10 unheralded NFL players set to make major impacts in Week 17

Last week saw Brandon Weeden lead the Houston Texans to a huge win over the Tennessee Titans in a game that practically gave his team the AFC South title.

New Orleans Saints running back Tim Hightower — less than two months removed from not seeing NFL action since 2011 — put up nearly 170 total yards on 30 touches.

Heck, a rookie linebacker in Washington by the name of Preston Smith helped his team clinch the NFC East with a three-sack performance against the Philadelphia Eagles.

These are the unheralded players who have stepped up recently to help their teams perform at a high level. It's also been a continuing theme throughout the entire season.

In what promises to be a drama-filled slate of Week 17 games, here are 10 more unheralded players set to make major impacts as the season winds down.

1. Brian Hoyer, quarterback, Houston Texans

Now that Hoyer has passed through the NFL's concussion protocol, he will get the start for Houston against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

This has the potential of being pretty big for a Texans team that will likely clinch the AFC South title when all is said and done this weekend.

Much to the chagrin of his skeptics, Hoyer has actually been pretty darn good this season. He's thrown 18 touchdowns compared to six interceptions and is averaging about 240 passing yards per game.

Taking on a Jaguars defense that ranks 29th in the NFL against the pass, it's going to be important for Hoyer to regain pre-injury form prior to the team's wild card game the following week.

2. Justin Bethel, cornerback, Arizona Cardinals 

With Tyrann Mathieu now out for the season, the onus is really going to be on Bethel to perform at a high level opposite Patrick Peterson.

He hasn't played a bunch this year (26.1 snaps per game), but Bethel has been targeted a lot when on the field. Thrown at 57 times over the course of the year, he's allowing a 45.8 completion rate and 58.5 quarterback rating.

With Peterson expected to lock horns against Doug Baldwin, it's highly likely that both Bethel and Jerraud Powers will be targeted a lot on Sunday. In this, the onus is going to be on these two guys to contain Russell Wilson in the passing game

3. Dontrelle Inman, wide receiver, San Diego Chargers

Lost in what has been an injury-marred season for San Diego is that it might have found a capable receiver to team up with Keenan Allen next season.

Inman put up eight receptions against the Oakland Raiders last week and has seen his role in the Chargers' offense increase substantially over the past several weeks.

It's not going to be easy going up against a league-best Denver Broncos pass defense, but Inman could very well end up being one of the reasons San Diego pulls off a major upset en route to helping the Kansas City Chiefs win the division.

Look for Aqib Talib to go up against Malcom Floyd here, leaving Chris Harris in a matchup against Inman. If the young Chargers receiver is able to put up any type of production, it will go  a long way in helping his team end the season on a high note.

4. Dee Ford, linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs

After struggling a great deal as a rookie last season, this former first-round pick has picked it up recently.

More so than his three-sack performance against San Diego back in Week 14, there has been a heightened level of consistency to his game over the past four games. Ford has racked up 17 quarterback hurries and seven hits during that span.

Starting in the absence of Justin Houston, who has missed four games with an injury, Ford has clearly stepped it up.

Regardless of whether Houston will be able to return in time for the playoffs, the Chiefs have to be excited about what this second-year linebacker has done in his stead.

If Houston does return, it will give the Chiefs three plus-level pass rushers. If not, Ford will continue to gain that valuable experience in games that matter. It really is a win-win proposition for the hottest team in the NFL.

5. Jarius Wright, wide receiver, Minnesota Vikings

Here's a stat you don't see too often. Wright has caught every pass thrown his way in each of the past seven games. What seems like a major accomplishment is muted by the fact that he has just 22 catches during that span.

This is telling for a number of reasons. First off, Teddy Bridgewater has a much higher success rate throwing Wright's way than when he targets any other receiver on the roster. Secondly, Bridgewater doesn't target Wright that often.

If the Vikings are going to find a way to defeat Green Bay and advance deep into the playoffs, they are going to have to get another receiver outside of rookie Stefon Diggs involved in the passing game.

With 11 of his 32 receptions this season coming over the past three weeks, Wright may very well be that guy.

6. Malik Jackson, defensive end, Denver Broncos

Jackson has been among the most unheralded defensive linemen in the NFL this season. Showing a wide array of skills, he's been equally as good against the run as he has been rushing the passer.

Though, it's in the latter category that has potentially earned Jackson a huge payday. He's put up a whopping 37 quarterback hurries from the defensive end position in a 3-4 scheme.

That's an alarming stat considering players in that role are usually tasked with stuffing the run and opening up pass-rush lanes for outside linebackers.

Jackson's tremendous overall play is one of the reasons Denver's defense has been among the best in the NFL this season. He should be able to continue this dominance against an injury-riddled San Diego Chargers offensive line come Sunday. If so, the Broncos will earn their fifth consecutive AFC West title.

7. Tim Hightower, running back, New Orleans Saints

Prior to signing with the Saints back in November, Hightower had not played a single NFL down since 2011. Multiple knee injuries and issues in rehab kept him off the field during that span.

With both Khiry Robinson and Mark Ingram going down to season-ending injuries, Hightower was forced into the lineup several weeks back. And he's hit the ground running ... almost literally.

The 29-year-old running back is coming off one heck of a performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He put up 169 total yards and two touchdowns on 30 touches. Overall, Hightower has put up 345 total yards and three scores over the past three games.

None of this will really amount to a hill of beans for a Saints team that's going to fail to make the playoffs for a third consecutive seasons.

However, it could very well lead to a role on the Saints next season. Assuming Sean Payton does return, we know how well he utilizes these types of running backs. Sunday's outing will be yet another audition for the veteran.

8. Michael Harris, guard, Minnesota Vikings

If Adrian Peterson does win the rushing title, he should go out there and buy Harris whatever the guard wants. A part-time starter in his first three NFL seasons, Harris earned that role for the Vikings out of camp. He has responded by playing at a near Pro Bowl level for the playoff-bound team.

Now taking on the Packers with an opportunity to earn the division title, Minnesota will be relying on Harris to open up rushing lanes against a defense that hasn't really been on lock-down mode in terms of stopping the run.

Equally as important, Harris must continue to perform at a high level in pass protection from the interior of the offensive line. With the way Packers defensive lineman Mike Daniels has played this season, that's going to be of utmost importance for Minnesota.

9. Shawn Williams, safety, Cincinnati Bengals

This former third-round pick has played a pretty important role for the Bengals recently. Seeing action with George Iloka banged up, Williams has made a name for himself next to Reggie Nelson in the team's secondary.

He's played starter snaps in each of the past four games, allowing just two completions on seven targets while recording 10 tackles and an interception.

If the Bengals can continue to get this type of above-average production from Williams against the pass, it is going to make them incredibly difficult to beat over the top when the playoffs come calling. Another strong outing this week, and Williams will definitely gain the faith of his coaching staff.

10. Keshawn Martin, wide receiver, New England Patriots

With Julian Edelman unlikely to go this week, the expectation here has to be that Martin will continue to play a big role in the Patriots passing attack.

Last week saw the former Michigan State standout record seven receptions for 68 yards on 10 targets. It also represented the fifth consecutive game that he has tallied 50-plus snaps.

By now we know very well just how much success Tom Brady can have with the most pedestrian of wide receivers. Once he gains trust in a certain guy, it's pretty much over for the opposition. Martin appears to be well on the way of gaining this type of confidence from Brady.

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