Sometimes pressure is unfair.
Rex Grossman was a big part of the Bears' 13-3 season, but fans and critics have been calling for his benching. Reggie Bush went through a pressure-free rookie season in New Orleans, but the climate changes Saturday. Seahawks rookie cornerback Kelly Jennings made one of the best defensive plays of the wild-card round by stripping the ball from Cowboys receiver Terry Glenn, causing a fumble that spurred the Seahawks' fourth-quarter, come-from-behind win. But he faces another big challenge on Sunday.
Pressure may be unfair, but, as Patriots coach Bill Belichick said, "It is what it is." Here are four NFC players who will be under extraordinary pressure in the divisional playoffs.
Cornerback Roderick Hood, Philadelphia Eagles: Lito Sheppard's dislocated elbow moved the undrafted Hood into the starting lineup. Against the Giants, Hood played well after Sheppard went down in the third quarter, but the Giants don't have the speed and firepower of the Saints. New Orleans coach Sean Payton earned Coach of the Year honors for being one of the most aggressive playcallers in the game. He has threats a big Marques Colston and speedy Devery Henderson. It will be a game-time decision whether Joe Horn (groin) will play, but he probably can't be counted on. Hood has been a great success story. He has started 13 regular-season games in four seasons with the Eagles. His best season was 2005, when he had six starts, three interceptions and 17 passes defensed. But Hood is replacing a Pro Bowl player who wasn't beaten for a touchdown this season. Hood's numbers are pretty good, though. According to Stats Inc., only 15 passes were completed against him in 31 attempts. Hood was beaten for only one touchdown, which made him a valuable nickel corner. However, the pressure is higher when you start.
Halfback Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints: After playing in a pressure-cooker as one of the two main offensive stars at Southern Cal, Bush had the perfect vacation with the Saints. Though everyone expected bigger numbers, Bush thrived on being an exceptional auxiliary player in Payton's offense. Deuce McAllister handled the hard, inside carries, Drew Brees took the leadership role at quarterback, and Bush worked perfectly as a slot receiver and secondary running back. Everything he did was a great bonus to the offense. Bush led NFL running backs with 88 catches for 742 yards and two touchdowns. His rushing average was a meager 3.6 yards a carry, which certainly doesn't match his speed and elusiveness, but the Saints didn't care. The playoffs make everything count, and all eyes will be on Bush to see how he performs. Bush can't afford to fumble or make the wrong read on a block or even drop a pass. The Saints haven't had too many nationally televised games because they weren't expected to be a No. 2 seed, so for Bush, this will be a fairly unfamiliar territory. Fortunately for Bush, Payton spreads the ball around enough to not put too much pressure on any one player.
Quarterback Rex Grossman, Chicago Bears: Before a strong Monday night performance against the St. Louis Rams in Week 14, offensive coordinator Ron Turner told his struggling quarterback that the biggest challenge was getting through the week of scrutiny. Grossman is under the gun more than any other quarterback in the playoffs. Bears fans have lost faith in him, even though he's won 13 starts. This season he's either been great or horrible -- there's been no middle ground. Though he threw 23 touchdown passes, Grossman also has 20 interceptions -- the most among QBs whose teams made the playoffs. His completion percentage was a substandard 54.6. Seven games in which his quarterback rating was above 100 were offset by five games with ratings below 37. Fans want Brian Griese, but coach Lovie Smith insists Grossman will stay as the starting quarterback without a quick hook. A bad start or an early turnover will be greeted by boos from Bears fans. It hasn't helped Grossman that he's struggled even in news conferences. Saying he didn't mentally prepare well enough for the regular-season finale against Green Bay -- a game in which he posted a zero quarterback rating -- put him in even more trouble with the fans.
Cornerback Kelly Jennings, Seattle Seahawks: Jennings was a hero Saturday. He made an incredible play on a quick pass to Glenn by stripping the ball from Glenn's hands and setting up a safety. Still, Bill Parcells is being criticized for not going after him more. The Seahawks are down three cornerbacks. Two corners were lost for the postseason in the regular-season finale and Marcus Trufant is a week away from playing because of a high-ankle sprain. Parcells sent Terrell Owens to Jennings' side, but only six pass attempts went to Owens. Everyone was baffled why Parcells didn't challenge the replacement corners. Jennings is a first-round choice, but he's only 178 pounds, and he conceded more than 40 pounds to Owens. Credit the Seahawks' coaching staff for not babying Jennings. They told him he would have to play against big, physical receivers. Coming from the University of Miami, Jennings is used to playing against elite receivers, and his numbers are pretty good this season. Playing mostly as a third cornerback, Jennings had only 34 passes completed against him in 62 attempts, according to Stats Inc. He surrendered 13.6 yards a completion and only two touchdowns. This is the divisional round of the playoffs, so the scrutiny intensifies. He figures to have more passes thrown against him this week.
John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.