Making the NFL Pro Bowl Selections
Part II: NFC Pro Bowl Selections
by Chris Clement
The AFC selections went pretty damn well, I think. Let’s tackle ye ole NFC, which I may say has taken a step backwards.
Let’s get this rolling…
QB: Drew Brees,
No brainer. I’ve propped him up time and time again. Hell, he’d get my MVP-vote. Why? Without LT,
QB: Tony Romo, Dallas
Why? With only 8 real games?
QB: Mike Vick,
Wow, he’s lost some games, but he’s won more than Bulger has. At his best, he’s #2 to Brees this year. At times, he’s the #2 QB on his team. Nevertheless, he should’ve been in.
“Snubs”: Marc Bulger,
The lack of turnovers might be there, but that’s more a credit to increased touches for Action Jackson. There’s just not enough at 6-8 to get the nomination.
RB: Stephen Jackson,
Gore is a great starter, but I’ll take
RB: Frank Gore,
What a season! What a talent! I love the big plays, but it’s all those redzone fumbles that dump him into the #2 spot. Nevertheless, he is amazing and I hope this can continue. He is a special talent.
RB: Tiki Barber, NY Giants
Wow, how does he sneak into this spot? While I love the Westbrook-hype online, he can’t get in over Tiki. Minus these idiotic Jacobs carries (never proven to be more effective than Barber EVER), and Tiki has 8-10 TDs and not 2. While not a fixture in the passing game, he’s all the Giants have that is steady on offense. Even Plex gets garbage TDs inside the 20 more often than not after Tiki and others get them downfield.
“Snubs”:
WR: Torry Holt,
Big game. Big game. Big game. Despite the 5-game hiccup, he is a flat-out stud. Alongside guys like Manning, Taylor, Bailey, and LT, he is a staple in the Pro Bowl.
WR: Terrell Owens, Dallas [Starter]
Yeah, the drops. I know. The attitude. The spitting. He’s a dick. But he has 11 TDs and commands double-coverage. Imagine without the drops -- 200 more yards and 5 more TDs maybe. Even with that and his attitude, he is a Pro Bowl starter.
WR: Donald Driver,
Steve Smith missed two games and his team tanked with him aboard. Driver was on a terrible team, but fought off constant double-teams and always was willing to go up the middle for the tough yards. He played well no matter what the situation. He has earned Pro Bowl status this season.
WR: Darrell Jackson, Seattle
DJax has 10 TDs and has only missed one game so far. He might put up 12 or 13 and lead the NFL for all we know. I’d like to see him stay healthy for this game; then again my picks don’t count. He had better be a first or second alternate, because he’s earned it with Shaun & Matt down most of the season.
“Snubs”: Steve Smith,
He should be in. But I really wanted Driver & Jackson in. Sorry, Steve. You’ll be penciled in every year because you earn it.
TE: Alge Crumpler,
Not the best year, but he deserves to start again. He’s all Vick has. I wish he didn’t have the dropsies, but then again, look at his QB.
TE: Jeremy Shockey, NY Giants
There should only be one tight end in the NFC this year. His TDs seem inflated a bit and I honestly wonder if he’s earned this. He isn’t the best team player and sometimes seems to take a lot of plays off. Maybe I’m tough on him. We shall see.
T: Walter Jones,
Flozell will get me some trouble, but he protects Romo well and handles most pass rushers. He can be quite dominant, but I don’t know if I buy Brown as a starter over Flozell right now. Walter Jones … no questions asked. He’s the top offensive lineman in the league.
G: Shawn Andrews, Philadelphia & Chris
You saw how much Snee was missed last week when Eli felt blitz pressure early and often. He is the glue on a very shaky line at times. Andrews has turned into a stud that Westbrook can actually follow into a gap or two.
C: Olin Kreutz, Chicago [Starter] Matt Birk,
Kreutz has been the class of the NFC for the past few years while Birk has rebounded nicely from missing 2005 to aid Chester Taylor’s breakout. Nobody else seems to stand out honestly.
Let’s shake it on over to the D.
DE: Aaron Kampman,
Leonard Little can’t pass Peppers, despite him being a bit overrated in an overall sense this year. Kampman has been building up to this year and I’m glad he’s gotten the due after a great year. Will Smith has finally lived up to his potential.
DT: Tommie Harris,
Don’t let the Kris Jenkins online-hype fool you; these three are right. Williams and Williams combined to put up an all-time great rush defense. The numbers are staggering. As for Harris, without the injury, he would finish top five in the defensive player of the year category. Check that -- he already will.
OLB: Lance Briggs, Chicago & DeMarcus Ware, Dallas [Starters] Julian Peterson, Seattle
Damn. They really got it right here. Very well done.
ILB: Brian Urlacher, Chicago [Starter] Marcus Washington, Washington
Keep it up, NFL. Lofa Tatupu has been steady, but Julian is the Seattle LB I want in. Marcus is a stud and deserves the spot. He will be an alternate and might even get in. Marcus is an overachiever, and I respect that. I’ll let him slide of Pierce (who lets up some huge plays to tight ends he’s shadowing) and the NFL selection (Lofa).
CB: Al Harris,
Gonna get some HEAT. Al Harris, via online pressure, has definitely deserved this spot. His performance against the studs is pretty damn good when you break it down. He and Woodson, when healthy, have been all the Pack has had. He was sloppy when I saw him with the Jets. Yet, he was not as sloppy as his teammates were. As for Newman, he gave up quite a few bigger plays as of late, but in the end had too good of a year at his position. He hits better than expected and doesn’t draw as many penalties as other top backs. Walt Harris was also a selection that surprised most. Man, he sucked last year at
S: Brian Dawkins,
Sorry, but Roy Williams gives up too many big plays. While he makes more than most, I’ll take
Special teams? No complaints again with special teams. Boo ya!
P: Matt McBriar, Dallas
K: Robbie Gould, Chicago
KR: Devin Hester, Chicago
ST: Brendon Ayanbadejo, Chicago
Hope to hear some feedback. Plenty to argue with. A lack of knowledge, to a degree, might hurt me with my NFC o-line especially.
Posts
5 comments:
1. I have no problem with the Vick pick over Bulger, but the argument that Vick "has won more games" than Bulger. Come on? Vick has also lost more games than Bulger has. In two games this year (v. PIT and @ CIN), Vick showed us what he can really do at the QB position when he goes through his progressions and reads.
2. For special teams, I'd go with "not the Philadelphia Eagles." Reno Mahe should've never made the 64-yard return last week because he should've been cut a long time ago. And we always get called for holding. By always, I mean about 80% of the time in losses.
3. Objectively, I don't buy TO because of the drops. He dropped a sure TD in the Washington loss, dropped 3 against Philly and gave up on a ball that was INT'd (i.e. pulling a Plexico). Not to mention, he's a major pain in the ass and his downfield blocking has taken a slide this year.
4. At guard, I like the rookie Jahri Evans as possibly a snub. He's been an awesome second-day steal.
5. Tommie Harris has been overrated during the 2nd half of the season. He hasn't been as effective for awhile before the injury sidelined him (PFT highlighted his stats).
6. I don't know about 2 Redskins. That defense has been utter crap this season and Marcus Washington has missed more tackles than usual. Taylor has improved but still struggles on pass coverage. I agree on Roy Horsecollar.
Good job here...given the absolute crap that the NFC gives to work with. You kno that anytime you "have" to let a guy who's only played 8 games (the king Homo himself) in, you're working with utter crap.
I'll agree w/ Pay on the argument for Vick being weak. If we're going on that basis, then Rex "Mr. Inconsistency" Grossman would be in.
I'd also put in Westbrook...just not sure at whose expense.
Also, Marcus Washington, though he is a beast, is not an ILB. He's an outside linebacker. Lemar Marshall is the 'Skins ILB.
Oh ... and Shockey over Cooley? If it weren't for Cooley stepping it up, Jason Campbell would've had a more miserable intro to the NFL than Tavaris Jackson last night.
I really struggled not putting Cooley in. But as a fantasy owner, I've dissected a lot of his flaws. The drops aren't TO-ish in numbers, but there seems to be one trouble drop a game for me. Then again, who isn't guilty of this at times.
I know about Marcus Washington, but I wanted him in there. Even if he's been better, his athleticism first-hand was a treat during the Skins/Cowboys game. It's the plays he doesn't make, somehow, that impress me more when he's eating up a tough block on the edge or covering a tight end well (except for Witten on the deep-ball at home, of course).
I liked what Pay had to say. The Vick-Bulger thing was dissected perfectly. While Grossman could enter the equation, he is such a liability at times (perhaps that is what the coaching staff and the press had made him)...he can't get in over Mike or Marc. Not for me at least.
Thanks for the feedback.
I was anonymous. Ten seconds later I remembered my password.
I am an idiot.
And of course you all knew it was me from the start.
But it merited note.
I suppose...
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