Special needs for the playoffs

The NFL’s top X-factors are now ex-factors.

Chicago returner Devin Hester will be a spectator this postseason. Same goes for Houston’s Andre Davis, Cleveland’s Josh Cribbs, Buffalo’s Roscoe Parrish and the New York Jets’ Leon Washington -- the leaders in what was a record season for returns for touchdowns in the NFL.

There were 25 kickoff returns for touchdowns this season and a combined 42 scores on kickoff and punt returns. The previous records were 18 kickoff return touchdowns in 1998, and 39 combined scores in 2002.

So which special-teamers will step into the breach when the playoffs begin today? Who are the soon-to-be stars ready to tip the scales in favor of their teams, taking advantage of what often is the most overlooked part of games?

A look at some of the players who could make an impact on this wild-card weekend:

* Darren Sproles, San Diego -- When it comes to would-be tacklers, Sproles leaves them sprawled. He’s as elusive as they come, which is good for him, considering he’s only 5 feet 6 and 181 pounds. In a victory over Indianapolis, he returned a punt and kickoff for touchdowns, becoming the first NFL player to do that in a game since Dante Hall in 2002.

Sproles seldom calls for a fair catch -- only twice in 24 fielded punts -- and has fumbled only once in 61 returns.

* Rob Bironas, Tennessee -- No player in the league scored a higher percentage of his team’s points than Bironas. The Titans kicker was responsible for 44% of the scoring, tallying 133 of Tennessee’s 301 points. According to STATS LLC, the next four players on that list are kickers Mike Nugent of the Jets, Matt Stover of the Ravens, Morten Andersen of the Falcons and Rian Lindell of the Bills -- none of whom made the playoffs.

If Bironas winds up scoring most of Tennessee’s points Sunday, the Titans will be in trouble. The Chargers have averaged 30.5 points the last six weeks, second only to Jacksonville’s 34.0.

* Nate Burleson, Seattle -- Among the more consistent returners in the game, Burleson was outstanding for the Seahawks, averaging 11.3 yards a punt return in 58 opportunities.

Seattle had a league-high 24 punt returns of 10 yards or longer, exactly double the NFL average.

Burleson is also a playmaker on offense. He caught a team-high seven touchdown passes.

* Josh Brown, Seattle -- After connecting on only two field goals of more than 50 yards in the first 15 games, Brown kicked two more in the regular-season finale.

He has been automatic since the Seahawks signed long snapper Jeff Robinson on Dec. 11, and the kicker has also made a couple of tackles on coverage -- one that probably saved a touchdown.

Brown is happy he was able to make those tackles, although the fact that he had to is a troubling sign for Seattle.

“Tackling is a bad thing when I have to do it,” Brown told reporters. “There’s not much satisfaction in it.”

* Domenik Hixon, New York Giants -- Until the Giants played New England in a finale, Hixon’s most memorable play of the season was a tragic one. He was the returner, then playing for Denver, that Kevin Everett was trying to tackle when the Buffalo player suffered a near-fatal neck injury that left him partially paralyzed.

When the Giants played the Bills two weeks ago, with a now-walking Everett in attendance, the players had an emotional reunion.

A week later, in the regular-season finale against the Patriots, Hixon returned a kickoff 74 yards for a touchdown.

* Micheal Spurlock, Tampa Bay -- Like the spelling of his first name, Spurlock can pull a surprising reversal. He carved out a niche in the history of the Buccaneers by returning a kickoff for a touchdown in a game last month. It was the first such score in franchise history, meaning it only took Tampa Bay 32 years and 1,865 returns to run one back.

* Jacksonville’s coverage teams -- Considering they practice against Maurice Jones-Drew and other speedsters, the Jaguars should be a bit finer tuned than they are when it comes to stuffing returns.

In its regular-season finale against Houston, Jacksonville was burned by the Texans’ Davis, who ran back two kickoffs for touchdowns in a 42-28 victory. Not a bad way for Davis to kick off his free-agency tour.

“After what Andre did today,” Texans owner Bob McNair said, “he’s going to cost us.”

Just like a similar letdown today might cost the Jaguars.

sam.farmer@latimes.com