues to run like he has been, there won't be nearly as much pressure on the New York quarterback down the stretch.  

Greene has averaged at least four yards per carry over the last three weeks and has four touchdowns in that span. 

He exploded for 129 yards rushing against the Chiefs on Sunday and also caught three passes for 58 yards. 

Greene's the key to the Jets making the postseason and their attempt at making a third straight AFC Championship game.