TOM BRADY, PatriotsAge: 38Drafted: 6th Round, 199th Overall, 2000Super Bowl titles: 4 (2002, 2004, 2005, 2015)Playoff W-L, stats: 21-8, 53 TDs, 26 INTs, 89.0 ratingThis season: 36 TDs, 7 INTs, 4,770 yards, 102.2 ratingPositive: Been there, done that. Career playoff records include most wins, TDs, yards passing.Negative: Working with a thin crop of receivers; if Julian Edelman (broken left foot) isn’t effective, could spell trouble.His words: “I would say I’m not the easiest guy to play with. I think there are a lot of high expectations and I try to put a lot of pressure on everybody to get the best out of us.”

PEYTON MANNING, BroncosAge: 39Drafted: 1st Round, 1st Overall, 1998Super Bowl titles: 1 (2007)Playoff W-L, stats: 11-13, 38 TDs, 24 INTs, 88.5 ratingThis season: 9 TDs, 17 INTs, 2,249 yards, 67.9 ratingPositive: No one is better at diagnosing an opposing defense.Negative: Age is a tough foe, and Manning’s health has been a problem this season. Is this his last hurrah?His words: “In the playoffs, you certainly just want to do your job to help your team win, no matter how old you are or how long you’ve been playing.”

AARON RODGERS, PackersAge: 32Drafted: 1st Round, 24th Overall, 2005Super Bowl titles: 1 (2011)Playoff W-L, stats: 7-5, 25 TDs, 7 INTs, 100.3 ratingThis season: 31 TDs, 8 INTs, 3,821 yards, 92.7 ratingPositive: With up-tempo offense, uses smarts to outfox defense. Unparalleled combination of touch and arm strength.Negative: Clearly misses Jordy Nelson, out all season. Facing tough Arizona defense.His words: “It’s tough to win these type of games. You’ve got to know how to do it — and we obviously do.”

RUSSELL WILSON, SeahawksAge: 27Drafted: 3rd Round, 75th Overall, 2012Super Bowl titles: 1 (2014)Playoff W-L, stats: 7-2, 13 TDs, 7 INTs, 93.9 ratingThis season: 34 TDs, 8 INTs, 4,024 yards, 110.1 ratingPositive: Establishing himself as an elite thrower; led NFL in passer rating.Negative: Would ease his workload if he had more help from a running back; Marshawn Lynch has been injured.His words: “You don’t care about all the statistics. You don’t care about how hard the journey, or how easy the journey, was. Ultimately, it’s the finish. It’s how you finish and how you find ways to win.”

CAM NEWTON, PanthersAge: 26Drafted: 1st Round, 1st Overall, 2011Super Bowl titles: 0Playoff W-L, stats: 1-2, 5 TDs, 5 INTs, 80.5 ratingThis season: 35 TDs, 10 INTs, 3,837 yards, 99.4 ratingPositive: Adds a dimension with his running ability (636 yards, 10 TDs). Excelled in red zone this season (24 TDs, zero INTs).Negative: Small sample size, but been much shakier in postseason than regular season.His words: “My (playoff) record is not what I want it to be.”

CARSON PALMER, CardinalsAge: 36Drafted: 1st Round, 1st Overall, 2003Super Bowl titles: 0Playoff W-L, stats: 0-2, 1 TD, 1 INT, 66.5 ratingThis season: 35 TDs, 11 INTs, 4,671 yards, 104.6 ratingPositive: Playing the best football of his career. Master of the deep throw.Negative: The only member of this group who never has won a playoff game.His words: “Butterflies are a good thing, nerves are a good thing and excitement is a good thing, so I am not trying to tail anything off.”

BEN ROETHLISBERGER, SteelersAge: 33Drafted: 1st Round, 11th Overall, 2004Super Bowl titles: 2 (2006, 2009)Playoff W-L, stats: 11-5, 22 TDs, 19 INTs, 83.8 ratingThis season: 21 TDs, 16 INTs, 3,938, 94.5 ratingPositive: Able to withstand or move away from rushers, giving receivers extra time to get open.Negative: Dealing with injured right shoulder and absence of best receiver (Antonio Brown, concussion).His words: “Anytime a thrower has a ... shoulder injury, it’s not good.”

ALEX SMITH, ChiefsAge: 31Drafted: 1st Round, 1st Overall, 2005Super Bowl titles: 0Playoff W-L, stats: 2-2, 10 TDs, 1 INT, 107.0 ratingThis season: 20 TDs, 7 INTs, 3,486 yards, 95.4 ratingPositive: Protects ball; 1.4 interception percentage since 2011 is second-best in NFL. Good runner.Negative: Will have to decipher Bill Belichick’s defensive schemes.His words: “The mentality doesn’t change. It’s ‘there is no tomorrow.’”