We are just short of a third of the way through the season and there is a lot of football left to be played, but it’s fun to think about how many Pro Bowlers this team could end up having. If everyone continues playing as they have been playing, this team could have as many as 14 guys in the Pro Bowl. Of course, that would be virtually unprecedented and is not likely to happen, but we have a lot of guys who will draw consideration if they keep playing as they have been. Here’s how I see the candidates: 1. Jake Long – He’s made it every year. Once an OL starts a run like that he usually gets voted in whether he’s earned it or not. I’m not sure he’s playing at a Pro Bowl level, but I don’t think there been a dramatic enough drop off to affect his reputation enough for him not to make it. 2. Mike Pouncey – He’s playing at a very high level. He has the first round pick pedigree and his brother has made it in the past. Starting to hear a lot of talk that Mike is better. 3. Reggie Bush – He’s on pace for 1,334 rushing yards and 10 TDs on 4.8 ypc, to go along with 38 receptions for around 300 yards. 4. Brian Hartline – He’s on pace for 1,645 receiving yards on 99 receptions. 5. Davone Bess – On pace for 1107 receiving yards on 70 catches. Probably not enough to get in at that pace, but if he can pick it up just a little . . . 6. Jorvorskie Lane – His numbers aren’t anything special, but there simply aren’t that many great true FBs. Vonta Leach made it last year with just 104 combined yards from scrimmage and no TDs. Lane has 2 TDs already and is on pace for more yards than Leach had last year. I wouldn’t bet on Lane making it, but I see it as a possibility. 7. Cameron Wake – Has made it before and is on pace for 17.5 sacks. 8. Randy Starks – Has made it before and is on pace for 11 sacks (and also has the INT, which is unlikely to be duplicated) and is one of the anchors of the league’s best run defense and statistically one of the best of all time. 9. Paul Soliai – His numbers are nothing special, but that isn’t usually a problem for NTs or run stuffing 4-3 DTs. Like Starks he is one of the anchors of a run defense that is on pace to possibly be the best ever. 10. Karlos Dansby – Has never made the Pro Bowl but has been considered on the fringe for a long time now. One of the better all-around ILBs and, again, an important piece of the league’s top run defense. 11. Sean Smith – Still has some lapses, but seems to have taken his game to another level. Is being recognized as the clear No. 1 CB facing the toughest matchups and is on pace for 6+ INTs. 12. Reshad Jones – He’s playing very well against the run and has been solid against the pass. On pace for 6+ INTs. A longshot to make it, but I think it is within reach. 13. Brandon Fields – Averaging more than 50 yards per punt. There’s some tough competition out there with punting numbers seemingly going crazy, but he has a chance. 14. Marcus Thigpen – Has one return TD and solid, but not league leading numbers overall. But if he can take another 1 (or 2) to the house, he’d have a shot.
IMO Fields blew his shot last game, not a pro bowl performance with not being able to pin them deep late a few times.
It wasn't a good game but there is also very little chance that the Pro Bowl voters will ever know about or notice that. If he ends up at or near the top of the league in gross and net average, he'll have a good shot.
I think Wake is the only guy who's a lock. Normally you'd say Jake Long but I think people are noticing he's having a down year. Wouldn't surprise me if he gets in on reputation alone though. If Reggie hadn't gotten hurt, he'd probably be there as well. Gonna be hard for Fields to get in over Lechler. He's made it the last 4 years and is having another solid year this year.
Pouncey Wake Bush Lane Starks Soliai Dansby Those are all guys who would be locks IMO if the season ended today. Who knows how the rest of the year will play out though.
Long, Bush, Wake, and Smith have realistic chances. Everyone else either suffers from a lack of name recognition or has a fatal flaw (example: Hartline and Bess lack TDs).
Pouncey, Wake, and Starks are the most realistic and most deserving. If Bush stays healthy he has a very good shot. Hartline will need some more TDs, but if he breaks 1300 yards he should be in. Sean Smith has a chance. The most deserving guy who isn't getting the love IMO is Reshad Jones. He has been very good this year. His name isn't recognizable so he's going to need to keep getting picks to legitimately get the call, but I think he's been one of the best safeties in football thus far.
I think Mike Pouncey is a good possibility. And he even deserves it, which is nice. For now the only other guy I think you can definitely expect to get in would be Cam Wake. The best shots among the outside-looking-in guys would be Randy Starks and Karlos Dansby, especially Starks because he's well-respected out there. Marvin Lewis singled him out prior to the game. I think Dansby will get in because of a weaker AFC field this year, and because he's well known and well respected, yet everyone also knows that for some reason one way or another he's never been. This will be his year. In a conference with Jamaal Charles, Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew and Arian Foster, with guys like Stevan Ridley, C.J. Spiller and Trent Richardson also making at least as much noise as Reggie Bush, it's tough to imagine Reggie getting in. Well to remember that Reggie Bush's numbers are trending down due to a knee injury. Neither of the receivers will make it, nor do they deserve to make it. Hartline is on pace for a lot of yards (funny thing about 'pace', when n is low) but he's on pace for like 3 touchdowns and people aren't going to respect you at that position unless you're proven to be able to score. Surprisingly, Jorvorskie Lane may have a shot at this...because there aren't many true fullbacks and they're clearly toying with him as a tailback and they love calling plays designed for him to catch the ball (though one way or another for some reason only one or two of those play calls have panned out that way, weirdly). Still, this is a long shot. Paul Soliai might have trouble getting the votes because of his playing time. But he might legitimately deserve consideration. Still he plays a position where you're going to have to fight Vince Wilfork and Haloti Ngata to get into the Pro Bowl as this particular KIND of space-eating defensive tackle. Kevin Burnett's not garnering any votes nor Koa Misi. Nor Reshad Jones, Richard Marshall or Chris Clemons. The most questionable is Sean Smith. Darrelle Revis getting hurt really does open the door to some other guys. I think Johnathan Joseph's going for the second year in a row, personally. Devin McCourty has been there once before as a rookie and with him having another good year and the way everyone loves to lap up everything the Patriots do when they're winning...I think he's in. Then you have to think about Champ Bailey, Lardarius Webb and Brandon Flowers. They're all doing pretty well too and nobody feels like they owe anything to a Sean Smith to get him in. Overall I'd have to say he's not getting in. The guy I left out...is Jake Long. This is a tough one to call but I think he may get snubbed for the first time. I think we can all agree he doesn't necessarily deserve it. Thing is, Joe Thomas and Ryan Clady are about as popular annual Pro Bowl types as Jake Long, and now that Clady is pass protecting for the fragile Peyton Manning that makes him even more a lock. Thing is, for the other spots, if you're really looking at it...Duane Brown deserves to be in there. That's one of the best teams in football, one of the best offenses in football, and he's one of the best players on the offense. Thing is I believe Jake Long has let up 3 sacks this year. I don't think Brown has let up any, I don't think Clady has, and Thomas has let up only one. I think the situation is pretty ripe for guys like Michael Roos, Andrew Whitworth and Nate Solder to make a bid. Especially the latter, since as I said before the market tends to lap up whatever the Patriots are serving especially when they're scoring touchdowns and winning ball games. OC: Mike Pouncey DT: Randy Starks DE: Cameron Wake LB: Karlos Dansby
Jake Long will get in on reputation alone. He could give up 10 more sacks and still make the Pro Bowl.
Misi is playing high caliber football at Sam in my opinion but with him being more of a two-down guy than a three-down guy, no I don't believe he gets serious consideration.
We're about to test that one...because, in addition to his potentially not making the Pro Bowl, sadly I believe he might also be on pace to let up 10 sacks.
He had given up 2 sacks prior to yesterday and yesterday I could swear I watched him give up a sack to Michael Johnson. But maybe I'm wrong about that.
Oh ok. So he's given up 2 sacks then. Well if he gets control of that then I think he'll go to his 5th straight Pro Bowl. But I really do feel like there will be a push for a new guy like a Nate Solder to get in there especially if the Pats are doing well, in addition to Duane Brown whom I believe is destined at this point. Between Clady, Long and Thomas, I think Long has the weakest case.
I think Jones could have a chance CK. Being a relative no-name hurts him, but right now there isn't a safety in the AFC with more INTs. His true value is more than picks, but if he continues to get them along with his play in the run game he has a chance IMO. Yeremiah Bell went and IMO, Jones has been better so far than Bell was that season.
Bell had been in the league a long time earning respect the hard way. Reshad Jones isn't going to get in based on 2 interceptions, one of which came in total garbage time against the Raiders. When it comes to that position you're fighting names, not just guys performing well. All Troy Polamalu has to do is show up on the field a few snaps a game and he gets in. Same with Ed Reed. That's 2 of 5 spots already locked up without even looking at any numbers. And Eric Weddle is fast becoming a (somewhat deserved) annual Pro Bowl guy. He's got a fat contract, name value, he's been there before, and he's got as many interceptions as Reshad Jones (none garbage time). Guys like Ryan Clark, T.J. Ward and Jairus Byrd have more claim on the coveted ballots than a guy like Reshad Jones. I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you.
Name recognition is why I think Mike Pouncey's brother gets in before he does. It seems every year a person or two gets selected on name. It usually, IMO, takes two good years for a new name to replace a pro bowler. Long probably didn't deserve to go last year, and may not deserve it this year too. So iMO, he would be out unless he starts to dominate the players against him. Even guys like Wake, could not be named starters.
Misi's problem from a recognition standpoint is he's playing two down football...less than 65% of defensive snaps. Soliai playing about 60%. Both are strong reasons the Dolphins are so vicious against the run, but both will go unrecognized.
Oh absolutely. When you come to a Miami forum and have to work hard to justify why a player should be making the Pro Bowl, then how's that going.to play in the minds of the 31 other clubs? Suffice to say a lot of players will be voting for Misi. But he won't get in. I know it's not cool for Miami fans to like Jeff Ireland draft picks, but Misi is playing very, very well indeed.
I agree that Misi is playing great, but if you're gonna make the Pro Bowl as a linebacker, you're gonna have double-digit sacks. That's just how the Pro Bowl is.
As I said, he won't get in. But Dolphins fans should be aware of just how well he's playing. Because I suspect about 85% believe he's a mope.
Misi?? Oh hell, he's a mope. And Mike Pouncey was a horrible pick and Brian Hartline is too white to play WR.
The irony is that the way I view Koa Misi's position in this new defense, the guy playing there could be so much more. If there's a position on the field in this defense that lends itself to a combination player that could come in and play reckless two down football against the run and screen game, and then put his hand down and rush the passer on the pass downs...it's Koa Misi's position. But Misi is just never going to be that guy on third down. He has to be right now at times just because we're so awful at that third down pass rush end position but he's not really any good at it. You could grab a Jarvis Jones or a Dion Jordan, tell them to be vicious, super physical guys on 1st and 2nd down, then have them come to the line as an outside pass rusher on 3rd down. If they've got the stamina, they could do it. Personally, I would go the other direction. I hate to cannibalize a Koa Misi who is finally giving you something worth looking at. And linebackers only get better with age, it seems to me. I would go the complete other direction and try and get myself a bonafied, every down, every facet, complete-game defensive end. That's a much more daunting prospect, but more rewarding. That's why I love a guy like Bjoern Werner. To me, he's the closest I see in this Draft to that kind of player. You train him on to be an every down play maker at defensive end...have him work opposite Cameron Wake who is stupendous...and you've got something cooking. Especially with that linebacker crew backing them up. Bjoern Werner, James Gayle, Dion Jordan and Alex Okafor...these are your more well-rounded guys that could fill the job. If you want the pure pass rushing ferraris then Barkevious Mingo, Corey Lemonier and Cornellius Carridine fit that bill. Jarvis Jones is more of a multiple player and Dion Jordan has the capability of being one (already is one in Oregon's defense). Alex Okafor might be able to be a little multiple.
The sack that came from the left side should have gone to Incognito as he blocked down towards the center of the line leaving a huge hole. Long did give up a couple QB pressures...
The only guys I think currently deserve it are Pouncey and Wake… I would leave the door open for Jones but a lot of things would have to happen for him to make it.
Sean is holding his opponents to under 50 percent, has two picks, one saving a TD, good tackle amount, and has kept quiet two of the top 5 receivers in the game..during the first quarter, I'm not sure they're 4 guys in the afc playing better.
A lot of the probowl beyond the coaches is fan voting though. So Long could make it on name alone. Pouncey SHOULD make it....but we need to win more games to get him notice. I could see Jones getting in if he keeps picking up these interceptions. I don't care that one was in garbage time....it's just nice to see INT's out of our secondary!
I'm by no means holding my breath, and obviously it's going to take more than 2 picks. But if he ends up with, like 6, and continues to play as well as he has, I think he has a chance. Teams must have to game plan for him at this point and that should make people around the league take notice.
