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spt_0118_nfl_gamebreakers[i-1].body = "As Peyton Manning is (or should be) acutely aware, the deeper a team goes in the playoffs, the greater the credit or blame heaped on that team's best player. The success -- or failure -- of the following four players in Sunday's AFC and NFC conference championships will determine whether their team reaches the Super Bowl. It also will determine whether those players will cement reputations as big-time, pressure performers, or as the kind of guys who say after a big loss, \"I don't want to be a bad teammate here, but...\"
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spt_0118_nfl_gamebreakers[i++] = new Array("","Steve Smith, Panthers","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_0118_nfl_gamebreakers[i-1].body = "
Why he's so valuable: For one-man domination, Kobe Bryant has nothing on Smith. It's plain that almost every ball will be going to him, and he gets open anyway -- the sign of true receiving greatness. In the regular season, he caught 103 passes for 1,563 yards; the second-best wide receiver, Ricky Proehl, caught 24 for 441 yards. (The 1,121-yard difference between the first- and second-leading wide receiver appears to be an unofficial record.) In the playoffs, Smith has caught 22 of Jake Delhomme's 39 completions, for 302 of his 459 yards, and three of his four touchdowns. Smith was truly the NFL's Most Valuable Player, if measured by where the team would be without him.
How he could hurt his team: Temper, Stevonne, temper. The Panthers go from championship contender to what-the-heck-are-they-doing-here if Smith touches another referee, or if he assaults another teammate during a film session.
How he'll fare: Presumably, Smith will not get the gift of single coverage from the worst cornerback on the field, as he did from Chicago last week. Still, Seattle's bend-but-don't-break defense should allow Smith to catch a lot of balls for a lot of yards, though the Panthers' regular-season loss to Chicago proved Smith can have a big game but still not score if the rest of the offense isn't contributing once in a while. Because of an injury to DeShaun Foster, the starting running back will be Nick Goings, he of the 133 regular-season yards, so Smith might have to be more superhuman than usual against the Seahawks.";
spt_0118_nfl_gamebreakers[i++] = new Array("","Shaun Alexander, Seahawks","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_0118_nfl_gamebreakers[i-1].body = "
Why he's so valuable: Alexander, the NFL's actual MVP and leading rusher, excels at a skill many running backs neglect -- letting your blocks develop before making a cut. Of course, Alexander has the luxury of knowing his great line, particularly the left side of tackle Walter Jones and guard Steve Hutchinson, will actually block somebody.
How he could hurt his team: If it were the regular season, Alexander probably would not be playing Sunday, what with the concussion he suffered early against Washington. If his head isn't together -- literally -- or he takes another big blow, he could end up playing a subpar game, or be out of it altogether.
How he'll fare: Alexander has a good chance of laying an egg. Carolina's rushing defense was fourth-best in the NFL in the regular season. It held Tiki Barber to 41 yards in the Panthers' first-round defeat of the New York Giants. It kept the Bears' strong ground game to fewer than 100 yards. Not the defense you want to run against under the best of conditions, much less when you're not 100 percent.";
spt_0118_nfl_gamebreakers[i++] = new Array("","Jake Plummer, Broncos","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_0118_nfl_gamebreakers[i-1].body = "
Why he's so valuable: Samson needed his long hair to stay strong, and Jake Plummer needs his scruffy hair and bushy beard to avoid throwing interceptions. He had only seven in the regular season, a career low when playing all 16 games. This might be blasphemy, but Plummer is looking like the Super Bowl Tom Brady -- avoiding mistakes, hitting key passes when he needs to, using his mobility but keeping his eyes downfield to throw rather than run. Plummer's transformation from Jake-the-Snake to Jake-Make-No-Mistakes is inspiring quarterbacks around the NFL to stop shaving.
How he could hurt his team: Coach Mike Shanahan has spent the last three years wringing the Arizona Cardinal out of Plummer, teaching him that he doesn't have to win games all by himself. If the Broncos get behind, or the Steelers rush gets to be too much, there's a risk Jake-the-Snake might return, and there's nothing his hair can do to stop it.
How he'll fare: Given that Denver has a strong running game, and that Pittsburgh does, too, it's probable Plummer will spend a lot of time handing off to make sure the Broncos keep the clock on their side. He's got a great chance of completing long throws off of a play-action rollout if the Denver line can keep Pittsburgh contained. However, if Plummer throws more than 25 passes Sunday, something has gone terribly wrong.";
spt_0118_nfl_gamebreakers[i++] = new Array("","Troy Polamalu, Steelers","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_0118_nfl_gamebreakers[i-1].body = "
Why he's so valuable: Statistics don't do justice to how disruptive a force the third-year safety has become. Calling him a safety doesn't do justice, either, because, particularly in a five- or six-defensive back situation, Polamalu is the classic college rover. He'll run from the backfield to the line and anywhere in between to confuse quarterbacks, who can't figure out whether Polamalu is trying to intercept them or blindside them. Polamalu has become the best player in the league -- yes, better than Brian Urlacher -- in sniffing out where the ball is going and hunting down whoever has it.
How he could hurt his team: The risk of being a rover is being out of position if you're not guessing right. A coach who has studied Polamalu's tendencies might be able to suss him out, and either run a receiver to where he was, or keep a blocker into to pick him up on the blitz.
How he'll fare: Given Plummer's mobility, it would be no shock if his No. 1 task is to be his spy. His No. 2 task would be to stuff the run if Denver's silent-but-deadly offensive line is taking out the Steelers' line. Polamalu's number (and hair) should pop up around the ball a lot either way.";
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