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Top 5 Players Who Will Decide the NFL Playoff Race

By Bryce Olin

Dec 7, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Steelers won 42-21. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Steelers won 42-21. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 14, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) carries the ball as Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin (93) defends during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 31-13. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) carries the ball as Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin (93) defends during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 31-13. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs’ running back Jamaal Charles is the Chiefs’ only hope to take them to the playoffs.

I don’t want to say Alex Smith is a bad quarterback, but it’s obvious at this point of his career that he doesn’t have what it takes to stretch the field and make plays in the passing game. Smith, the former No.1 pick out of Utah, has thrown for 18 touchdowns this season and only six interceptions.

Those are decent numbers, but Smith still hasn’t thrown a touchdown to a wide receiver this season. On top of that, Smith’s best wide receiver, Dwayne Bowe, only has 667 receiving yards this season.

Basically, the Chiefs’ offense has been limited to Charles and tight end Travis Kelce, who has five touchdowns and 767 receiving yards this season. While Kelce is a legitimate offensive weapon for the Chiefs, Charles is by the Chiefs’ best player, and they’ll need him to show up these next two weeks to carry the team to the playoffs.

After playing sparingly the first two weeks of the season and missing another full game, Charles has rushed for 950 yards and totaled 235 receiving yards. Charles also has 14 of the Chiefs’ 36 offensive touchdowns. In other words, Charles is worth 40 percent of the Chiefs’ total scoring offense this season, and he basically hasn’t played in three of the 14 games this season. Wow.

Charles will be up against the 11th-best run defense (Pittsburgh) and the 13th-best run defense (San Diego) in the final two games, but I like Charles’ chances against anyone. He’s averaging 5.2 yards per carry this season, and teams know he’s getting the ball every play. Charles can beat anyone, but he has to stay on the field.

If Charles doesn’t show up or, gulp, gets hurt in the next two weeks, the Chiefs can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.

Next: 4. Aaron Rodgers

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