2012 NFL Pro Bowl: 3 Kansas City Chiefs Players Who Deserve a Trip to Hawaii

With the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl fan ballots in and counted, the Kansas City Chiefs come out on the short end of this year's voting.

Granted, something like this usually happens when your team continually flirts with disaster. Despite Kansas City's outside shot at a playoff berth, the Chiefs flopped so badly to start the season that fans started a "Suck for Luck" campaign.

Despite miserable team performances throughout the year, a few players distinguished themselves on the field and deserve not only the appreciation of their fans, but a round-trip ticket to sunny Honolulu this time next month.

Outside Linebacker Tamba Hali

At the close of the Pro Bowl fan voting, Hali ranked a ridiculous fifth to represent the AFC at linebacker. Hali ranks second in the AFC with 13 sacks; only Baltimore's Terrell Suggs boasts stronger stats.

Hali dominates opposing left tackles, who often resort to holding Hali to prevent the sack.

If you don't believe that, watch Sunday's game against Green Bay and count how many times Hali finds himself in a Packer head lock. Hali could have doubled his sack total and added a safety without those holds.

The rest of the season looked like this as well. Few players can match Hali's motor. At one point against Green Bay a referee helped Hali up not because he was injured, but apparently because he'd exhausted himself constantly rushing Aaron Rodgers.

It didn't keep him from going right back at it, though, and Kansas City's disappointing season shouldn't keep Hali from going to Aloha Stadium, either.

Cornerback Brandon Flowers

Each year, pundits mention Flowers as ''underrated." This year provides a slight aberration to that trend as Flowers ranks third in Pro Bowl voting.

Kansas City's defense ranks a respectable ninth against the pass. Granted, losing five games by 27 or more points in a season lends itself to more running plays to bleed the clock.

That disclaimer in, Flowers continues to play at an upper-tier level. The Chiefs broke the code on stopping the Packers largely based on Hali's rushing paired with Flowers' and Brandon Carr's man-coverage skills.

The Chiefs recognized Flowers' value in the secondary with a major contract extension earlier this year. Voters should recognize it as well with a Pro Bowl selection.

Inside Linebacker Derrick Johnson

The biggest travesty in the fan voting, next to selecting Green Bay's entire offensive line, is Derrick Johnson's complete Pro Bowl snub. Johnson ranks second in the AFC for solo tackles, along with two sacks, an interception and a forced fumble to his record.  

Johnson controls the middle of the field with his sideline-to-sideline speed and excels at shooting the gap in run support. The highly-regarded prospect from Texas blossomed at the end of the 2009 season and never looked back.

The Chiefs should be grateful to have him on their team; so should the AFC squad this year.