The 5 Most Likely Chicago Bears Pro Bowl Candidates, Mid-Season Edition

Week 8 is upon us, fellow gridiron fanatics. And with that comes the time when we take a serious look at players on the team who can stake a serious claim to a Pro Bowl nod.

The Bears just haven't been as dominant defensively as they have in the past. For whatever reason, the defense just isn't clicking the way we've hoped, making us wonder if 2010 was an anomaly after three mediocre to bad defensive years since Ron Rivera was ushered out.  

That being said, part of the Pro Bowl is name recognition, and the Bears have some of the most recognizable names in the business on the defensive side of the ball.

Meanwhile, there have also been some solid performers in other areas that should and likely will get attention for their efforts.

So let us preview some of the names the Bears could send to the Pro Bowl. 

Lance Briggs

Briggs isn't having his best season this year, but he still is making enough plays that he gets noticed.  

Honestly, I don't feel Briggs deserves a nod this year, based on his performance so far. But he's been the NFC's token 4-3 outside linebacker for six straight years. And considering that James Anderson and Chad Greenway are both playing for teams with no hope for playoff berths, and thus will not get the attention Briggs will, Lance is almost assured a seventh straight Pro Bowl selection.

Julius Peppers

Peppers has been relatively quite this year, but he's missed just one Pro Bowl since 2004 and will likely be included this season.

Peppers was included last season and is on pace to record more sacks than he did last season while playing injured.

It won't hurt that Peppers was injured in the Minnesota game but still recorded two sacks anyways.

The bottom line is that Peppers has name recognition, the respect of his colleagues and is recognized for creating opportunities for his teammates.

If the voting only included two defensive ends, then Peppers might have more problems getting in, but it's difficult not to include Peppers in the top three defensive ends in the conference at this point. 

Brian Urlacher

Nobody on this defense has more name recognition than No. 54. The guy is still the face of the franchise and, with Ray Lewis, might be the most visible defensive player in the league.

How visible is he? Play Madden 12 and listen to Cris Collinsworth ramble on and on about him. Watch a Bears game on the tube and listen to whichever pair of talking heads that the networks have aired to accost your eardrums prattle on about his virtues. Make no mistake about it, this sort of visibility heavily affects Pro Bowl voting, especially the fan vote.

And the thing about it is, it's all fair. Urlacher really is still one of the best defensive players in football.

He hasn't hurt his cause with his play this season, either. He continues to make big plays when the Bears need them. He makes great plays on the biggest stages and against the best opponents.  

He's recorded three interceptions already this year and continues to do so in a fashion that makes commentators gush about his athletic ability. His interceptions of Josh Freeman and Aaron Rodgers were plays that the vast majority of linebackers in the NFL could not have made.

It's plays like that, along with his national recognizably and the respect that he is paid by the talking heads, that will usher another Pro Bowl nod into the veteran middle linebacker's hall of fame portfolio.

Devin Hester

The most electrifying man in the NFL is almost a sure bet for another Pro Bowl berth.

Let's face it, Devin is in the argument for a returner nod even if he fails to take it to the house. He's the most recognizable kick returner since Desmond Howard.

But he's taken a punt and a kick for touchdowns this year. If he had a more recognizable name, Ted Ginn Jr. would have a serious argument for his own case. But in the end, Hester doesn't just changes games, he changes the way games are played. And, big name or not, he deserves the spot.

Matt Forte

Nobody, and that includes Hester, deserves a nod more than Forte does. In fact, I'd make the argument that Forte deserves the NFL MVP award.

Forte is second in the NFC in rushing yards behind only future hall-of-famer Adrian Peterson, and he's eighth in the league and first among running backs in receptions.

The man has accounted for 1,091 yards from scrimmage in just seven games and is on pace to break Walter Payton's record for that statistic in Chicago. He has a legitimate shot at breaking Chris Johnson's NFL mark in the same category if he continues to play like this.

Pro Football Focus currently has Forte rated at the top of its rushing and receiving categories for running backs.

Prior to this season, Forte wasn't legitimately in the conversation when discussing elite backs in the league. However, you can't legitimately have the conversation without him at this point.

Others of Interest

There are some players who have an outside chance to earn a berth in this years Pro Bowl, but who will not likely get it—even if they earn it.

First would be Charles Tillman. It is nearly impossible for a cover-two corner to make the Pro Bowl. They just aren't high profile enough in the scheme. But Tillman is quietly having a much better than advertised season.  

He's not allowed a touchdown, has forced two fumbles already, had a good day blanketing Calvin Johnson and is currently leading the team in tackles and is second in passes defended.  

But the lack of interceptions will hurt him as much as being a cover-two corner will. There have been a few years over his career that Peanut deserved consideration, and so far, this has been one of them. But don't hold your breath waiting for him to get a roster spot.

Robbie Gould is among the most accurate kickers of all time and has performed at that level while playing half of his games in the Windy City. Yet, he's overlooked yearly for the Pro Bowl, only gaining that recognition in the 2006 Super Bowl season.

Why? Leg strength. He just doesn't have the distance that some of the other kickers in the league possess, and thus doesn't get the recognition he deserves. He has an outside chance again this year, but expect someone like Mason Crosby to actually get the nod.

If there were a spot reserved for long-snappers—and there should be, as it's a specialty position just like kickers—Patrick Mannelly would likely already be a multiple-time Pro Bowler. But alas, the NFL hasn't seen fit to show the position the respect it deserve yet, so Mannelly will sit at home while Ryan Kalil or the like handle the long-snapping duties at the Pro Bowl.

Corey Graham has a shot at making the game as a special teams player. Many felt he was robbed of the nod last year when Eric Weems was voted into the special teams spot largely on his return game, even though there's a return specialist vote than he lost.  

For those of you that wonder where Jay Cutler is—barring a complete collapse by Matthew Stafford, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning and Alex Smith—Jay is having a decent year but shouldn't legitimately be considered for a spot on the Pro Bowl Roster. There are just too many quarterbacks having good years for Jay to get by with a decent year. Sorry, but he just doesn't have a shot unless he has a historic nine game run to finish the season.

And now it's your turn, ladies and gentlemen. Step up to the soap box below and let your voice be heard.