Most Important Players in the NFC

I have started to go team by team and stating who is the most important player for each team. Who is the player each team can't survive if he is on the sideline? I decided this list would not include quarterbacks. Everyone knows without a quarterback its hard to win but the list with be mostly field by quarterbacks.
The AFC is complete and now it's time for the NFC.



NFC South

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ronde Barber
• Ronde Barber like Ed Reed gets some bonus points for their level of play over so many years. Barber has been in the league for 16 years and is still a force.
• All Barber does is fill up the stat sheet. His numbers read: 77 tackles, 1 sack, 7 tackles for loss, 12 passes defended, 4 interceptions for 160 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 forced fumble. Barber gets his nose in almost every play.
• Barber also brings Tampa Bay a leader on the field that knows just about as much as a person can about the opposing teams. Barber entered the league in 1997 and only played in 1 game. The following year he started every regular season game and hasn't missed a start since. Add those 14 seasons with the 13 games this year and Barber has played in 237 consecutive games. 
• New Orleans Saints: Jimmy Graham
• Having an athletic tight end like Graham allows offenses to stretch the field and open up the playbook. Graham's numbers are down from last year but he is still dangerous.
• Graham barely played any college football and has taken the NFL by storm.
• He has been targeted 99 times with 64 receptions for 710 yards and 8 touchdowns. If he is able to get in the end zone 2 more times he will have back-to-back seasons with 10 or more touchdowns.
• In 3 short years he has accumulated 194 receptions, 2,376 yards and 24 touchdowns. According to the Saints' website, the 24 touchdowns is the most by a tight end in the NFL since 2010.
• Graham may not have the speed of receivers but if necessary, Drew Brees can throw it to him and have faith that it will be caught or incomplete.
• Like I stated above, Graham is having a "down" season by last year's standards but don't think he will allow this to be the norm. Graham has been at the absolute bottom and he will never settle for okay.
• Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly
• I haven't had a rookie on this list...until now. Luke Kuechly is a dominate player in only his first year in the NFL.
• Kuechly has 79 solo tackles, 130 combined tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 4 passes defended, 1 interception and recovered 3 fumbles. His 130 tackles not only is best on the Panters but also leads the league.
• Kuechly was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week last week for his performance against the Falcons.
• Kuechly has also made people forget the Panthers had one of their best players go down with an injury. The Panthers lost Jon Beason and Kuechly moved over to his spot with a seamless transistion.
• Atlanta Falcons: William Moore
• This one was a hard one but not like it was for the Chargers are one of the bad teams. This was because they are good and have a ton of weapons. I went with Moore because of his play and the need for defense with the Falcons. Atlanta can score but if they can't stop anyone they won't go far.
• Moore is second on the team in tackles (75), passes defended (8) and interceptions (4). Moore's 75 tackles is a career best and his 8 passes defended and 4 interceptions is one back from his career best in those respective categories. 
• Moore has also forced 2 fumbles, recovered 1 and 4 tackles for loss.
• Moore missed last week's game against Carolina and they could have used him. Cam Newton threw for 287 yards and rushed 116. Moore is good stopping the run and the pass. If he would have been playing Newton's numbers may have been good but not as great.

NFC West

• Seattle Seahawks: Marshawn Lynch
• Marshawn Lynch came over to Seattle during the season in 2010, being traded from Buffalo. In 12 games he only rushed for 573 yards but has since made the trade worth it for Seattle.
• Lynch has rushed for 1,266 yards this year and has reached the 1,000 mark for the second consecutive year. Lynch is second in the league in rushing this year with Adrian Peterson being the only person ahead of him.
• One thing that makes Lynch so good is his determination to not go down. Coaches always tell their players to keep moving their legs and Lynch is the perfect example. At the very least he falls forward
• According to ProFootballFocus.com, Lynch is 4th in the league with 762 yards after contact.
• Lynch has the chance to go down as one of the best running backs in Seattle Seahawk's history with the pace he is on.
• Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson
• Patrick Peterson entered the NFL with high expectations and so far he has matched them. He has also become one of the most electric players in the league and is one play away from changing a game.
• In 2011 Peterson had 64 tackles, 1 sacks, 2 interceptions and 13 passes defended. This year he has 40 tackles, 6 interceptions and 12 passes defended. Matching last year's total may not be done but that isn't all Peterson's fault.
• Another stat not in Peterson's favor this year compared to last year is punt returns. Last year he had 4 punt returns, with one winning the game for the Cardinals. So far this year Peterson has had almost the same amount of punt returns but has yet to house one. Peterson hasn't reached paydirt yet but is still a threat every time he is back to return a punt.
• While Arizona is bad of late the pass defense has still shown up. They are ranked 5th in the league, allowing 197 yards a game.
• What kind of impact did Peterson have after only one year? He was ranked as the 55th best player in the NFL on NFL.com.
• San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Willis
• The 49ers are one of the best defenses in the league. They are 2nd in both passing and running, allowing 184 yards through the air and 90 yards on the ground.
• The defense has stars all over the field but Willis is the heart and soul of this team.
• Willis is one tackle away from reaching the century mark for the 5th time in his career. Last year was the only season he didn't reach 100 tackles but he only played in 13 games.
• After last year's season, Willis was ranked as the 10th best player in the NFL.
• What makes him so great is his work ethic. He has been through so much in his life, that failure won't happen in the NFL.
• Like others on this list, what makes Willis so dominate is the combination of speed and power.
• St. Louis Rams: James Laurinaitis
• James Laurinaitis plays at two levels, fast and faster. He is a high motor player who doesn't take a play off and his numbers back it up.
• Laurinaitis already has 119 tackles on the year and has a chance to beat last year's total of 142. He has been in the league for 4 years and every year he has had 114 tackles or more.
• His play in the first three season earned him a sweet payday with the Rams. In September he signed a contract 5-year contract worth more than $40 million. The Rams investing this much in Laurinaitis is also due to him not missing a game. In his 4th season, he hasn't missed a game.

NFC North

• Green Bay Packers: Clay Matthews
• The Packers have found out this year how important Matthews is to the teams overall success. When Matthews is the in the game, offenses have to make sure they know where he is. 
• Since Matthews has been out, Green Bay has only 7 sacks in 4 games. The bulk of the sack came in the first game Matthews missed against Detroit. The team got to Matthew Stafford 5 times, since then they only have 2 sacks.
• Matthews played in 9 games this year and looked to be rebounding from last year's performance. In only 9 games Matthews already outdid 2010's numbers, sacking the quarterback 9 times. 
• There are many times were Matthews puts pressure on the quarterback but doesn't get the sack. Even if he doesn't get to the quarterback is allows others a better chance to beat their man.
• He is also able to get from sideline to sideline and make plays in coverage. If building a linebacker, Matthews might be the mold.
• Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson
• Finally the non-stop drafting of wide receivers paid off for Matt Millen, to bad he is no longer there. Millen his the jackpot drafting Johnson who is know one of the best if not the best receiver in the game.
• Johnson is trying to lead the country in receiving yards in back-to-back seasons. He has 1,546 yards on the season, which is more than 200 yards than second place. Last year he had the Johnson had 1,681 yards receiving, putting him in 7th on the all-time single season receiving yards list.
• Brandon Marshall is the only receiver with more receptions and Reggie Wayne is the only person targeted more than Johnson.
• On Johnson's next reception, it will break his previous career best. He will likely pass his previous best in reception yards also.
• Johnson has all the tools needed to be a great player in the NFL. His speed and size also helps out Matthew Stafford. If Stafford is looking to get rid of the ball before getting sacked he can just throw it up to Johnson. Johnson has the ability to go up and get it or at the very least make sure it's not intercepted.
• Johnson is also reliable, only missing 4 games in his career.
• Chicago Bears: Brandon Marshall
• Brandon Marshall has given the Bears something they haven't had in a long time. They finally have a receiver who is a threat. Marshall has 1,342 yards receiving this year, the first time the Bears have had this in a long time.
• The last 1,000 yard receiver was in 2002 by Marty Booker who had 1,189 yards.
• Marshall has set a single season career high this year in receiving yards and needs only 4 receptions to break that personal record.
• Marshall also helps out the running game. In past years the Bears haven't had a receiver to stretch the field and keep defenses honest. With Marshall on the field defenses can't pack it in and not worry about the pass.
• Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson
• This may have been the easiest player to pick so far. Peterson tore his ACL less than a year ago and all he has done is set the league on fire. He has a chance to win Comeback Player of the Year and MVP.
• If Peterson wins both awards it would be only the 3rd time since 1972 this happened. The other two times were in 1981 with Ken Anderson and 2010 with Michael Vick.
• Peterson is running away with the league rushing title this year with 1,600 yards. Second in the league is Marshawn Lynch with 1,266 yards.
• What makes Peterson so great is the combination of speed and power. 

NFC East

• Dallas Cowboys: Demarcus Ware
• The Cowboys have had plays come and go but there has been one player that shows up every week. Ware has been a dominating force from day one with the Cowboys. He has started every game since he was drafted by the Cowboys.
• Where he shines the most is getting to the quarterback and has joined a short list this year.
• Ware's numbers have been down this season but he has also playing on a defense who has faced numerous injuries
• Ware was drafted by the Cowboys in 2005 and since then, there hasn't been a player with more sacks than Ware. The only season he has had less than 10 sacks was in his rookie season. Getting to the quarterback as often as Ware does has allowed him to force turnovers also. He has had at least 2 forced fumbles in every season. 
• Ware has the speed to go after the quarterback but he has been known to drop back in coverage too. This allows the defense to draw up different plays. 
• Durability is what also makes Ware so valuable for the Cowboys. Being a Cowboys fan I hope I don't jinx him but Ware has played hasn't missed a regular season game in his career.
• Ware is also a 6-time Pro Bowler and 4-time First Team All-Pro
• New York Giants: Victor Cruz
• Cruz is only in his second year in the NFL but he has set the league on fire. The Giants are 9th in the league in passing and a lot of this is thanks to Cruz.
• Cruz's role is to take the top off the defense and he does a good job at it.
• Against the Saints, Cruz reached the 1,000 yards receiving mark for the second straight year. Last year he had 1,536 yards and has an outside chance to match it this year. 
• Cruz will also beat his numbers from last year in targets, receptions and touchdowns. Last year he had 82 receptions, 131 targets and 9 touchdowns. In 13 games this year, Cruz has 76 receptions, 127 targets and 9 touchdowns.
• Washington Redskins: Pierre Garcon
• The Redskins are having a good year so far and it is being led by RG3 and Alfred Morris, both rookies. While they are putting up solid numbers, Garcon is the the glue for this team.
• Garcon has only played in 7 games this year but the Redskins are 6-1 when he plays.
• Garcon is in his first year with the Redskins like RG3 but they have the chemistry of seasoned vets. Garcon has been targeted 41 times in only 7 games, with 28 receptions. Santana Moss who has played in every game this year has only had the ball thrown to him 48 times.
• Moss is tied for the league on the team with 8 receptions for more than 20 yards. He also leads the team in yards after contact.
• Philadelphia Eagles: DeMeco Ryans
• The Eagles have plenty of weapons on both sides of the ball but some are injured and others haven't shown up. Ryans is one of the few that has shown up and is leading the team. The Eagles took a risk and traded after last year it has paid off.
• In 2010 he only played 6 games because of an injury. Last year he played in every game for the  Texans but only had 64 total tackles. This season Ryans has 98 tackles and looks to be getting back to his old self. In his first 4 seasons in the NFL he had at least 112 tackles each season.
• Ryans is also looking to set two records under the Andy Reid era. He is on pace to have the most solo tackles and tackles for loss since Andy Reid has been the Eagles' head coach (1999-present). Currently Ryans is sitting with 13 tackles for loss.

List of players and positions in both AFC and NFC

RB: (5) Maurice Jones-Drew, Chris Johnson, CJ Spiller, Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch
WR: (6) Reggie Wayne, AJ Gree, Pierre Garcon, Victor Cruz, Brandon Marshall, Calvin Johnson
TE: (1) Jimmy Graham
OL: (2) Joe Thomas, Nick Mangold
DL: (2) JJ Watt, Vince Wilfork,
LB: (9) Von Miller, Derrick Johnson, Karlos Dansby, DeMeco Ryans, Demarcus Ware, Clay Matthews, James Laurinaitis, Patrick Willis, Luke Kuechly
CB: (1) Patrick Peterson
S: (5) Eric Weddle, Ryan Clark, Ed Reed, William Moore, Ronde Barber
K: (1) Sebastion Janikowski

Offense:14

Defense:17

Special Teams: 1

*All stats without a link attached with it were acquired from ESPN.com and pro-football-reference.com*