Mr. Indispensable: Each NFL team has a player who makes everything click

NASHVILLE - Anyone can see just how much the Dallas Cowboys desperately miss Ezekiel Elliott.

New England will get a reminder of what life is like without Tom Brady's favorite target when Rob Gronkowski serves a one-game suspension Monday night as the Patriots visit Miami while chasing the AFC's No. 1 seed.

"He's a big focal point in our offense," Brady said of the 6-foot-6, 265-pound tight end, an eighth-year pro. "I mean, I think when he gets going, it's great for everybody, so it's been great having him in there this year. He's worked really hard and he's a great player. I love playing with him. We've got a great rapport."

Yes, even the five-time Super Bowl winner and two-time league MVP has a teammate who makes him better. And every NFL team has that one player who makes everything click - someone with so much ability and leadership he makes everyone else better, too. Or, in the case of struggling teams, a player who stands above the mess.

FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2017, file photo, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski runs after a catch against the Houston Texans during an NFL football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Anyone can see just how much the Dallas Cowboys desperately miss Ezekiel Elliott. Now the Patriots will get a reminder of life without Tom Brady’s favorite target when Rob Gronkowski sits out his own suspension Monday night in Miami. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 1, 2017, file photo, Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly follows the action during an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. In Carolina, Cam Newton may do the Superman poses, but the Panthers’ real MVP is middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. The Panthers simply aren’t the same defense without the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and he’s missed time with three concussions over the past three seasons. When healthy, Kuechly rarely misses a tackle. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)

Sure, the quarterback is the most important player on the field. But take Mr. Indispensable off of it, and nothing works quite the same.

Nobody knows that better than Dallas, which is 1-3 since Elliott started serving a six-game suspension, putting a serious crimp in the Cowboys' postseason plans. Staying in the playoff hunt until Dec. 24, when Elliott is eligible to return against Seattle, may not be possible without what he brings to the field.

Washington linebacker Zach Brown said it's easy to see on video just how different the Cowboys are without Elliott's speed and ability to score on any carry. He led the league in rushing as a rookie last season, and in eight games this year he has 783 yards on 191 carries, including seven touchdowns.

"Now everybody's forcing them to pass the ball," Brown said.

Gronkowski leads the Patriots with 55 catches and seven touchdowns, and he just turned in his best game this season with nine catches for 147 yards. But his late hit on Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White means Gronkowski will miss a game for the first time this season

"He's obviously a guy that's super consistent when he's been out there for us," Brady said, "and he's really playing that same role this year."

A quarterback's best friend can be a left tackle like Joe Thomas in Cleveland or David Bakhtiari in Green Bay. The Atlanta Falcons didn't click on the offensive line until signing center Alex Mack last year, and then they went all the way to the Super Bowl.

A talented wide receiver can carry an entire team as well. Just look at Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown - or conversely, what it's been like for the New York Giants without Odell Beckham Jr.

Defenders can be indispensable, too.

In Carolina, quarterback Cam Newton may do the Superman poses, but the Panthers' real MVP is middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, the 2013 NFL defensive player of the year. He has missed time with three concussions over the past three seasons, but when healthy, Kuechly rarely misses a tackle - and he usually knows what play the opposing offense has called.

"When you watch his film against other teams, he's pointing where the run is going," Miami coach Adam Gase said. "It's really amazing to watch him play, because he's a tough guy to play chess with."

Jacksonville had been spending millions on its defense that seemed wasted until end Calais Campbell was signed as a free agent this year. Campbell leads the AFC in sacks and is a calming influence in the locker room, helping put the Jaguars in the mix for their first playoff berth since 2007.

"He's everything that's been advertised," Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. "Just from the way to prepare, the leadership in the locker room, on the field, leads by example and, obviously, has been playing extremely well for us. A lot of times in free agency, maybe you don't get, sometimes, the value of what you would like, but that's not the case with Calais. We've gotten that, and I believe more, out of him."

Oakland may have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, but end Khalil Mack - last year's defensive player of the year - helped the Raiders contend again in the struggling AFC West despite being the player each opposing offense focuses on most.

"Some of the stuff he was doing just can't be done," Denver linebacker Von Miller said earlier this season. "Just pick up offensive linemen and run straight through them - that stuff, it can be done, but not the way Khalil does it."

Then there are players teammates know mean everything to a franchise, such as two-time Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker in Tennessee. Those players may not get the attention from fans their play deserves, but opposing teams build their game plans around them.

"I know that the teams we're playing are trying to stop him," Titans coach Mike Mularkey said.

That's the ultimate sign of how indispensable a player really is.