10 NFL PLAYERS FACING THE MOST PRESSURE IN THE SECOND HALF

The 2018 season has passed the halfway mark. While there’s still plenty of football left, the contenders and pretenders are starting to take firm shape.

With that in mind, we also have a pretty good idea of which players need to “put up” or “shut up” heading toward the end of 2018.

HERE’S A LIST OF THE 10 PLAYERS FACING THE MOST PRESSURE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THIS SEASON

JAMES CONNER, RUNNING BACK, PITTSBURGH STEELERS

With Le’Veon Bell a no-show as the Tuesday deadline came and went, Conner is going to be Pittsburgh’s starting running back for the rest of the season. He’s done a stellar job through the first half, but dating back to his college career, Conner has played a full season only once in the last three years.

The Steelers drafted Conner in 2017 as a sort of insurance policy in case the often-injured and suspended Bell missed time. Now Pittsburgh doesn’t have a backup plan to its backup plan.

Staying healthy is just one way Conner will feel pressure down the stretch. The Steelers will also need him to remain a key cog on an offense that averaged 35.4 points per game during the team's recent five-game winning streak.

JOE FLACCO, QUARTERBACK, BALTIMORE RAVENS

The former Super Bowl MVP silenced his critics in September by leading the Ravens to a 3-1 start. In the first four games, he averaged 313 passing yards per game with eight touchdowns and two interceptions.

But seemingly nothing has gone well since, as the Ravens have lost four of the last five games. During that stretch, he has yet to throw for 300 yards in any one game. With first-round pick Lamar Jackson seeing more snaps every week, Flacco may be playing for his job down the stretch.

Making matters worse, Flacco’s dealing with a hip injury. He played through back issues last season and didn’t perform particularly well, but the last thing he wants at this moment is allow Jackson the opportunity to steal the starting quarterback role. Right now, it is "hopeful" he will play Sunday.

AMARI COOPER, WIDE RECEIVER, DALLAS COWBOYS 

Dallas picked up a crucial victory on the road Sunday night against the defending champions. With that win, though, comes the expectation that maybe the Cowboys can still sneak into the playoffs.

That puts a lot of pressure on quarterback Dak Prescott but also on the newly traded for Cooper, whom the Cowboys gave up a first-round pick to acquire.

With Cooper, the Dallas offense has a different look to it. He caught six passes for 75 yards against the Eagles.

TOM BRADY, QUARTERBACK, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Unlike just about every other player in the league, Brady’s legacy is cemented — he can only add to it, which really relieves a lot of pressure. And with the current AFC East picture, there’s virtually no chance of New England losing its grip on chances of another division crown.

However, if the Patriots are going to get back to the Super Bowl this season, their hopes lie solely on Brady making the most of what’s left of his offense. Tight end Rob Gronkowski isn’t the same player he was and has missed time due to injury, and running back Sony Michel is dealing with a bad knee.

Julian Edelman is still a reliable target, but Josh Gordon must continue to develop for the Patriots to stretch the field. In the 34-10 loss against the Tennessee Titans, Brady connected with Gordon just four times on 12 targets.

It’ll also be up to Brady to improve the Patriots' offensive woos on the road. New England is averaging about 7.5 points fewer on the road than they do at Foxborough this season (28.0 versus 20.6 points per game).=

MARCUS PETERS, CORNERBACK, LOS ANGELES RAMS 

Yes, even squads with 9-1 records feel pressure. In the last few weeks, the Rams secondary has been susceptive to giving up big plays. A huge reason why has been the absence of cornerback Aqib Talib.

Since Talib injured his ankle during Week 3, the Rams have allowed an average of 247.6 passing yards per game. That’s about middle of the pack, but the Rams are also yielding 27.9 points per game without Talib.

Until the former All-Pro cornerback, it’s up to Peters and the rest of the secondary to shut down the outside. Peters hasn’t intercepted a pass since Week 1.

BLAKE BORTLES, QUARTERBACK, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Bortles actually played quite well in Week 10, but with the Jaguars losing their fifth straight and sixth out of seven games, the conversation hasn’t changed. Bortles has to play better if he’s going to remain the Jaguars' starting quarterback.

Consistency is the real issue. For instance, he looked spectacular against the Patriots, throwing for 376 yards and four touchdowns in Week 2, only then to average about 4.5 yards per attempt a week later against the Titans.

The following week, Bortles threw for 388 yards against the Jets but then tossed four interceptions the next game vs. the Chiefs.

If Bortles doesn’t find more consistency, there’s a real possibility the Jaguars could move on at quarterback next offseason.

LAMAR MILLER, RUNNING BACK, HOUSTON TEXANS

Everything seems to be falling into place for the Texans. Quarterback Deshaun Watson appears completely recovered both physically and mentally from his 2017 season-ending injury, as does J.J. Watt. Watson has tossed eight touchdowns with no interceptions in the last three games, and the defense has allowed just 18.3 points per game during Houston's six-game winning streak.

But the Texans could still use more from their running attack. Houston is ranked 11th in rushing yards per game, but that’s a bit misleading. The Texans are also 26th with 3.9 rushing yards per attempt.

It appeared as though Miller was breaking out of his slump in late October. Against both the Jaguars and Dolphins, he rushed for more than 100 yards and averaged 5.8 yards per carry. But then in Week 9 against Denver, he gained just 21 yards on 12 rushing attempts. It’s up to Miller to provide this offense some balance. If he can, the Texans will become a threat in a shallow AFC.

ELI MANNING, QUARTERBACK, NEW YORK GIANTS

Fans in the Big Apple aren’t too patient. Even though they essentially got their wish when the team drafted running back Saquon Barkley, there’s still a growing sense among the fan base that Manning is past his prime.

Of course, Manning’s play mostly supports this claim. He’s shown little ability to push the ball down the field even with a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. this season. Manning has just 11 touchdown passes and also has six interceptions.

The two-time Super Bowl MVP did have his best game Monday night against the 49ers, throwing three touchdowns and leading the Giants on a game-winning drive in the two-minute drill. But he still missed throws, especially on deep routes, because of his lack of arm strength.

Unless Monday is the beginning of a turnaround and the Giants earn a top five pick, they may have no choice but to draft Manning’s replacement.

DALVIN COOK, RUNNING BACK, MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Similar to the Texans, the Vikings now possess the passing attack to compete for a championship, and the defense is improving. Even with a loss to the Saints sprinkled in, Minnesota has allowed just 18.8 points per contest in the last five games.

But the Vikings need more from their ground game. They are fifth to last with 91.7 rushing yards per game this season, and they fare just a little better, coming in at No. 19, in rushing yards per attempt (4.2).

Of course, the first step with Cook is staying healthy, as he has missed four games this season. Minnesota needs him to do that and produce to win the NFC North.

ELI APPLE, CORNERBACK, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

The Saints are absolutely rolling. At the end of Week 10, it looks like they may not lose again. But their biggest weakness still remains in the secondary.

New Orleans acquired Apple from the Giants to help in that area. He made a difference this past week against the Bengals, as he helped hold Cincinnati to 174 passing yards.

The Saints view Apple as their missing piece to their second Super Bowl title. Anytime that’s the case, there’s tremendous pressure.