The ' , ' , ' , ' and ' each had the strength to come through during a key moment and contribute to wins during .Thanks to those strong performances, each player is up for honors. This is a deeper look at the significance of those conquests.Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota VikingsStrong stats to consider: With over the , the earned their first division title since 2009, when the team's quarterback was . Power of the moment: The ' traditionally explosive offense has been phonus balonus this season, and that left the door open for an upstart outfit such as the to knock the four-time defending NFC North champs off their pedestal. For a brief interlude late in the de facto "NFC North championship game" at legendary Lambeau Field on Sunday night, Green Bay's offense showed some signs of life. The presented themselves with a chance to tie up the score late in the fourth quarter after driving 64 yards to the ' 13-yard line. Facing a fourth-and-goal from said spot on the field, quarterback ' heave into the end zone was picked off by Rhodes. Rhodes' interception highlighted what was a splendid performance by the defense, which helped Minnesota collect its first win at Lambeau Field since 2009. Peyton Manning, Denver BroncosStrong stats to consider: Because Manning did not start against the , the did not have a quarterback start for 10 or more games in a season for the first time since 1982, the year before the franchise acquired r John Elway. That snapped a streak of 32 consecutive seasons with a quarterback starting 10 or more games, the longest such streak since at least 1950. The (24 seasons from 1992-2015) and (23 seasons from 1993-2015) are next on that list, followed by two surprise entries: (21 seasons from 1995-2015) and (21 seasons from 1995-2015). Keep in mind that 1995 was the ' inaugural season. The and have been the top two seeds in the AFC playoffs and earned first-round byes in four consecutive seasons. Power of the moment: It was the first time that Manning has Detroit Lions Kids Jersey ever come off the bench in the NFL, and it resulted in , and earning home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs. The were down 13-7 when Manning entered the game in the third quarter, and the veteran quarterback provided the spark needed to get the team the nece sary victory. Manning completed the only two pa ses he attempted on his initial drive, which culminated with . Leodis McKelvin, Buffalo BillsStrong stats to consider: The have finished at .500 or better for the second consecutive season, which is the first time that the team has posted back-to-back .500-or-better seasons since 1999-2000. That 1999 season was the last time the made the playoffs, that 16-year playoff drought is the longest active drought in the league and the second-longest of any team in the era (, 17 seasons from 1970-1986). By , the won both games against the by the same score (). Power of the moment: If you can't make the playoffs, the next best thing to do to cap the season is to knock another team out of the postseason. McKelvin's interception of a pa s in the end zone prevented the ' best chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter. That mistake by the quarterback doomed his team's playoff hopes. This lo s, coupled with the ' , eliminated the from playoff contention and extended the franchise's playoff drought to five seasons. Ryan Tannehill, Miami DolphinsStrong stats to consider: The (6-10) finished the 2015 season with their worst record since finishing 6-10 in 2011. The have not had a winning record or made the playoffs since finishing 11-5 in 2008. With six receptions against the , wide receiver set a record for most receptions in the first two seasons of an NFL career. Landry has 194 receptions, topping the 187 catches of his college teammate at LSU, , Jr. Power of the moment: The didn't knock the out of the playoffs, but did make New England's path to a title repeat much more daunting. , coupled with the ' , meant the road to 50 in the AFC will not go through Foxborough as many had expected for much of the 2015 campaign. Tannehill's 19-yard scramble with just over two minutes remaining helped deal the this devastating blow. Tannehill set up a field goal that put the up by 10 at the two-minute warning. The ' response was to let and watch from the bench as New England's season ended with a second consecutive defeat. J.J. Watt, Houston TexansStrong stats to consider: The allowed six or fewer points in five games this season, which was the most in the NFL this season and most in franchise history (which dates back to 2002). The allowed just 215 total yards of offense in Week 17, and this was the seventh game this season in which Houston allowed le s than 300 total yards of offense. The are 7-0 when allowing fewer than 300 yards of offense. It's important to note that the ' -- the -- in yards per game with 331.2. Power of the moment: The earned the AFC South division crown in large part due to their defense, which is led by the defending Defensive Player of the Year. Watt registered three sacks, four quarterback hits, three tackles for lo s, two pa ses defensed and a forced fumble in of the that helped Houston clinch the division. Watt finished the season with 17.5 sacks -- the same total he registered in his Defensive POY season of 2014 -- and when combined with teammate ' 12 sacks, the 29.5 combine sacks are the most among any teammate duo in the NFL. Watt and Mercilus became the first duo in history to each have 10-plus sacks in the same season. Moving forward, it's a safe bet that the will rely heavily on these two defensive dynamos to disrupt opposing quarterbacks in order to advance in the playoffs. Follow Jim Reineking on Twitter . Jarrad Davis Jersey