NFC Pro Bowl Snubs

As with All-Star voting in any professional sport, their are arguably more deserving players than there are spots on those teams. Today, I'll be starting a two-part series on the biggest snub(s) by position on the NFC Pro Bowl roster.

Quarterbacks
Voted In: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers; Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints; Eli Manning, New York Giants
Snubbed: Matthew Stafford was by far the biggest snub in the NFC. While there's little doubt that Eli Manning is a Pro-Bowl caliber quarterback, his numbers don't quite measure up to Stafford. Manning has thrown for 69 more yards, but has thrown 10 less touchdown passes, two more interceptions and has a lower quarterback rating (90.3 for Manning versus 96.6 for Stafford). Also, the fact that Stafford's team has a playoff berth locked up should have been enough to get him in.

Running Backs
Voted In: LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles; Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers; Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
Snubbed: All three of the guys listed above deserve to make the Pro Bowl, but I would personally have replaced Michael Turner with Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch. Despite having to run behind a young, average offensive line, Lynch has put up 1,118 yards (only 50 yards less than Turner) with a slightly higher yards per carry, and has scored a touchdown in 10 straight games (a Seahawks franchise record). He's also the only player to have either a 100-yard rushing performance or a rushing touchdown against the 49ers defense, and in fact recorded both just this past week.

Wide Receivers
Voted In: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions; Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals; Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers; Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers
Snubbed: Especially in the NFC, its hard to not have several deserving receivers being left off the list. My big three are Falcons' Roddy White (96 catches, 1,227 yards, 8 TD), New York's Victor Cruz (76 catches, 1,358 yards, 8 TD) and Green Bay's Jordy Nelson (59 catches, 1,101 yards, 12 TD). White leads the NFC in receptions, Cruz is second in receiving yards, and Nelson is second to Calvin Johnson in receiving touchdowns.

Tight Ends
Voted In: Jimmy Graham, New Orleans; Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons
Snubbed: I truly feel the two most deserving players made the roster, though if the Redskins Fred Davis was able to avoid using P.E.D's and receiving a four-game suspension, he'd have earned my proverbial vote over Gonzalez. Through 12 games, Davis had 59 catches, 796 yards and 3 TD.

Offensive Tackles
Voted In: Jason Peters, Philadelphia Eagles; Joe Staley, San Francisco 49ers; Jermon Bushrod, New Orleans Saints
Snubbed: No real objections here, though I would have given Green Bay's Brian Bulaga serious consideration.

Offensive Guards
Voted In: Jahri Evans, New Orleans Saints; Carl Nicks, New Orleans Saints; Davin Joseph, Tampa Bay Buccanneers
Snubbed: None. Like the tackles, these are probably the three most deserving players.

Centers
Voted In: Ryan Kalil, Carolina Panthers; Scott Wells, Green Bay Packers 
Snubbed: Not really any objections here, but I could have seen New York's David Baas in there instead of Wells, but the Giants running game has struggled this year.

Defensive Ends
Voted In: Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings; Jason Babin, Philadelphia Eagles; Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants
Snubbed: Chris Long (13 sacks) and Julius Peppers (10 sacks) are both probably more complete defensive ends than Babin and Pierre-Paul, but I don't have a big problem with any of the three selected. Detroit's Cliff Avril (11 sacks, 6 forced fumbles) also had a Pro-Bowl worthy season.

Defensive Tackles
Voted In: Justin Smith, San Francisco 49ers; Jay Ratliff, Dallas Cowboys; B.J. Raji, Green Bay Packers
Snubbed: Chicago's Henry Melton (7.5 sacks) and Philadelphia's Cullen Jenkins (5.5) are better pass rushers, all three of the players that got voted in are a more consistent disruptive force on the interior, and Smith has the ability to play the '5' technique as well.

Outside Linebackers
Voted In: DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys; Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers; Lance Briggs, Chicago Bears
Snubbed: Matthews had a somewhat disappointing year, and you could easily have plugged in 49ers rookie Aldon Smith (14 sacks), as he only needs a half-sack in the season finale to tie Jevon Kearse's rookie record. Fellow rookie Ryan Kerrigan (Redskins) has 7.5 sacks, and has had far less opportunity to rush the passer than Matthews, as his team is routinely trailing late in the game.

Inside Linebackers
Voted In: Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers; Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears 
Snubbed: NaVorro Bowman of the 49ers is also deserving, and has been more productive than his highly heralded teammate. London Fletcher of the Redskins again is leading the league in tackles, and is very underappreciated in the league.

Cornerbacks
Voted In: Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers; Carlos Rogers, San Francisco 49ers; Charles Tillman, Chicago Bears 
Snubbed: I'd have replaced Tillman with Seahawks CB Brandon Browner (6 INT, 2 returned for TD), as he's a physical corner that's strong in run support. No complaints about Woodson and Rogers though.

Free Safeties
Voted In: Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks; Dashon Goldson, San Francisco 49ers
Snubbed: Thomas DeCoud (Falcons) and Morgan Burnett (Packers) both deserved consideration, but Thomas has a bit of Ed Reed's playmaking ability, and is better in man coverage than either of those two.

Strong Safety
Voted In: Adrian Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
Snubbed: I'd have given Roman Harper of the Saints the nod over Wilson, as Harper has a ridiculous 7.5 sacks as a safety. Wilson continues to be solid against both the run and pass, and is the more complete option, so I take no issue with his selection.

Kicker
Voted In: David Akers, San Francisco 49ers
Snubbed: Akers is now the single-season record holder for field goals made with 42 and counting, and has hit at a very respectable 86% clip. You could also make an agrument for Connor Barth of the Buccanneers, who's hit 25 of 27 on the year.

Punter
Voted In: Andy Lee, San Francisco 49ers
Snubbed: Absolutely nobody. Lee was #1 in yards per punt and net yards per punt playing in windy San Francisco.

Kick Returner
Voted In: Patrick Peterson, Arizona Cardinals
Snubbed: Peterson has four punt return touchdowns of 80+ yards, the first time any player has done that in a single season in NFL history. Devin Hester has had a great year in his own right (3 total return TD), and Randall Cobb of the Packers has two as well, but Peterson was the cream of the crop this season.

Special Teamer
Voted In: Corey Graham, Chicago Bears
Snubbed: All of the guys are hard workers, but my vote was for Detroit's John Wendling, who is possibly the best gunner on punt coverage units I've ever seen.

So for a breakdown of how I did on my mid-season Pro Bowl predictions for the NFC, here's a breakdown:
18 Correct, 25 Incorrect
41.8% Accuracy