8 Chicago Bears Who Deserve Pro Bowl Nods

It usually seems to follow that winning teams get more love in Pro Bowl voting, so with the Bears on a roll it just figures that they will be represented again this year.

Despite the untimely loss of quarterback Jay Cutler to a broken thumb, the team should continue to win.

Caleb Hanie just needs to be a game manager and limit his mistakes, and watch Matt Forte, the defense and special teams all do their thing.

Meanwhile, on to more pleasant things, like figuring how who deserves a spot on the Pro Bowl. Now, I'm sure that the Bears will only place two or three on the team, along with second-eamers.

But I'll name all the players who I think are deserving and let the voters sort out the rest.

Let me know where you disagree or if you have players you think I may have missed.

Matt Forte

Forte has slowed down the past couple of weeks, but he is still having a Pro Bowl type of season for the Bears.

No. 22 has run for almost 1,000 yards and has another 465 yards as a receiver coming out of the backfield. Forte has also blocked well and yes, he has even thrown a pass (incomplete).

He is averaging 5.0 yards per carry running behind a suspect Bears offensive line. In short, he has been such a huge part of the offense, and now with Cutler down, will be counted on even more.

In the NFC, only Philadelphia's LeSean "Shady" McCoy has run for more yards and Forte ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing yards.

Only Ray Rice of the Ravens has more yards receiving than Forte has as a running back. If he doesn't make the Pro Bowl, it will be a major surprise.

Jay Cutler

Prior to the injury, Cutler was playing at a very high level. I know it's a numbers game, and there are too many good QBs in the league for Cutler to make it, but I could make a case for him if he was healthy.

Cutler has 2,319 yards passing and was on his way to about 4,000 yards despite getting sacked 23 times. He has cut down on his interceptions, with 13 TDs and seven INTs.

But it's not the numbers where Cutler shows his true value.

This is a guy playing behind a line that has him sacked and hit as much as any QB since he's been in Chicago. Plus, he doesn't have weapons around him

He has one of the poorer set of receivers as compared to the other elite QBs in the NFL.

All that, and he's led his teams to a 20-6 record over the past two seasons; not bad for a guy Denver fans said wasn't a winner.

Charles Tillman

I realize that Tillman was burnt toast on Sunday against Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, but even when he plays poorly in coverage, he does other things to help the team (like stripping the ball).

Tillman is the best in the league at punching that ball out. And prior to the Chargers game, he had been covering receivers like a blanket and there had been a lot of chatter about a Pro Bowl berth.

Well, one bad game should not end his aspirations, and even in that supposedly bad game he caused and recovered a fumble while leading the team in tackles.

Against Detroit, he and his fellow secondary brothers won the game all by themselves; he had five tackles and an interceptions returned for a touchdown.

Further, he held "Megatron" to seven catches despite having 19 passes thrown his way.  

Corey Graham

Graham should make the team for his special teams play. He led the NFL in tackles as a special teamer last year and it seems guys catch up the following year.

Not that Graham isn't playing well once again on special teams—he is—it's just that he deserved it last year when he led the team with 25 tackles.

He is even getting some time at cornerback filling in at nickle with DJ Moore injured. In limited time, he already has two interceptions.

The Bears think enough of Graham that with veteran long snapper Patrick Mannelly on injured reserve because of a torn ACL, they  have decided that Graham will be the team's special teams captain.

Graham is tied with rookie linebacker Dom DeCicco for second on the team in special teams tackles with 12, two behind overall leader Brian Iwuh.

Last Sunday, he made a key contribution by downing a punt on the Chargers' 3-yard line.

Lance Briggs

Briggs has played well despite being unhappy with his contract, and is a six-time Pro Bowl selection, which is pretty damn good for a third-round pick.

Briggs leads the Bears in tackles this season with 74 and has caused two fumbles.

This is not a defense where Briggs can pile up a lot of stats like sacks, but he stands out as a solid, consistent member of a defense that often has to overcome bad offensive showings.

As a weak-side linebacker, he uses his speed to make tackles. This is the perfect defense for him and he owes a lot of his performance to Lovie Smith.

Devin Hester

As a return man, Hester is the best ever; so good, in fact, that people are debating whether he will someday make the Hall of Fame. If so, he would be the first ever to make it solely as a return man.

He has 17 TDs in his 85-game career, most recently an 82-yard punt return against the Detroit Lions, plus one more in the playoffs.

Even when he doesn't run one back for a TD, he changes the game by giving the team great field position.

The Bears will need that field position going forward now that Caleb Hanie is the QB.

Julius Peppers

Julius Peppers has not racked up the sack totals he had in his years with Caroline, but he disrupts the opponent's offense more than any other player on the Bears defense.

On a team with no inside pass rush, everyone tries to stop Peppers yet he still creates havoc. The other defensive ends, like Israel Idonije, are not playing well this year. 

Peppers has six sacks even though he's been playing most of the season with a bad knee.

Brian Urlacher

Urlacher is so amazing that Bear fans sometimes take him for granted. But, like Briggs, you cannot measure his effectiveness based on stats alone.

As the captain of the Bears defense making the calls, he is asked to do much more than other middle linebackers.

He still uses his speed to cover receivers out of the backfield while racking up 65 tackles and two forced fumbles on the season. He also has three interceptions this season

He is a future Hall of Famer and is a seven-time Pro Bowl and five-time All-Pro selection.