10 NFL Players Who Fall Short Under Pressure
Big moments separate legends from letdowns, and not everyone rises to the occasion in the NFL. Some players light it up all season, only to crumble when it matters most. This lineup isn’t about career flops or random bad days but those guys who seem to vanish in crunch time.
Kirk Cousins
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Kirk puts up big numbers—4,000-yard seasons, solid touchdown ratios—but pressure games tell a different story. His prime-time record sits well below .500, and his postseason résumé includes just one win in over a decade. When it comes to top defenses or tight fourth quarters, his decision-making slows, and sacks pile up.
Dak Prescott
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Dak’s a leader and durable QB, but playoff success still feels out of reach. Despite a loaded Cowboys roster, his postseason record stands at 2–5. It’s a pattern that frustrates fans: solid regular-season play but inconsistent execution when the pressure cranks up, and the stakes are highest.
Tony Romo
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For every dazzling play, there was an unforgettable collapse—like the infamous botched hold against Seattle in the 2006 playoffs. He posted impressive stats over the years but rarely translated to postseason wins. Romo could read defenses like a book but sometimes forgot what was on the line during the final chapter.
Matt Ryan
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One game defined Matt’s legacy; unfortunately, it’s that game. The 28–3 Super Bowl collapse with the Falcons erased a stellar MVP season and branded him with one of the worst choke jobs in sports history. He’s been solid overall, but postseason inconsistencies have followed him.
Andy Dalton
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Dalton quietly gave the Bengals five straight playoff appearances—and five straight first-round exits. His playoff passer rating of 57.8 and a 1:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio tell the story. He handled the regular season just fine, but when the postseason arrived, things unraveled fast.
Carson Wentz
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Carson looked like an MVP front-runner in 2017—until a knee injury sidelined him for the Eagles’ eventual Super Bowl run. Since then, pressure-packed situations haven’t gone well. His decision-making gets reckless when games get tight. That 2020 meltdown in Philly still stings.
Jimmy Garoppolo
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Jimmy G had a Super Bowl within reach—then overthrew Emmanuel Sanders on a wide-open, game-changing deep ball. That miss summed up his biggest knock: solid management until he has to be the difference-maker. He’s not reckless, just hesitant, and hesitation doesn’t win playoff games when the window’s shrinking fast.
Baker Mayfield
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He got the swag and the commercials, but playoff success is still on the hunt. Baker has shown he can deliver fireworks, but his hot-and-cold performances late in tight games made fans question his composure. He helped the Browns to their first playoff win in ages, then regressed the following season by throwing picks and missing when it mattered.
Philip Rivers
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When the postseason rolled around, his 5–7 playoff record left fans wanting more. He faced Tom Brady three times in the playoffs and lost every time. Even with loaded rosters, critical interceptions and stalled drives became a pattern. Philip was fiery, passionate, and durable, but late-game execution under pressure kept him stuck in the “almost” tier.
Jared Goff
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Goff made it to the Super Bowl in his third season and looked utterly rattled. He finished that game with a 57.9 passer rating and zero touchdowns. Even during his time with the Rams, Sean McVay often had to micromanage his decisions before the headset cut off.
Blair Walsh
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Blair Walsh had one job: hit a 27-yard field goal in a playoff game against Seattle. Instead, he pulled it wide left an instantly became a cautionary tale. That 2015 miss wasn’t his only hiccup, but it was the one that stuck. His 2012 rookie year was elite—but his playoff nerves were never the same after that frozen Minneapolis meltdown.
Cody Parkey
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Few moments live rent-free in fans’ heads like the infamous “Double Doink.” In 2018, Parkey’s last-second field goal attempt hit the upright and crossbar and knocked the Bears out of the playoffs. Technically, it was tipped. Still, he missed 10 kicks that season and never recovered from the scrutiny.
Tony Gonzalez
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Gonzalez redefined the tight end position with unmatched consistency, but playoff opportunities were rare across his 17-year career. He played in just seven postseason games—winning one—and still managed 30 catches for 286 yards and four touchdowns. While his playoff numbers held up, his teams often fell short and kept one of the game’s greats from deeper postseason runs.
Donovan McNabb
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McNabb led the Eagles to five NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl but only managed a single trip to the big game—and fell flat when he got there. In Super Bowl XXXIX, his late-game tempo drew criticism, with teammates saying he looked winded and slow in the hurry-up.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
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MVS has made some spectacular plays, but he’s also dropped game-changing passes at the worst possible times. That brutal miss against the Eagles in 2023 summed it up. Even in Kansas City’s dynamic offense, trust faded. For a deep threat, consistency matters more than highlight reels.
Jay Cutler
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After shining in Denver with his rocket arm and don’t-care attitude, Jay Cutler landed in Chicago and became the Bears’ all-time leader in passing stats. Still, just two playoff games and a knee injury exit in the 2010 NFC title game left fans divided. In November 2024, he got engaged to Samantha Robertson, marking a new chapter in his post-NFL life.
Cam Newton
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Cam Newton entered the league by breaking rookie records. In 2015, he led the Panthers to a 15–1 season, won MVP, and became the first Black quarterback to earn the award outright. But his Super Bowl 50 flop and a 3–4 playoff record dimmed the shine. In 2024, Cam transitioned into sports media, joining ESPN’s “First Take” as a weekly contributor.