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| Aron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers |
It's time. Today begins the NFL playoffs. For this occasion, we bring you the 10 best players who have marked the regular season. This list was compiled by a respected analyst Daniel Jeremiah. Here's how it looks like, and why they find players listed on it.
1) Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers: Rodgers doesn't garner quite the same attention as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, but he is the NFL's most talented quarterback. He finished the regular season with 4,295 passing yards, 39 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He dominated the 2010 postseason, throwing nine touchdown passes against only two interceptions while leading the Packers to a Super Bowl victory.
2) Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots: Brady has been consistently dominant in the postseason. He has led the Patriots to five Super Bowl appearances (winning three titles) and is unflappable in late-game, high-pressure situations. Last postseason, he tossed a career-best eight touchdown passes during New England's run to Super Bowl XLVI.
3) Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings: Peterson proved this season that he is fully capable of carrying both an offense and an entire team. Despite undergoing a major knee surgery in December 2011, he rushed for over 2,000 yards while playing with an anemic passing attack. He will need to carry an enormous load in order for the Vikings to advance in the postseason.
1) Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers: Rodgers doesn't garner quite the same attention as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, but he is the NFL's most talented quarterback. He finished the regular season with 4,295 passing yards, 39 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He dominated the 2010 postseason, throwing nine touchdown passes against only two interceptions while leading the Packers to a Super Bowl victory.
2) Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots: Brady has been consistently dominant in the postseason. He has led the Patriots to five Super Bowl appearances (winning three titles) and is unflappable in late-game, high-pressure situations. Last postseason, he tossed a career-best eight touchdown passes during New England's run to Super Bowl XLVI.
3) Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings: Peterson proved this season that he is fully capable of carrying both an offense and an entire team. Despite undergoing a major knee surgery in December 2011, he rushed for over 2,000 yards while playing with an anemic passing attack. He will need to carry an enormous load in order for the Vikings to advance in the postseason.
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| Peyton Manning - Denver Broncos |
4) Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos: Manning's regular-season dominance is well documented. However, earlier in his career, there wasn't quite the same consistency during the postseason. That has changed in recent years. He has thrown 11 touchdown passes and only four interceptions over his past four postseason runs. Despite his improved play, though, the Colts were one-and-done in three of those four playoff appearances.
5) J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans: Watt is the NFL's most dominant defender. He creates negative plays against the run and also is the premier pass rusher in the league. He racked up 20.5 sacks as an interior defensive lineman. That's insane! In two postseason games last year, he collected 3.5 sacks and returned an interception for a touchdown. He is fully capable of taking over a game and delivering a postseason win to the Texans.
6) Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos: Miller is the most explosive edge rusher in the league. He has tallied 30 sacks in his first two seasons and he's also forced eight fumbles. If Manning can produce an early lead for the Broncos, Miller is capable of playing the role of closer.
7) Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots: It's hard to dominate a football game from the tight end position, but that is exactly what Gronkowski does. He is a matchup nightmare for defenses and he's proven his dominance in his first three NFL seasons. Despite missing five games this season, he's caught 38 touchdown passes during his career.
8) Richard Sherman, CB, Seattle Seahawks: Sherman has quickly established himself as a dominant defensive player. The second-year cornerback picked off eight passes this season and also led the league with 24 pass breakups. His size (6-foot-3) and physical play allow him to match up with the NFL's elite wide receivers. That is a huge advantage for the Seattle defense and a main reason why the Seahawks are built to succeed in the postseason.
5) J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans: Watt is the NFL's most dominant defender. He creates negative plays against the run and also is the premier pass rusher in the league. He racked up 20.5 sacks as an interior defensive lineman. That's insane! In two postseason games last year, he collected 3.5 sacks and returned an interception for a touchdown. He is fully capable of taking over a game and delivering a postseason win to the Texans.
6) Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos: Miller is the most explosive edge rusher in the league. He has tallied 30 sacks in his first two seasons and he's also forced eight fumbles. If Manning can produce an early lead for the Broncos, Miller is capable of playing the role of closer.
7) Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots: It's hard to dominate a football game from the tight end position, but that is exactly what Gronkowski does. He is a matchup nightmare for defenses and he's proven his dominance in his first three NFL seasons. Despite missing five games this season, he's caught 38 touchdown passes during his career.
8) Richard Sherman, CB, Seattle Seahawks: Sherman has quickly established himself as a dominant defensive player. The second-year cornerback picked off eight passes this season and also led the league with 24 pass breakups. His size (6-foot-3) and physical play allow him to match up with the NFL's elite wide receivers. That is a huge advantage for the Seattle defense and a main reason why the Seahawks are built to succeed in the postseason.
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| A.J. Green - Cincinnati Bengals |
9) A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals: Green is the NFL's best receiver not named Calvin Johnson. His combination of size and ball skills is very rare -- and nearly impossible to defend. He's been voted to the Pro Bowl in each of his first two NFL seasons, having already hauled in 18 touchdown grabs. He didn't have a huge game in his only postseason appearance -- last season's 31-10 loss to the Texans -- but I expect that to change in his second opportunity.
10) Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks: There are several impact running backs in this year's postseason. Arian Foster and Ray Rice are proven performers in the postseason, but Lynch gets the nod for the 10th spot. He racked up 1,590 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season. He is a true workhorse running back and the Seahawks will try and ride him to success in the postseason.
10) Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks: There are several impact running backs in this year's postseason. Arian Foster and Ray Rice are proven performers in the postseason, but Lynch gets the nod for the 10th spot. He racked up 1,590 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season. He is a true workhorse running back and the Seahawks will try and ride him to success in the postseason.
article source: DH/NFL.com
