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The 2021 NFL season has reached Week 13 and playoff lives are on the line all over the league. That means there is no time for key players to have a rough game.
Doing so could mean a once-promising season comes to an early end.
Big names all around the NFL need to step up in Week 13. Here are five that stand out above the rest.
5 NFL players that need to step up in Week 13
#5 - Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
All signs point toward Ezekiel Elliott being healthy and ready to go Thursday for the Dallas Cowboys. He is still dealing with some lingering injury concerns and only received nine carries in last week's Thanksgiving defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders.
That leaves fellow running back Tony Pollard in a position to step up in a huge way Thursday against the New Orleans Saints. Pollard has a total of 100 carries this year for 531 yards and had 10 carries for 36 yards in Week 12.
He may now see an uptick in workload, with Elliott still dealing with his own issues. The Cowboys got into a shootout last week and Dak Prescott was forced to throw the ball 47 times.
But early in Week 13, the Cowboys could seek to establish a run.
That is where Pollard comes in. If he is capable of carrying the ball 15-20 times, there is no need to rush Elliott onto the field if he is not at 100 percent.
However, Pollard needs to maintain his average of over five yards per carry to truly step up and help his team.
#4 - Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
Let's stick with Thursday night's NFL matchup between the Cowboys and Saints for our next player in Taysom Hill. The dual-threat quarterback is expected to start Thursday in place of Trevor Siemian.
This is a huge opportunity for Hill to seize the starting role on a full-time basis and earn up to $95 million over the course of his new contract that has different benchmarks for payment. If he is the starting quarterback, he earns the most money.
But this is more than just stepping up to help his own bank account. The Saints are in the midst of a four-game losing streak and just got blown out on Thanksgiving by the Buffalo Bills in primetime.
Siemian was not doing enough to help and the Saints are trying to hang on and get into the NFL playoffs via a Wild Card berth.
That means Hill could be the savior. Yet it is tough to know his potential as an NFL passer because he has a total of eight attempts in 2021.
He did start four games last season, but he was never set in as a potential full-time starter. He now has a chance to step up and prove he can be more than just a gadget NFL player for the Saints.
5 NFL players that need to step up in Week 13
#3 - Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
Saquon Barkley could be on this NFL list every single week. But he is in an even greater spotlight in Week 13 now that Daniel Jones is out and Mike Glennon is in at quarterback for the New York Giants.
Barkley has seemingly been zapped of his abilities this NFL season. He has played in seven games, rushing for 260 yards on 73 carries.
Even before he missed time with an injury, his best game was when he had 57 yards back in Week 2.
The former NFL No. 2 overall pick needs to finally have a big game for the first time since the 2019 season. What happened to the player who seemed to be a lock to finish with 1,000 yards every season?
If he cannot step up with Jones out, there may be no hope that Barkley will ever get back to his old ways.
#2 - Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson being on this NFL list is more than just about him helping his Seattle Seahawks get back on track with a win in Week 13. It is also about him proving he still has something left in the tank.
Wilson has looked awful since returning from finger surgery. The Seahawks are 0-3 in that span and have scored a combined 28 points.
Monday night seemed to be a new low in primetime as Seattle managed 15 total points in a loss against the Washington Football Team.
Rumors are now swirling of destinations for Wilson via an NFL offseason trade. But stepping up in Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers keeps the super slim playoff hopes alive and helps stop the conversation of a total reset in Seattle.
#1 - Odell Beckham Jr., Los Angeles Rams
Odell Beckham Jr. had his first big game in 2021 in Week 12, finishing with five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. He now needs to keep the pace going in Week 13 and be a top target for Matthew Stafford alongside Cooper Kupp.
Week 13 seems like the perfect time to do it, as the Los Angeles Rams are taking on the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Stafford can focus on Beckham and the two can establish a great connection moving forward.
Beckham stepping up against a weak opponent can also prove that his Week 12 performance was not an anomaly. Cleveland Browns fans saw Beckham struggle to step up against any opponents.
A big showing in Week 13 will provide evidence that he is a new player with the Rams.
The receiver showed up in Los Angeles as a bonus. But now that Robert Woods is out for the year, Beckham is a key piece in the offense.
Let's hope that one solid game won't distract him, especially considering the Rams did not win last week against Green Bay.
