The Player on Each Potential NFL Playoff Team Under the Most Pressure to Perform

The NFL regular season is winding down. It is this time of year where the stars on each team are expected to be at their best. 

Each team that is still in the race has at least one player that can make the difference between a Super Bowl run or missing the playoffs completely. Click through to see a list of those players.

Tom Brady

The Patriots run through Tom Brady. If Brady is at the top of his game, there are very few teams that can beat them.

Brady is especially important this season because the New England defense has been suspect all season long. They have played better in the last few weeks, but this team is only going to go as far in the playoffs as Brady can take them.

Mark Sanchez

The Jets defense is getting better as the season goes along, but they are not the dominant force they have been the last couple of years. In those years, they could win on the strength of the defense with Mark Sanchez simply managing the game.

This year, they can only win in the playoffs if Sanchez can make some plays. That has to scare Rex Ryan and company to death because Sanchez has been nothing but inconsistent in his time in the NFL.

Ray Rice

Joe Flacco has his limitations. The Baltimore offense runs through Ray Rice. Not only does Rice have the pressure of carrying the team in the playoffs, but he is also playing for his next contract because he is a free agent at the end of the season.

Rice is having another fantastic season. There is no reason to think that he will not be able to step his game up when it matters the most.

Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger is obviously injured. You could tell it with his play against the 49ers on Monday Night. It sounds like there is a good chance that he is going to sit down this week to try and get healthy for the playoffs.

The Steelers have some good weapons on offense, but they are not going to win against the AFC's elite with Charlie Batch calling the signals. The best call for now will be for Big Ben to sit until he is 100 percent.

A.J. Green

Andy Dalton has played really well this season, but A.J. Green is what makes the Bengals offense go. He has the ability to stretch the field. That opens things up underneath for the Cedric Benson and the rushing attack.

Green has been slowed by a shoulder injury this week. Cincinnati will take precaution with him to not risk long term damage, but they need him out there if they are going to make a run this year.

Arian Foster

The Texans are down to their third quarterback. That means they are going to rely heavily on Arian Foster and their defense to win games in the postseason. Foster started off the season slowed because of an injury, but he has been playing lately.

It would also help T.J. Yates and company if Andre Johnson could get back on the field and healthy. He has been slowed by a hamstring injury for most of the season. It has not hurt the team that much so far, but they will need him to win in the postseason.

Chris Johnson

The Titans gave Chris Johnson the "playmaker" money he desired before the season started.  He has rewarded them by playing the worst football of his career.

Tennessee needs some help to get in the playoffs even if they win out. There is no way they will win out if CJ is not at his best. It is hard to believe that he is going to be much different over the next few weeks than he has been the first 14 weeks of the season.

Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow mania was sweeping the nation until the Broncos lost to the Patriots last week. 

The Broncos still hold a one game lead in the AFC West. They will need Tebow at the top of his game to hold on to that lead. Denver is not going to ask Tebow to make a lot of throws, but he will need to make plays when called upon. He has shown the ability to do just that so far.

Carson Palmer

The Raiders gave up a lot to get Carson Palmer. Now they need him to earn that price. It does not appear that Darren McFadden is going to be able to play again anytime soon, so it is going to be 100 percent on Palmer's shoulders to lead Oakland to the postseason.

The Palmer experiment has not gone as expected so far, but all of that can be forgiven if he plays lights out in the last two weeks.

Philip Rivers

It has been an up and down season for Philip Rivers. Early in the season, he was a turnover machine, and the Chargers lost a lot of games. They are trying to play themselves out of that hole now.

Rivers has been much better over the last month, and he has gotten San Diego back in the hunt. He will need to be equally as good over the last two weeks because they cannot afford another loss.

Tony Romo

The Dallas Cowboys can only go as far as Tony Romo will take them.  This is his opportunity to finally get rid of the choker label that has plagued him for the last couple of years.

He will get his first opportunity to rid himself of that label in week 17 against the Giants.  That game could very be an elimination game for both teams.  If Romo can lead the Cowboys to a victory there, it will give him some confidence heading into the postseason.

Eli Manning

The Giants have backed themselves into a corner. They still control their own destiny, but they have to win both of their remaining games to get in the playoffs.

Their defense is not very good this year, so the pressure is solely on the offense and Eli Manning. Manning has played really well this year, but will have to take his game to another level for New York to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Drew Brees

Drew Brees is having an amazing season that no one is talking about. He still has an outside chance at winning the MVP if he can finish the season strong.

Odds are the NFC Championship game is going to be a rematch of the week one game between the Saints and Packers. That game will be an offensive shootout that will be one by whichever quarterback plays better. Right now, my money is on Brees.

Matt Ryan

The Falcons really put the ball in Matt Ryan's hands when they moved up in the draft to pick Julio Jones. Atlanta's front office was sending the message that they thought they were one player away from making a Super Bowl run.

Now it is up to Ryan to take advantage of those weapons. He has the benefit of a good defense and strong running game, but he is going to have to make some plays along the way if the Falcons are going to contend with the 49ers, Saints and Packers.

Aaron Rodgers

There really is not anything left to say about Aaron Rodgers that has not already been said.  He is on track to win the MVP, and it is going to be tough for anyone to beat the Packers if he is on top of his game.

Their season rests squarely on his shoulders because their defense is not good enough to win games by themselves. Rodgers should be fit to handle that pressure after the Super Bowl run from last season.

Matthew Stafford

People have wondered for the last couple of years how good the Lions offense could be if Matthew Stafford could stay healthy. They have gotten the answer this season.

Stafford might be more important to his team than anyone else on the list. Detroit's defense is a liability, and the Lions do not have a back-up quarterback that is NFL quality. 

If Stafford goes down or does not play well, it will mean an early exit for the Lions.

Frank Gore

The 49ers are winning games by running the ball and playing good defense. That means they need Frank Gore healthy and playing well if they are going to make a deep run.

San Francisco simply does not have the offensive fire power to win a shootout against the Packers or Saints. That means they need Gore out there so they can control the clock and keep those offenses off the field.

Marshawn Lynch

The Seahawks are another team that is winning on defense and running the game. They have a running back, Marshawn Lynch, who is finally living up to the potential people thought he had coming out of college.

Lynch had a huge run in the playoffs against the Saints last year and has built on that momentum this season. His running has covered up for the lack of a good quarterback and receivers for the last few weeks. That will have to continue for Seattle to have a chance.

Larry Fitzgerald

The Cardinals are another team that just will not go away. They are getting better play from John Skelton than they ever thought possible.

A big reason for that good play is Larry Fitzgerald. He is one of the best receivers in the NFL.  He can bail a quarterback out on a bad throw by making an unbelievable play. Arizona is going to need him to make quite a few of those plays down the stretch for them to have a chance.