StatVault

Playoff Performers

Who Rises in January

Compares each player's core rate metric between the regular season and the postseason — QB passer rating, RB yards/carry, WR & TE yards/reception. Minimum 2 playoff seasons required for honest inclusion. The biggest lifts and drops across all eras since 1999.

901 players scored · nflverse era (1999+)

Biggest Playoff Elevation

Tony Martin

WR · Yards / Reception: 3.3 reg → 13.1 playoffs

+301% lift · 2 playoff seasons

Biggest Playoff Drop

John Davis

TE · Yards / Reception: 9.4 reg → 1.0 playoffs

-89% drop · 2 playoff seasons

Top Elevators by Position

QB

  1. 1.Rodney Peete+73%
  2. 2.Gary Kubiak+44%
  3. 3.Jeff Hostetler+37%
  4. 4.Mark Malone+34%
  5. 5.Mark Sanchez+29%

RB

  1. 1.D'Onta Foreman+236%
  2. 2.Nyheim Hines+182%
  3. 3.Brian Leonard+140%
  4. 4.Benny Snell+96%
  5. 5.Zack Crockett+86%

WR

  1. 1.Tony Martin+301%
  2. 2.Donnie Avery+131%
  3. 3.Tutu Atwell+92%
  4. 4.Andre Davis+88%
  5. 5.Jacoby Jones+86%

TE

  1. 1.Shannon Sharpe+224%
  2. 2.Cameron Cleeland+99%
  3. 3.Gerald Everett+84%
  4. 4.Vernon Davis+71%
  5. 5.Hunter Long+70%

The January Legends — Playoff Elevated

Players who consistently performed better in the postseason than the regular season. The numbers don't lie: these are the ones who wanted the big stage.

1.Tony MartinWR

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

3.3

12 seasons

Playoffs

13.1

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+301%
2.D'Onta ForemanRB

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

4.1

7 seasons

Playoffs

13.8

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+236%
3.Shannon SharpeTE

8 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

4.1

14 seasons

Playoffs

13.1

8 seasons

Playoff lift

+224%
4.Nyheim HinesRB

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

3.9

6 seasons

Playoffs

11.0

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+182%
5.Brian LeonardRB

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

3.7

7 seasons

Playoffs

9.0

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+140%
6.Donnie AveryWR

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

13.1

6 seasons

Playoffs

30.3

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+131%
7.Cameron CleelandTE

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

11.3

7 seasons

Playoffs

22.5

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+99%
8.Benny SnellRB

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

3.6

4 seasons

Playoffs

7.0

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+96%
9.Tutu AtwellWR

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

14.6

4 seasons

Playoffs

28.0

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+92%
10.Andre DavisWR

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

15.8

8 seasons

Playoffs

29.8

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+88%
11.Zack CrockettRB

5 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

3.3

14 seasons

Playoffs

6.2

5 seasons

Playoff lift

+86%
12.Jacoby JonesWR

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

13.5

8 seasons

Playoffs

25.0

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+86%
13.Gerald EverettTE

4 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

9.8

8 seasons

Playoffs

18.1

4 seasons

Playoff lift

+84%
14.Eddie RoyalWR

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

10.7

9 seasons

Playoffs

19.6

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+83%
15.Verron HaynesFB

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

4.2

5 seasons

Playoffs

7.7

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+81%
16.C.J. HamFB

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

2.8

9 seasons

Playoffs

5.0

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+76%
17.Jeff JanisWR

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

11.8

4 seasons

Playoffs

20.7

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+76%
18.Isaac RedmanRB

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

4.1

4 seasons

Playoffs

7.1

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+75%
19.Rodney PeeteQB

2 playoff seasons · Passer Rating

Regular

73.3

14 seasons

Playoffs

126.6

2 seasons

Playoff lift

+73%
20.Vernon DavisTE

4 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

13.0

14 seasons

Playoffs

22.2

4 seasons

Playoff lift

+71%

The Disappearing Acts — Playoff Regressed

Strong regular-season performers whose key rate metrics fell noticeably in the playoffs. Context matters — opponent quality, sample size, injury — but the pattern is real.

1.John DavisTE

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

9.4

6 seasons

Playoffs

1.0

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-89%
2.Matt HatchetteWR

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

14.8

6 seasons

Playoffs

2.0

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-86%
3.Gary RussellRB

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

2.6

3 seasons

Playoffs

0.4

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-83%
4.Carey DavisRB

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

3.8

3 seasons

Playoffs

0.8

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-80%
5.Matthew MulliganTE

3 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

9.4

7 seasons

Playoffs

2.0

3 seasons

Playoff drop

-79%
6.Michael RobinsonFB

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

3.7

8 seasons

Playoffs

1.0

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-73%
7.Skyy MooreWR

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

12.1

4 seasons

Playoffs

3.4

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-72%
8.Adam TrautmanTE

3 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

10.7

6 seasons

Playoffs

3.0

3 seasons

Playoff drop

-72%
9.Pat BeachTE

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

9.6

11 seasons

Playoffs

3.0

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-69%
10.Anthony FasanoTE

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

11.0

12 seasons

Playoffs

3.7

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-67%
11.Jay RiemersmaTE

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

11.4

8 seasons

Playoffs

4.0

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-65%
12.Jay ProschFB

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

4.2

2 seasons

Playoffs

1.5

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-64%
13.Tucker KraftTE

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

13.7

3 seasons

Playoffs

5.0

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-64%
14.James JettWR

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

17.3

9 seasons

Playoffs

6.7

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-61%
15.Gijon RobinsonTE

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

7.7

3 seasons

Playoffs

3.0

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-61%
16.Tom CrabtreeTE

3 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

14.7

4 seasons

Playoffs

6.0

3 seasons

Playoff drop

-59%
17.Anthony ToneyRB

3 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

3.6

5 seasons

Playoffs

1.5

3 seasons

Playoff drop

-58%
18.Anthony DixonRB

3 playoff seasons · Yards / Carry

Regular

3.4

6 seasons

Playoffs

1.4

3 seasons

Playoff drop

-58%
19.Malik TurnerWR

3 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

14.3

4 seasons

Playoffs

6.0

3 seasons

Playoff drop

-58%
20.Na BrownWR

2 playoff seasons · Yards / Reception

Regular

10.7

3 seasons

Playoffs

4.5

2 seasons

Playoff drop

-58%

Methodology

Metric:QB = passer rating (attempt-weighted average), RB = yards per carry, WR & TE = yards per reception. Verdict: elevated ≥+5% above regular-season baseline, regressed ≤−10%, flat in between. Minimum: 2 playoff seasons (honest silence — players with 1 playoff season are excluded regardless of performance).

Only includes players with ≥2 playoff game seasons. Metric: QB passer rating, RB yards/carry, WR/TE yards/reception. Regular-season rows only for baseline; nflverse era (1999+).