Late Tuesday night, the Pro-Bowl selections were announced with two Oakland Raiders selected in Rodney Hudson and Trent Brown. Both players are very deserving and should represent the Raiders well at the game.
However, there was serious snubs for the Raiders this season, who both had Ravens players selected instead. Mark Ingram was picked over Josh Jacobs, and Mark Andrews was selected over Darren Waller. Ingram and Andrews were high on the fan vote before the coaches and players added their votes.
Waller is the biggest snub of maybe the whole Pro Bowl selection process. While Andrews has scored more touchdowns with eight, he is not putting up the type of numbers Waller is achieving in just his first year of extended action.
The Raiders’ tight end could end up with 1200 plus receiving yards, which would put him in the top ten all-time tight end seasons when it comes to receiving yards. With just 12 more catches, he will be top 20 all-time in receptions for a tight end during a single season since the merger. Waller season is one of the best ever by a tight end, and for him not to make the pro bowl on the first ballot is baffling.
Jacobs snub is almost just as bad, but in a popularity contest, you are going to end up losing out to the running back on the winning team. Jacobs has more yards than Ingram but is lower yards per carry and touchdown to the Ravens starting running back.
In advanced stats is where Jacobs has the advantage over Ingram. According to PFF.com, Jacobs has the highest amount of missed tackles per attempt, and it’s why he is the second-highest graded running back. Jacobs’s impact on the Raiders is tremendous when the Ravens could probably just put Gus Edwards in and had the same production.
None of this will matter with Jacobs injuries and Waller probably going to the pro-bowl anyways with the Ravens being super bowl contenders. They were still overlooked and would expect to see them on the initial roster this time next year.
[vertical-gallery id=59644]
[lawrence-newsletter]