Who Was Snubbed from the NFL Pro Bowl?

There aren’t enough spots on the Pro Bowl to include every player.  Subsequently, it seems every year there are players who should be on the Pro Bowl that get left out in the cold.  This year is no different.

Quarterback
Philip Rivers: How can you leave the guy with the best QB rating in the league off the Pro Bowl roster in favor of the guy with the most INTs?  Not only that, but after this weekend he’ll be tops in the AFC in yardage.  He’s already tops with 28 TDs. 

I have no problem with Peyton or Cutler on the squad, but they should be the backups to Rivers.

Tony Romo: Despite missing three games, Romo is sixth in the NFC in passing yards.  Eli is eighth.  Romo is third in TD passes while Eli is sixth.  Romo is tops in passer rating while Eli is ninth.  Eli has a better record, but it’s a team game.  The Giants are a much more complete team.  QBs get more credit and blame than they should.

The numbers don’t lie.

*Drew Brees: I know he made the team, but he should be the starter.  He has more yards and TDs passes than Kurt Warner, with a similar passer rating and completion percentage.  He also has had far fewer weapons to work with.

Running Back
Steve Slaton: Ronnie Brown?  Really?  Sure he has a whopping one more TD than Slaton, but let’s compare the yardage.  Slaton has 297 more rushing and 87 more receiving yards than Ronnie.  That’s 384 more total yards.  He’s also averaging 4.9 yards per carry to Ronnie’s 4.2. 

I love the comeback Ronnie Brown made, but Slaton is having a better year.

DeAngelo Williams: Portis had a great first half of the year.  DeAngelo had a great second half.  How do you score 16 TDs through 14 games and miss the Pro Bowl?  His 1,350 total yards don’t compare with Portis’ 1,544, but Portis has nine fewer TDs.  If Eli was rewarded for his team’s success, how come that same standard didn’t apply to DeAngelo?

Wide Receiver
There are no AFC WRs snubs that I see.  Randy Moss is close, but I don’t know who’d I’d omit.

Calvin Johnson: While all of the WRs that made it are deserving, I would say Calvin has had a more impressive season than Steve Smith.  Smith has five more receptions and 75 more receiving yards, but has four fewer TDs.  Not to mention Smith had a more favorable QB situation.  I don’t want to hear about Smith playing two fewer games. 

I can give you some leeway if you’re injured, but nobody told him to bust his teammate’s nose for him.

Tight End
Dallas Clark: Just because Antonio Gates always goes to the Pro Bowl doesn’t mean he should get an automatic berth.  Gates hasn’t played this week yet, but he’s 18 receptions and 177 yards behind Clark.  They each have six TDs so Gates can go ahead of him this weekend, but to me Clark has had a more productive season.

Defensive End
*Jared Allen: He made the team, but he should be starting.  He has battled multiple injuries this year, and still has more sacks than Julius Peppers or Justin Tuck.

Linebacker
D’Qwell Jackson: It would be hard to tell Ray Lewis or James Farrior to take a hike, but how do you leave a guy with 136 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 INTs off the roster?  He has 32 more tackles than Ray Lewis.

Barrett Ruud: Ruud has 117 tackles compared to teammate Derrick Brooks’ 63.  Ruud also has three sacks to Brooks’ zero and two INTs to Brooks’ one.  I love Brooks, but I think he got in on reputation.  London Fletcher complained about missing the team, but Ruud had 2.5 more Sacks, 2 more INTs, and just one less tackle than Fletcher.

*Indicates they are on the Pro Bowl roster