Tag: 2021 Pro Bowl

Falcons DT Grady Jarrett, K Younghoe Koo selected to 2021 Pro Bowl

On Monday, two of Atlanta’s elite performers were recognized with 2021 Pro Bowl selections.

The Falcons haven’t had much to celebrate this season, winning just four of 14 games after Sunday’s 31-27 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Just because the team is having a bad year doesn’t mean that there aren’t some great players on the roster, though.

On Monday, two of Atlanta’s elite performers were recognized with 2021 Pro Bowl selections. Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was voted in for the second year in a row, and kicker Younghoe Koo was voted in for the first time in his career.

Jarrett, like always, plays well whether the team wins or loses. The former fifth-round pick has impressively worked on his craft each year and is arguably the NFL’s second-best interior lineman behind Aaron Donald.

As for Koo, the former journeyman was playing in the now-disbanded AAF not that long ago for the Atlanta Legends. To his credit, Koo was ready when he got his chance midway through the 2019 season.

He replaced a fan-favorite in Matt Bryant, but the move now appears to be one of the best that former Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff made over the past two years.

Koo broke a team record for field goals in a season during Week 15.

Congrats to both Falcons players for showing up every and every week, regardless of the team’s record. The 2021 Pro Bowl will be played virtually as a safety precaution to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

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Amari Cooper, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dalton Schultz kind of snubbed for Pro Bowl

With no game being played therefore no withdrawals, the Cowboys will have no Pro Bowlers for just the third time in club history. While there are no serious gripes, these 4 players had a strong argument to be made based on who went in their place.

It’s hard to get turned too sideways over initial Pro Bowl voting when a team starts 3-9 and looks destined for a Top 3 selection in the upcoming NFL draft. While Dallas has been able to capitalize on two teams plummeting in Cincinnati and San Francisco the last few games, the reality of the Cowboys season was already etched into the thought processes of most around the league.

Therefore it isn’t all that surprising that despite having a handful of players who could be considered deserving, the team has no Pro Bowl players on the initial list for the first time since 1989. WR Amari Cooper, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, TE Dalton Schultz and RG Zack Martin all could’ve been included, but in the end were not.

Cooper had the toughest field to overcome, and his yards-per-reception numbers are down, but he’s enjoying perhaps his finest season, all things considered. When Dak Prescott was under center, Cooper was on pace for over 120 catches and over 1,300 receiving yards, but he’s had to deal with Andy Dalton, Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci since Week 6 and his pace has stagnated.

Through 14 games he has 82 receptions for 952 yards, but his performance wasn’t good enough to bump off Davante Adams (Packers), DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals) DK Metcalf (Seahawks) or rookie Justin Jefferson (Vikings).

Martin is a six-time Pro Bowler and four-time First-Team All-Pro, but was left off the team in favor of Brandon Scherff (Washington), Elgton Jenkins (Packers) and Andrus Peat (Saints).

The two biggest snubs and the result of circumstances however might have been Schultz and Lawrence.

Schultz is a first-time starter, having to fill in for Blake Jarwin after the latter was lost for the season in Week 1 due to an ankle injury. He’s excelled in the role despite being the fifth option on many plays to the tune of 53 catches for 524 yards and 4 touchdowns.

The tight end position isn’t strong in the NFC but Lions’ second-year man TJ Hockenson is deserving at 60 receptions for 675 yards and six scores. It’s the selection of the Giants’ Evan Engram over Schultz that’s interesting.

Engram has 54 receptions for 572 yards but has scored only once, despite being integral to the Giants anemic offense. Stat for stat, Schultz probably deserves the nod. Engram has the worst DVOA among NFC tight ends at -24.4%.

Meanwhile, the NFC selected three defensive ends and while Cam Jordan (Saints) and Brandon Graham (Eagles) make sense, rookie Chase Young doesn’t have a better resume than Lawrence, has much more help along the line to make his job easier and doesn’t have the stats either.

It’s not that Young isn’t deserving, he’ll likely soon hold the mantle of the best edge rusher in the game, but this year, and based on history, Lawrence is the better choice.

Both have 5.5 sacks on the year and both have forced three fumbles. Young does have a fumble return touchdown on his resume, but Lawrence has 43 QB pressures to Young’s 28 and he is the better all-around defender. Lawrence has graded out at 90.1 according to Pro Football Focus, ranking fifth among edge defenders. Young checks in at No. 12 with a 80.6 grade.

The book is closed on this selection process, too, because there’s no actual game being played in 2021 due to the pandemic. There’ll be no reason for players to withdraw for health reasons or because it’s the week before the Super Bowl.

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Texans QB Deshaun Watson and LT Laremy Tunsil make 2021 Pro Bowl

The Houston Texans had two players in QB Deshaun Watson and LT Laremy Tunsil named to the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl.

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and left tackle Laremy Tunsil were named to the 2021 Pro Bowl.

For Watson, it is his third Pro Bowl selection. For Tunsil, it his second, all of which he has earned in his two seasons with the Texans.

With Tunsil and Watson named to the Pro Bowl, it marks the 17th straight year the Texans have had at least one player named to the Pro Bowl.

Tunsil is the second offensive lineman in Texans history to earn consecutive Pro Bowls.

Watson leads the NFL in yards per pass attempt (8.76), is second in passing yards (4,134), and also second in passer rating (110.6). Despite the Texans being 4-10, from Weeks 4-9, Watson became the fifth quarterback in league history and the first since Peyton Manning with the Denver Broncos in 2013 to record at least 275 passing yards and a 105.0 passer rating in five straight games.

The Pro Bowl has been altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of playing an actual game and having live practices, the entire week is going virtual.

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2 Panthers players snubbed from NFC’s 2021 Pro Bowl roster

While they didn’t have many candidates, there are at least two who deserved a spot.

The NFL just announced the rosters for the 2021 Pro Bowl teams. While there’s no actual game to be played due to the pandemic, that doesn’t mean we don’t get to complain about obvious snubs.Β  In the end, no Carolina Panthers players made the cut for the NFC squad. While they didn’t have many candidates, there are at least two who deserved a spot.

Panthers defensive end Brian Burns is the first. At one point, he was leading the fan-part of the voting at his position in the conference. He was soon surpassed by Cameron Jordan of the Saints, though. Brandon Graham of the Eagles and Washington rookie Chase Young took the NFC’s other EDGE spots.

So, what happened?

Part of the problem is that team success inevitably plays a huge role in consideration for individual awards. While rightfully the two should be separated, that’s just not the way it works.

Burns’ traditional pass rushing numbers are also a bit behind the league’s other elite edge defenders. This is also part of the issue. Most people will focus exclusively on sacks and Burns “only” has eight so far this season to go with 20 quarterback hits.

Traditional stats aren’t everything, though. Burns has been every bit as disruptive as any edge defender in the NFC this year. Burns currently ranks fifth in pass rush win rate at his position and has occasionally broken into the top 10 in run stop win rate, as well. With more time in the league, Burns will eventually get his proper respect.

Another candidate as a snub was right tackle Taylor Moton. He’s blocked at a high level for the pass and the run all season. He had some pretty brutal competition, though. David Bakhtiari, Trent Williams and Terron Armstead are the three OTs on the NFC side.

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7 Seattle Seahawks named to 2021 Pro Bowl roster

The National Football League announced the 2021 Pro Bowl roster and a franchise-high seven Seattle Seahawks have made the squad.

The National Football League has announced the 2021 Pro Bowl roster and seven Seattle Seahawks have made the cut.

The Seahawks received the second-most votes of any team this year behind only the Steelers.

Although the Pro Bowl game itself will not be played due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is still a great honor to be named to the squad.

Here’s a look at who earned the nod this season.

Terry McLaurin, Montez Sweat, Tress Way headline 2021 Pro Bowl snubs in Washington

Both Terry McLaurin and Montez Sweat had a great shot of making the 2021 Pro Bowl, but the two Washington players were snubbed on Monday night.

While both DE Chase Young and RG Brandon Scherff were named to the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl from the Washington Football Team, there has to be a feeling among fans that a few players on the roster were snubbed as well.

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Among the people who deserved to get in, yet didn’t, were DE Montez Sweat, WR Terry McLaurin, P Tress Way, DT Jonathan Allen, and DT Daron Payne. All four players have had standout seasons, and are among the best at their position in the NFL.

Here are the players on the NFC Roster that got in ahead of those Washington players:

Wide Receiver:

  • Davante Adams (Packers)
  • DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals)
  • DK Metcalf (Seahawks)
  • Justin Jefferson (Vikings)

Defensive End:

  • Cameron Jordan (Saints)
  • Brandon Graham (Eagles)
  • Chase Young (Washington)

Defensive Tackle

  • Aaron Donald (Rams)
  • Fletcher Cox (Eagles)
  • Grady Jarrett (Falcons)

Punter:

  • Jack Fox (Lions)

Both Scherff and Young are extremely deserving of the nomination, with Scherff making it to his fourth Pro Bowl team, and Young being named to his first in his rookie season. As more success comes to Washington down the road, we can expect more players to get the credit that they deserve.

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Terry McLaurin, Montez Sweat, Tress Way headline 2021 Pro Bowl snubs in Washington

Both Terry McLaurin and Montez Sweat had a great shot of making the 2021 Pro Bowl, but the two Washington players were snubbed on Monday night.

While both DE Chase Young and RG Brandon Scherff were named to the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl from the Washington Football Team, there has to be a feeling among fans that a few players on the roster were snubbed as well.

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Among the people who deserved to get in, yet didn’t, were DE Montez Sweat, WR Terry McLaurin, P Tress Way, DT Jonathan Allen, and DT Daron Payne. All four players have had standout seasons, and are among the best at their position in the NFL.

Here are the players on the NFC Roster that got in ahead of those Washington players:

Wide Receiver:

  • Davante Adams (Packers)
  • DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals)
  • DK Metcalf (Seahawks)
  • Justin Jefferson (Vikings)

Defensive End:

  • Cameron Jordan (Saints)
  • Brandon Graham (Eagles)
  • Chase Young (Washington)

Defensive Tackle

  • Aaron Donald (Rams)
  • Fletcher Cox (Eagles)
  • Grady Jarrett (Falcons)

Punter:

  • Jack Fox (Lions)

Both Scherff and Young are extremely deserving of the nomination, with Scherff making it to his fourth Pro Bowl team, and Young being named to his first in his rookie season. As more success comes to Washington down the road, we can expect more players to get the credit that they deserve.

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DE Chase Young, RG Brandon Scherff voted to the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl

Both Chase Young and Brandon Scherff have been named to the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl, making it the fourth time for Scherff and first for Young.

The Washington Football Team has had two players voted to the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl, with both rookie DE Chase Young and RG Brandon Scherff getting the nod on Monday night.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Pro Bowl will be entirely virtual, via Madden NFL 21.

This is the second-straight season that Scherff has been named to the Pro Bowl, with him being named in 2020 but unable to play due to an injury. It is his fourth career Pro Bowl nomination in Washington.

In Young’s first season in the NFL, he was named to the Pro Bowl as a reserve, and he is the youngest player in franchise history to make the cut, according to Washington PR.

There were arguably a number of players in Washington who likely deserved to make the cut, like Terry McLaurin, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, and Daron Payne. Here is a full list of players that made it.

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Ravens have 7 players on 2021 Pro Bowl roster

The Baltimore Ravens didn’t quite get to 13 players on the 2021 Pro Bowl roster like they had last year but seven is nothing to sneer at.

Last year, the Baltimore Ravens set a record with 13 players making the Pro Bowl roster. The Ravens weren’t quite as dominant this season, and this year’s selections reflect that. With the Pro Bowl rosters released tonight, Baltimore officially has seven players making the cut — tying the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Seattle Seahawks for the most this season.

Baltimore Ravens on the 2021 Pro Bowl roster:

Player Position
Marlon Humphrey CB
Justin Tucker K
Calais Campbell DE
Matthew Judon OLB
Patrick Ricard FB
Orlando Brown Jr. T
Morgan Cox LS

While the Ravens’ 9-5 record is nothing to sneer at, it’s pretty far off the 14-2 they went last season. However, Baltimore might actually be better prepared for the playoffs this time around as they’ve steadily improved their play over the last three weeks and have shown far more grit in close wins and losses than they did last season. Unfortunately, they’ll have to not only win a few more games to get into the postseason but get a little help from other AFC teams.

Of course, Ravens fans would much rather see the players in Super Bowl LV than the Pro Bowl. But with the 2021 Pro Bowl canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, if Baltimore can manage to punch their ticket to the big game, none of the players should have to forfeit their spot this year. Instead of the typical football game, the NFL is working with the NFLPA to create some virtual activities. What exactly those end up being is anyone’s guess right now but this might just be the jab in the right direction for a Pro Bowl game that has always struggled to attract viewers or interest.

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8 Ravens that should make the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl

The Baltimore Ravens put a record number of players into the Pro Bowl last year and have quite a few deserving of it this year.

The Baltimore Ravens put a record number of players into the Pro Bowl last year and though they haven’t been quite as dominant this season, the 2021 Pro Bowl roster should feature plenty of familiar faces.

Set to be announced later tonight, I wanted to take a deeper dive into Baltimore’s roster to see who might make the cut this time around. Some are pretty obvious while others might not be as well known but are equally deserving of earning a Pro Bowl nod.

Take a look as I pick out the eight Ravens most likely to make the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl roster.