NFL Playoff Picture: Mark Sanchez and Players Who Will Doom Their Teams

The one thing that every Super Bowl Championship team has always had is greatness. More often than not, especially in more recent years, that trait has permeated from the quarterback.

The likes of Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger have all won Super Bowls over the past decade, proving that the best path to success is to have a great signal-caller.

There have certainly been some exceptions to that rule such as Brad Johnson and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Trent Dilfer and the Baltimore Ravens, but they had historically great defenses backing them up. With so many excellent quarterbacks in the playoff hunt, teams lacking an elite player at that position are at a major disadvantage.

Here are three players who will cost their respective teams in the postseason.

T.J. Yates, Houston Texans

At 10-4, the Houston Texans have clinched their first ever AFC South title and playoff berth. There is no question that they have one of the best defenses in the league plus an excellent running game thanks to Arian Foster, but they have a major question mark at quarterback.

Due to injuries to starter Matt Schaub and backup Matt Leinart, rookie fifth-round pick T.J. Yates has been pressed into action.

He looked quite comfortable in leading the Texans to two wins in his first two starts, including a 300-yard effort against the Cincinnati Bengals. He crashed back down to earth on Sunday, though, as the mediocre Carolina Panthers defense held him to 212 yards and two interceptions.

As a team, Houston is strong, but I'm not sure Yates can ultimately handle the pressure.

Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are now 11-3 after impressively defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, and they have long had the NFC West title clinched. Not only do the Niners have a great running game thanks to Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter, but they also have the best scoring defense and run defense in the league, and have yet to allow a rushing score all season long.

Despite that, I have concerns about the 49ers. While they forced Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger into some turnovers, he still threw for over 300 yards with a severely injured ankle. Elite quarterbacks have been able to do some things against the Niners this year and that could be an issue in the NFC.

On top of that, Niners quarterback Alex Smith can't provide a quick-strike offense. He is very good at protecting the ball and managing the game, but if the 49ers fall behind in the playoffs, I doubt Smith can bring them back.

Mark Sanchez, New York Jets

There's no guarantee that the New York Jets will even make the playoffs after getting throttled by the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, but with a record of 8-6, they currently hold a tiebreaker over the Cincinnati Bengals for the final wild-card spot in the AFC.

The Jets have made it to the AFC Championship Game in each of the past two seasons, but something just seems different about this year's squad.

Since Rex Ryan took over as head coach, the Jets have been known for having a dominant defense. While their pass defense has been good this year, they have been exposed on the ground.

Offensively, quarterback Mark Sanchez has been decent in the playoffs, but the defense has essentially carried him. I don't think the defense can do the same this season, and Sanchez is simply too prone to turnovers to trust in the postseason.