2015 NFL Pro Bowlers Least Deserving of Honor: Ladies and gentlemen, the 2015 NFL Pro Bowl has officially released the names of all of the players who made it to the big game, per NFL. Unlike so many decades weve seen pass before our very eyes, the AFC vs. NFC clash is now nothing but a distant and uncomfortable memory. Attempting to interpolate a little excitement back into this all-star contest, the league has opted for a fantasy draft to decide each team with the hopes of catching the attention of fans. No matter what the format is, there will always be one constant that drives people mad: undeserving players who get to travel down to Arizona. Because, lets face it, the Pro Bowl is still a popularity contest at heart. Breaking down the complete roster of talent, here are four guys who shouldnt have made the Pro Bowl and, more importantly, why they shouldnt have. Following each line of reasoning, well also provide you with a replacement candidate who should have taken the trip instead. LeSean McCoy In 2013, LeSean McCoy was the engine of Chip Kellys Philadelphia Eagles. Whatever you asked him to do, he did it at an extremely high level. Touching the ball on offense a total of 366 times, McCoy ran for an NFL-best 1,607 yards while picking up 539 yards receiving and scoring 11 touchdowns. His explosive quickness combined with Kellys fluid scheme paved the way for a big season. Memories are great, and so is McCoy. That doesnt mean his 2014 campaign was Pro Bowl-worthy. Through 16 weeks, the Eagles halfbacks numbers are way off his 2013 total. On 323 touches, hes rushed for 1,220 yards, caught 27 passes for 140 yards and punched the ball in the end zone a mere five times. If you think thats bad, you have to take a look at the staggering drop hes suffered in the advanced football metrics world. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) formula to judge running backs has decimated his performance this season compared to last. Take 2013 for example. That year McCoy graded out as the No. 1 runner in the game with a positive-27.3 mark. This season, out of the 57 qualifying backs, McCoy has slid all the way down to No. 56. Blame it on the arrival of Darren Sproles or his lack of ability to become a factor in the passing game, but whatever the case is, McCoy has clearly suffered a down year from a numbers angle as well as an advanced metrics one. Player who should have made it instead: Justin Forsett Stepping into a tough situation, Forsett has carried the Baltimore Ravens rushing attack and made it look easy. Prior to his stint with the Ravens, the veteran halfback had played for three teams since being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2008. His 5.3-yards-per-carry average leads the NFL amongst running backs, and his eight rushing touchdowns are three more than McCoy. Another big reason why Forsett should have gotten the nod comes down to the fact hes fumbled just one time. Not only has he been an efficient runner, but hes also been a reliable one. Patrick Peterson You cant deny the fact that Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson is a special athlete. Of all of the guys playing the position, no one can hold a candle to his physical gifts. But that doesnt mean hes worthy of a Pro Bowl spot. This year, Peterson hasnt been as sharp as hes been in years past. Take the game against the Atlanta Falcons and their freak of a wide receiver, Julio Jones, for example. In that Week 13 encounter, Jones went bonkers. With Peterson mainly serving as his shadow, he caught 10 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets. Usually when you line up against one of the top wide receivers around, your goal is to step up and show out. Judging by the numbers and the film, Peterson did the opposite of that. PFF hasnt been overly generous to Peterson, either. Going by their count, the Cardinals cornerback has surrendered 53 receptions for 738 yards and eight touchdowns on 93 targets. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons he made the Pro Bowl roster is the fact that the Cardinals as a team have been great this year. Lately, their pass defense hasnt lived up to that billing. Ranked as the 30th unit yardage-wise in the NFL, all of their defensive backs havent been tremendous in 2014. Player who should have made it instead: Desmond Trufant The second-year cornerback has really evolved into an elite option for the Falcons, and hes done it from the jump. Trufant is one guy whos done his part despite playing on an underachieving Atlanta roster. Even though hes credited with three picks on the year, hes been a star on film. He can cover any type of wide receiver you throw in his direction. Calvin Johnson Man, is it tough to put Megatron on this list. Talent-wise hes at the top of his class, and it doesnt look like hes leaving that perch any time soon. The reason he isnt as deserving as some other players in the league is because hes only been able to play 12 games this season. Still, despite missing a pretty significant amount of time, Johnson has accumulated 67 catches for 1,038 yards receiving and six touchdowns. Though most wide receivers would pray for a season like that, it doesnt change the fact that hes 16th in receiving yards and tied for 27th in touchdowns. When you break down some of the other guys who have done big things, you start to wonder if he got in strictly because of his name. Player who should have made it instead: Odell Beckham Jr. We dont even have to go into crazy detail here. New York Giants rookie Odell Beckham Jr. is beyond words. The man credited with The Catch has done so much more than stab the football out of the air with one hand. Hes also hauled in 79 passes for 1,120 yards and 11 touchdowns. A polar opposite of Johnson, Beckham has accomplished all of this greatness in just 11 games. Yes, hes that good. Jahri Evans Its confusing why New Orleans Saints guard Jahri Evans was named to the 2015 Pro Bowl. By all accounts he hasnt had a great year. Going back to the PFF vault, his negative-6.7 overall grade has him ranked as the sites 47th guard. Breaking that information down a bit further, Evans has had a few good weeks sprinkled in, but that doesnt make up for the struggles hes endured since Week 1. Evans hasnt helped his quarterback out very much either. The 33 pressures hes given up from the right guard spot are the most of any guard in the NFL, per PFF. Those kind of numbers arent very Pro Bowl-worthy. Player who should have made it instead: Joel Bitonio The Browns best player from Week 1 until Week 16 has been first-year offensive guard Joel Bitonio. Another elite offensive lineman that the Browns can add to the likes of center Alex Mack and tackle Joe Thomas, Bitonio has forced open rushing lanes and protected both of his quarterbacks extremely well. The fact that Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin got in and Bitonio didnt is a shame. Both rookies were deserving of a Pro Bowl spot. Unless noted otherwise, all game scores and information come courtesy of ESPN. Read more NFL news on BleacherReport #NFL #Opinion
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 07:54:19 +0000
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