Category: Pro Bowl

Khalil Mack, Cordarrelle Patterson lead Bears in fan voting for Pro Bowl

There are already a couple of Bears that have garnered a lead at their positions early on in fan voting for the Pro Bowl.

[jwplayer cylqU7r0-ThvAeFxT]

With fan voting officially underway for the 2021 Pro Bowl, there are already a couple of Chicago Bears that have garnered a lead at their positions early on in the process.

Khalil Mack leads all NFC outside linebackers with 47,689 votes. Mack leads the Bears with 6.5 sacks this season, and he’s rebounded following an underwhelming year in 2019. Mack is the second-highest graded edge rusher in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. Mack’s ability to impact games has been something that continues to resonate with fans.

Then there’s Cordarrelle Patterson, who leads all return specialists in the NFC with 79,010 votes. Patterson leads the NFL with 787 kick return yards with an average of 30.27 yards per return, which ranks second in the league. Patterson returned a kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings back in Week 10.

There are also a handful of other deserving players on this Bears team, including inside linebacker Roquan Smith, who is having not only a Pro-Bowl year but an All-Pro year. Also, Allen Robinson remains one of the best receivers in the NFL, as he continues to thrive in a struggling offense.

Fans can continue to vote for their favorite players through Dec. 17 at NFL.com/ProBowlVote. In the final two weeks — from Dec. 1-17 — fans can also vote on Twitter by tweeting the first the first and last name of the player, the player’s official Twitter handle, or a hashtag including the player’s first and last name. They must also include the hashtag: #ProBowlVote.

Fan voting will count for one-third of the vote, with the coaches and players each accounting for the other third. Those players and coaches will cast their votes on Friday, Dec. 18.

[listicle id=462786]

 

DeAndre Hopkins, Budda Baker among top Pro Bowl vote-getters

Hopkins has received the fifth-most votes in the entire league, while Baker leads all safeties in the NFC and NFL.

The Arizona Cardinals have a pair of players who get national recognition from fans. The NFL just released the first results of Pro Bowl voting. Receiver DeAndre Hopkins and safety Budda Baker made the list.

Hopkins is one of the top vote-getters in the entire NFL and also leads his position. He has received the fifth-most Pro Bowl votes in the NFL with 127,039 votes.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes leads all players with 143,355 total votes.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (139,839), Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (131,875) and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (127,868) are second, third and fourth, respectively.

Hopkins naturally leads all NFC receivers in Pro Bowl votes.

Baker is the top NFC safety vote-getter with 95,234. He has more than 24,000 more votes than Kansas City Chiefs and former Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu, whose 70,941 votes lead his position group in the AFC.

Hopkins getting national love is no surprise. Baker is great to see.

What has been the key? He signed a record-setting contract, which catches the attention of everyone. Then he had two consecutive big games on national television.

Getting a big contract and having big games in front of a national audience will get some notoriety.

Congrats to both early on in the voting process.

[listicle id=446188]

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

Latest show:


Previous shows:


and


NFL cancels 2021 Pro Bowl due to COVID-19 issues

The Pro Bowl has been canceled by the NFL … for one year at least.

Don’t be distraught or overwrought, folks. The NFL has decided to replace the Pro Bowl following this pandemic-riddled season, it was announced Wednesday.

One point to consider:

Main implication would be that it makes cutting the pre-Super Bowl bye week easier if COVID requires it.

Per NFL.com:

The Pro Bowl originally was slated to be played in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium on Jan. 31. The 2022 Pro Bowl will be awarded to Las Vegas, per the league.

The league also announced that it is working with the NFLPA and other partners to create other virtual activities to replace the game. Fans will still be able to vote for players to the Pro Bowl roster starting Nov. 17 and the full rosters will be revealed in December.

The Pro Bowl is the latest event on the NFL calendar to be affected by COVID-19.

Now, about those players with incentive clauses for Pro Bowl appearances? We are sure there will be something worked out to explain who would have earned that dough.

The NFL also announced that the 2022 Pro Bowl will be awarded to Las Vegas and take place at Allegiant Stadium.

2021 Pro Bowl to be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas

The 2021 Pro Bowl will be played in late January at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the new home of the Raiders.

The NFL announced on Tuesday that the 2021 Pro Bowl will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada – the new home of the Las Vegas Raiders who have relocated from Oakland for the 2020 season.

The game will be played on Sunday, January, 31, 2021 and will be aired on ABC and ESPN.

The Pro Bowl has been hosted in Orlando for each of the past four seasons, and has been primarily played in Hawaii, where it was played consecutively every year from 1980-2009, and again from 2011-2014 and in 2016.

The NFL did not say whether the move to Las Vegas would be a multi-year deal or just a one-off event to celebrate the new stadium, but it seems entirely likely folks will prefer the game in Las Vegas over Orlando, which was not a popular destination for the league’s All-Star festivities.

The NFL also indicated the typical events that occur during Pro Bowl week, including the skills challenge and the NFL FLAG Championship games, will go on as usual in Las Vegas.

[lawrence-related id=64259]

Top Cardinals players could earn trip to Pro Bowl in Vegas

The game will be played after the 2020 season in Allegiant Stadium, home to the Raiders beginning this year.

The NFL’s all-star game, the Pro Bowl, has a new home. After years in Hawaii, short stints in Super Bowl cities and then Orlando, it is headed to Vegas.

The league announced on Tuesday that next season’s Pro Bowl will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas, which opens this season to house the Las Vegas Raiders.

From the league’s press release:

The 2021 Pro Bowl will continue to be a weeklong celebration of football, and will feature various activities in Las Vegas including the NFL FLAG Championship games, AFC and NFC team practices and for the fifth consecutive year, Pro Bowl Skills Showdown, where the NFL’s biggest stars from each conference compete in unique tests of their skills.

Players selected will have some fun, as Vegas is always a party.

Which Arizona Cardinals will be there? It was Budda Baker and Chandler Jones last year. DeAndre Hopkins, Patrick Peterson, Kyler Murray and Kenyan Drake should all be in the mix next season.

[vertical-gallery id=440798]

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 268

[protected-iframe id=”b982993d8c20b3c1204a481770f7fbae-112738498-106269283″ info=”https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/29016811/download.mp3″ ]

Ep. 267

[protected-iframe id=”682ebb6e7ef6b83ea73b8875d2f5241d-112738498-106269283″ info=”https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/27243565/download.mp3″ ]

3 Seahawks who could be 1st time Pro Bowlers in 2020

The Seattle Seahawks have a lot of players who are familiar with the Pro Bowl. Here are three who could make it for the first time in 2020.

The Seattle Seahawks have been well-represented in the Pro Bowl, the NFL’s postseason All-Star event, over the past few years.

While Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner are candidates to be selected for the Pro Bowl nearly every single year, there are still a handful of Seahawks who have yet to make a Pro Bowl appearance, despite strong performances in the league.

The COVID-19 crisis could very easily cause the Pro Bowl to be suspended for the upcoming season, which could rob some very deserving candidates of a shot at recognition.

Time will tell how the league eventually decides to handle their All-Star event, but if it does end up occurring, here are three Seahawks who have a good chance of being selected for the first time in their NFL careers in 2020.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

The 14 Alabama quarterbacks who were drafted by the pros

Alabama has always been one of the best programs in college football, but its record of sending starting quarterbacks to the NFL has been much more spotty. Though it can claim such Hall of Fame legends as Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler, …

Alabama has always been one of the best programs in college football, but its record of sending starting quarterbacks to the NFL has been much more spotty. Though it can claim such Hall of Fame legends as Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler, it’s been decades since a Crimson Tide signal caller has been effective in the pro ranks.

Indeed, before A.J. McCarron won two games with the 2015 Bengals, it had been 28 years since an Alabama alumni (Jeff Rutledge, 1987) had won a game as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

With Tua Tagovailoa’s big day coming up, here’s a look at the 14 Alabama quarterbacks who have been drafted by the pro ranks and how they did.

A.J. McCarron — 2014

(Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images)

5th round, 164th pick, Bengals

McCarron won back-to-back national titles as a starter at Alabama and was also at the school for the 2009 title. Success in the NFL hasn’t come quite as easily, though. McCarron has only started four games over his six-year career. He played for the Texans in 2019 and recently re-signed with the team for the 2020 season to be Deshaun Watson’s backup.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12, Page 13, Page 14

Bears Pro Bowlers react to Kobe Bryant’s death: ‘It don’t seem right’

The news of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death made the Pro Bowl feel insignificant, as Bears Pro Bowlers Eddie Jackson and Kyle Fuller discussed.

The sports world was left reeling following the news of the tragic death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash Sunday morning in Southern California.

News of Bryant’s death hit just moments before the NFL’s all-stars were set to take to the field for the 2020 Pro Bowl. They learned of the news just 15 minutes before the game, where Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson led the team in prayer before hitting the field.

It would later be revealed that Bryant’s 13-year old daughter Gianna was among seven others also killed in the crash.

“It was surreal,” Bears safety Eddie Jackson said. “It don’t seem right. It don’t sound right, just saying it.”

Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller was also stunned by the news.

“It was more so unbelievable, sad,” he said. “Is that really true?”

The news of Bryant’s tragic death made the Pro Bowl feel insignificant. But the players played through the emotion, and they also found ways to pay homage to Bryant. In the third quarter, Packers outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith and teammates celebrated a sack with Bryant’s signature fadeaway jumpshot.

“It threw your vibe off,” Jackson said. “For me personally, I felt like I knew him. To others, it might sound crazy. …

“People might say it’s weird: ‘You don’t know Kobe.’ I know I don’t know him, but it felt like I know him, I’ve been following his career for so long. You feel like you know a person.”

Bryant’s career might’ve just ended, but his life was just beginning. Still, he leaves behind a lasting legacy that transcends sports. It’s something that has inspired Jackson.

“We just tried to follow in his footsteps,” he said. “Even though he played basketball, the type of legacy that he left behind that’s something that I take pride in. I want to be remembered as one of the greats — jersey retired, Hall of Fame, all those types of things.”

[lawrence-related id=436743,436747,436724,436690]

Watch: DJ Chark scores a 60-yard touchdown at 2020 Pro Bowl

While it was ultimately Calais Campbell who stole the show of all the Jacksonville Jaguars who attended Sunday’s Pro Bowl, receiver DJ Chark Jr. made an impact on the offensive end. He scored one of the AFC’s four touchdowns and was the team’s …

While it was ultimately Calais Campbell who stole the show of all the Jacksonville Jaguars who attended Sunday’s Pro Bowl, receiver DJ Chark Jr. made an impact on the offensive end. He scored one of the AFC’s four touchdowns and was the team’s second-leading receiver (two catches for 67 yards).

Chark’s touchdown came in the third quarter when AFC South rival Ryan Tannehill hit him on the right side of the field for a hitch route. After catching the ball, he was able to split the defenders with his speed and take it to the house.

Sunday’s game marked Chark’s first-ever Pro Bowl. His opportunity to rep the Jags at the annual gam came after he was able to total 73 catches on the season for 1,008 yards, and eight touchdowns. His total in yardage made him the first Jaguar to hit the 1,000-yard mark since 2015 when Allen Robinson was able to do so, too.

Calais Campbell wins defensive MVP award at Pro Bowl

The Jacksonville Jaguars were represented well in the Pro Bowl as DJ Chark Jr., Josh Allen, and Calais Campbell made impact plays. Of the three, Campbell had the best day, accumulating a tackle, a sack, and a crucial forced fumble late in the game. …

The Jacksonville Jaguars were represented well in the Pro Bowl as DJ Chark Jr., Josh Allen, and Calais Campbell made impact plays. Of the three, Campbell had the best day, accumulating a tackle, a sack, and a crucial forced fumble late in the game. That helped him to ultimately win the Defensive MVP award alongside quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won the Offensive MVP award.

Campbell’s key strip-sack came around the 10-minute mark of the fourth quarter. He was able to get to Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to jar the ball loose and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman T.J. Watt scooped it up for an 82 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. That play put the AFC up by a score of 38-27.

Campbell played in his fifth Pro Bowl Sunday, with two other appearances occurring with the Jags. He was voted into the annual game after racking up 56 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and 6.5 sacks in the regular season.

As for Chark, he was able to score a 60-yard touchdown while Allen blocked a field goal. Sunday’s game marked the first Pro Bowl for both players as Chark registered just over 1,000 yards in 2019 and Allen led all rookies in sacks with 10.5.