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Top 5 players who will decide the NFL playoff race

By Patrick Morgan

Oct 4, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) is sacked by Washington Redskins outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (91) and Redskins outside linebacker Trent Murphy (93) in the final seconds of the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 4, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) is sacked by Washington Redskins outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (91) and Redskins outside linebacker Trent Murphy (93) in the final seconds of the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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3. Aqib Talib

Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports /

Talib and the rest of the “No Fly Zone” have been terrific all season long, frustrating opposing quarterbacks and receivers with the best passing defense in the league. Last week’s showing against Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ top five offense was a bit of a relapse, however, as Talib, Chris Harris Jr., and the rest of the Denver secondary got burned repeatedly by Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, and Markus Wheaton. When the smoke finally cleared, Roethlisberger had 380 yards and 3 scores through the air.

Not exactly a “No Fly Zone” after all.

Now A.J. McCarron isn’t exactly Big Ben, but he’s still at the helm of a potent Bengals passing attack that features A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, and a dangerous pass-catching back in Giovani Bernard. Sure, the Broncos are catching a break with both Andy Dalton and Tyler Eifert out for Monday’s game, but Green is still one of the most uncoverable receivers in the league. He’ll be the focal point of Denver’s defensive strategy, who will likely task Talib with shadowing the dynamic wideout around the field.

How Talib fares in this crucial matchup will go a long way in deciding who wins Monday night’s matchup, and more importantly who captures the last remaining conference bye.

Next: 2. A.J. McCarron

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