5 players to watch out for on Sunday

With five playoff spots still up for grabs there is still so much on the line. Along with teams battling, people playing for their jobs, and with records in sight, these are the five individual players that are under the most pressure and deserve the most attention this weekend.

1. Adrian Peterson (Vikings at Texans)

Duh. All Day is having one of the greatest seasons ever for a running back.

a) Right now he has rushed for 1,812 yards, 294 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s NFL record with two games to go. But that’s not even close to the whole story.
b) He has a 433 yard lead over the NFL’s second leading rusher.
c) AP is doing it on a team with a bad quarterback and no other help on offense. He is the complete focal point of the opposing defenses, which stack eight or nine guys in the box to stop him. And they can’t!
d) This is in a league where passing has become king. Consider this: last season there were three 5,000 yards passers. There was one in the entire history of the NFL before that. And this is the time that he may break the record. He is beating the system.
e) Over the last 8 games, AP has rushed for 300 yards more than his quarterback has passed for. Consider that Arian Foster (fourth in rushing with over 1300 yards) has been outgained by his quarterback by over 2,200 yards.
f) Calvin Johnson will likely break the receiving record, but unlike Megatron’s Lions, the Vikings are actually winning games! They currently stand at 8-6 and hold the last Wild Card spot.
g) All this is coming after Christmas Eve 2011 where he tore his ACL and MCL, an injury that typically takes a running back a couple years to come back from effectively, if at all. He came back in 9 months.

AP must continue to be insanely productive to break the record or for Minnesota to make the playoffs. They have a tough schedule ahead, especially facing a Texans team with a very strong defense led by fellow MVP candidate J.J. Watt. He has certainly been reading the news and knows that AP is coming to town. He would like nothing better than to shut him down. The Texans are playing for home field advantage throughout the playoffs, so this is an important game for them, too. If AP has another big game in Houston, he could lock up the MVP.

2. Tony Romo (Cowboys vs. Saints)

Did you know that Tony Romo is third, only 7 yards behind Tom Brady for second most passing yards in the NFL? The Cowboys traditionally have their annual collapse in December, but Romo has led them to a 3-0 month, including big come-from-behind wins over the Bengals and Steelers. Dallas is 8-6, tied with the Giants and Redskins for first in the East, so this is obviously a crucial game for Big D. They are hosting a Saints defense that is ranked 31st in passing and two games under .500, yet they shut out the Buccaneers a week ago. This is Romo’s chance to win when it counts, with a game in Washington to follow.

3. Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers vs. Bengals)

Big Ben has been to three Super Bowls, winning two, and a better pressure-beating quarterback there may not be. Right now his Steelers are in a must-win game against the rival Bengals for the last playoff spot in the AFC. Big Ben is still recovering from a dangerous rib injury along with an injury to his throwing shoulder, and fortunately his offensive line has given him lots of time the last couple weeks to complete passes. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh lost both of those games. Especially with an unpredictable running game, the Steelers success rests on Roethlisberger and this is a game they must win.

4. Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, Chris Canty (Giants at Ravens)

The Giants won a championship last year because of their historically dominant pass rush. This year the team has really struggled, mainly because the defensive line has not done their job. JPP and Tuck have been hampered by injuries but at this point in the season, nobody cares. Even the Buffalo Bills have more sacks than the Giants, who are 16th. On the flip side, the Ravens have struggled to protect Joe Flacco and their offensive line is really hurting so this is an opportunity to right the ship in time for the playoffs. After meltdowns against the Falcons, Bengals and Redskins, the Giants must win now if they expect to defend their Super Bowl.

5. Russell Wilson (Seahawks vs. 49ers)

Since the 49ers host the terrible Cardinals next week, this game probably won’t determine the NFC West title. But this is still a game that will make or break Russell Wilson’s Offensive Rookie of the Year aspirations. He has largely been overshadowed by RG3 and Andrew Luck, but Wilson’s season has been no less outstanding. The Seahawks have stayed in every game, never losing by more than 7 points, and Russell Wilson plays pretty mistake-free. Wilson’s worst game came against the 49ers in October. Since then he has thrown 13 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions and the ‘Hawks have won five of their last six. The Seahawks look like a very complete team, capable of make a Super Bowl run. The only question is this young quarterback. A big game against the 49ers will alleviate doubts, avenge that loss in San Francisco, establish the Seahawks as a legitimate title contender, and launch Wilson to the spotlight. Or expose him as a rookie third round quarterback yet to win a big game. Colin Kaepernick also has a lot to prove, but he shined against the Patriots; this time the Sunday Night Football spotlight is on Wilson.