Two former Tennessee players were selected to the 2020 Pro Bowl on Tuesday, as Baltimore Ravens long snapper Morgan Cox and Chicago Bears wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson made the cut.
Cox was one of 12 Ravens to be selected, which leads the NFL.
As a walk-on in 2006, Cox eventually took over the starting long snapper role in 2007, and earned a scholarship before the 2008 season. Cox was signed as an undrafted free agent to the Baltimore Ravens in 2010, and has been the starter since his rookie season. Tuesday’s selection will send Cox to his third Pro Bowl, the 10th year pro previously was selected in 2015 and 2016.
Cordarrelle Patterson only spent one season at Tennessee, in which the Vols went 5-7 in a 2012 season that saw head coach Derek Dooley fired before the regular season finale.
Patterson is going to the Pro Bowl as a kickoff return specialist. The 7th year pro has returned 13 kickoffs for 417 yards and a touchdown in his first season with the Chicago Bears.
With seven career kickoffs returned for touchdowns, Patterson is one away from tying the NFL record, held by both Josh Cribbs and Leon Washington. In his lone season at Tennessee, Patterson put together 1,858 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns as a triple threat rushing, receiving, and returning kicks and punts for the Vols.
Drafted 29th overall by the Minnesota Vikings in 2013, Patterson is with his fourth NFL team in Chicago, and will be at his third career Pro Bowl. The former Vol was selected in 2013 and 2016.
The 2020 Pro Bowl will be held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. on Jan. 26.
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The NFL’s annual Pro Bowl is a generally unwatchable game stuffed between the two best Sundays of the NFL season, so we shouldn’t get too worked up about it as fans.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t see an obvious snub and make noise about it. Which we’ll do right here.
This year’s teams were announced on Tuesday night and the biggest snub seemed to come at QB in the NFC. Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers got the call.
Dak Prescott did not, which is a joke.
Wilson and Brees are deserving of the selection. Rodgers is not and seems like he made it once again just because of his name and what he’s done so far in his legendary career.
Prescott might be the victim of the circus type of season the Cowboys have had. They’re 7-7 and sitting atop a very sloppy NFC East. Rodgers, meanwhile, is sitting pretty with the 11-3 Packers who sit atop the NFC North.
But lets look at some individual numbers. Prescott is second in the league in passing yards with 4,334. Rodgers is 11th with 3,481.
Prescott is 12th in passing percentage at 65.5. Rodgers is 18th at 63.3.
Prescott is 8th in TDs with 25. Rodgers is 9th with 24.
Prescott is 12th in passer rating at 99.3. Rodgers has the slight edge at 10th with a 100.4 rating.
So yeah, the numbers seem to be in Prescott’s favor.
Prescott, besides his stellar play, deserves a lot credit for keeping the Cowboys together during some tumultuous stretches. Being the QB of a team that is always under the microscope is no easy task and he’s once again been the leader they’ve needed.
Rodgers? He’s going to end his career as one of the best QBs to the play the game but this year he has six games in which he’s thrown only 1 touchdown pass and two games in which he’s thrown zero TD passes.
Are we splitting hairs here? Maybe a little. But that’s what we do as sports fans.
It just feels like Dak has done more than ARod to get the call to Orlando. Tho he’ll probably still go because Rodgers usually backs out of this game.
But still, Dak deserves it more!
Tuesday’s biggest winner: Fallon Sherrock.
(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Sherrock made history Tuesday in London as she became the first woman to beat a man at the PDC World Championship darts event. Even if you’re not into darts you have to see the awesome reaction by the huge crowd when she nailed the historic game-winner. I need to go to one of those events now.
Quick hits: Tiger’s epic putt gets an awesome edit… ‘Star Wars’ rankings… Lonzo gets Zion… And more!
Broncos safety Justin Simmons and nose tackle Shelby Harris should have received more votes for the 2020 Pro Bowl.
Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller is the only Denver player that was voted to the 2020 Pro Bowl, the league announced Tuesday evening. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton, safety Kareem Jackson and returner Diontae Spencer are alternates for the AFC at their respective positions.
Miller has now been voted to eight Pro Bowls in his career. John Elway is the only player in franchise history that was voted to more (nine). While that’s great achievement for Miller, fans in Denver can’t help but feel upset about the team’s big snubs: safety Justin Simmons and nose tackle Shelby Harris.
Simmons ranks second among AFC strong safeties with four interceptions and his 84 tackles rank third. Simmons was diplomatic when talking about his Pro Bowl candidacy on Tuesday but the fact that the safety is not even an alternate is absurd.
“When it comes down to it, whether I make it or not, I’ve just got to keep fighting the good fight and keep stacking up good seasons,” Simmons said.
Harris should have made the AFC roster as well, or at the very least made the alternate list. Harris ranks first among all defensive linemen with seven pass breakups and second among interior AFC defensive linemen with six sacks this season. He is a nose tackle but Harris believes being viewed as a defensive end hurts his chances of reaching the All-Star game.
“You’ve got all those outside rushers out there — you’ve got Von, Joey Bosa,” Harris said Tuesday. “That’s what I feel like needs to change when it comes to Pro Bowl, but other than that you’ve got three, four ends who aren’t really ends, but we get considered like we’re Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram and those guys.
“If anything, I think three or four ends should be classified as tackles. That’s just the way it is. You have to think about it, [Derek] Wolfe’s never made it in, but look — J.J. Watt. J.J. Watt is specifically outside now. It sucks, but that’s not really what we play the game for anyway. It’s just an added bonus.”
That’s a valid point from Harris. Players like him and Wolfe who play in a 3-4 defense should not be viewed the same way traditional defensive ends are viewed. Harris was one of the AFC’s best interior defensive linemen this season and he should have been rewarded with a Pro Bowl nod.
Finally, Ronnie Stanley who we discussed more thoroughly just a few days ago because of his truly elite pass blocking grades is headed to his first ever Pro Bowl.
Tuesday night brought news of the 2020 Pro Bowl rosters in the NFL and as a surprise to none, Notre Dame was well-represented as four former Fighting Irish football players were named to the NFL All-Star rosters.
Perhaps the least surprising news is that three of the four players to earn a berth to the Pro Bowl make their living on the offensive line.
It’s becoming a late December tradition but Nick Martin, right guard of the Dallas Cowboys was named to his sixth straight Pro Bowl on Tuesday. Martin has made the game each of his six years in the league.
Joining him at the guard position will be Quenton Nelson of the Indianapolis Colts. Nelson has transformed the Colts from having one of the poorest offensive line units in the league to one of the better ones and will be participating in his second Pro Bowl of his two-year NFL career.
Finally, Ronnie Stanley who we discussed more thoroughly just a few days ago because of his truly elite pass blocking grades is headed to his first ever Pro Bowl. He is one of a record 12 Baltimore Ravens to be selected for the game, a game he very well could miss since his Ravens appear to be the best thing going in the NFL right now and could very well be getting ready for the Super Bowl on Pro Bowl Sunday.
And defensively Harrison Smith of the Minnesota Vikings is headed to the Pro Bowl for the fifth season in a row. Smith has again been a bright spot on a Vikings team that has seen the rest of it’s secondary begin to a look a little long in the tooth this season. Smith has picked off three opponents passes this season while forcing and recovering a couple of fumbles each as well.
The 2020 Pro Bowl will take place at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on January 26.
The Indianapolis Colts had two players named to the 2020 Pro Bowl on Tuesday and seven others were named alternates.
With injuries arising and players from the Super Bowl teams unable to play in the Pro Bowl, each team has a set of alternates. Here are the seven players that are alternates for the NFL’s All-Star game:
QB Jacoby Brissett
OT Anthony Castonzo
TE Jack Doyle
DE Justin Houston
OL Ryan Kelly
RB Marlon Mack
LS Luke Rhodes
Some of these alternates are a bit surprising. Others aren’t as shocking. The biggest surprise likely comes in the absolute snub of cornerback Kenny Moore, who wasn’t even able to make it onto the alternates list despite having a strong season.
Houston and Castonzo aren’t surprises. Both are having exceptionally strong seasons. Castonzo has been extremely consistent at left tackle both in pass protection and run blocking. Houston is third in the AFC with 9.0 sacks.
The Pro Bowl takes place in Orlando at Camping World Stadium on Jan. 26 and will be aired on ESPN.
The Houston Texans sent three players to the 2020 Pro Bowl. However, they should have sent more, including Carlos Hyde, Zach Cunningham and more.
The Houston Texans are sending a trio of players to the Pro Bowl.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson is going for his second time, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins now has four Pro Bowl bids to his name and left tackle Laremy Tunsil can call himself a Pro Bowler for the first time in his four-year career.
All three deserve to go to Orlando, Fla., in late January for the annual all-star game. However, the 9-5 Texans could have sent a few more; specifically, six roster members should be heading with Watson, Hopkins, and Tunsil to Central Florida.
1. RB Carlos Hyde
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
It was always going to be tough for Carlos Hyde to make the Pro Bowl. Star running backs rule the AFC with deserving rushers Mark Ingram, Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry making the Orlando roster.
If Josh Jacobs, a leading offensive rookie of the year candidate, couldn’t get in, then it was going to be tough sledding for Hyde.
However, the 29-year-old has an argument for making the roster. Splitting carries with Duke Johnson, the sixth-year former Buckeye has had a career season in 2019 with 1,030 rushing yards (10th in the NFL) for five touchdowns and a 4.6 yards per carry.
“I really like the way Carlos runs the ball,” coach Bill O’Brien told reporters Monday. “I think that he gets his pads down, I think he can run all the runs, he can run inside, he can run outside, he’s got really good vision, very coachable guy, good teammate, gets tough yards.”
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez believes there were two players from the Los Angeles Chargers that were snubbed from the 2020 Pro Bowl.
On Tuesday night, the rosters for the 2020 Pro Bowl were revealed.
Two members of the Los Angeles Chargers made it: wide receiver Keenan Allen and defensive end Joey Bosa, with defensive end Melvin Ingram and fullback Derek Watt serving as alternates.
Like every year, there were a lot of snubs across the league. For the Chargers, there were other players who should have been traveling to Orlando, FL along with Allen and Bosa.
The first is running back Austin Ekeler. Ekeler wasn’t even named an alternate, which is mind-boggling. The 24-year old is eighth in yards from scrimmage (1,392) and total touchdowns (11).
It’s understanding that Ekeler isn’t the team’s No. 1 running back, but he’s made one of the biggest impacts on the offensive side of the ball. Not to mention, it wouldn’t be surprising if he helped take your fantasy football team to the playoffs.
The other snub is cornerback Casey Hayward. Hayward has made the Pro Bowl twice (2016, 2017), but this season has been one of the best of his eight-year career.
Hayward might not be up there in statistics with other corners across the league, but that’s because opposing quarterbacks rarely throw to his side of the field.
During a four-week stretch, Hayward allowed only one catch for four yards, including games against Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers and Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes.
The 49ers had four players get starting nods for the 2020 Pro Bowl.
The 49ers’ scorching hot start to 2019 resulted in a quartet of players earning nods as starters for the 2020 Pro Bowl.
Here are the four players San Francisco will send to the NFL’s all-star game:
DE Nick Bosa – 1st selection
Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers’ top pick in the 2019 draft has exceeded expectations in his first season. Bosa has been a wrecking ball off the edge since his debut in Week 1, and while his statistical production has slowed, he’s still wreaking havoc on opposing offensive lines. He has 9.0 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, 20 quarterback hits, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, three pass breakups and an interception. Bosa is a force, and this will very likely not be his only Pro Bowl.
With the league announcing its 2019 Pro Bowl rosters for the AFC and NFC Tuesday, the Jags announced that Campbell was their lone nominee (for now) to make the initial team. The Jags also announced that five players made the cut as alternates, including placekicker Josh Lambo (first alternate), tailback Leonard Fournette (second alternate), pass rusher Josh Allen (second alternate), punter Logan Cooke (third alternate) and receiver DJ Chark Jr. (third alternate).
So far this season Campbell has been able to register 53 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. He’s also found himself as one of Pro Football Focus top graded defensive lineman with a current grade of 90.3.
The veteran has had quite a career with both the Jags and Arizona Cardinals, accumulating a total of 688 tackles, 14 forced fumbles, and 88 sacks. His recent nomination puts him in company with Jags greats like Tony Boselli (five selections), receiver Jimmy Smith (five selections) and running back Maurice Jones-Drew (three selections) all of whom have been to three Pro Bowls or more with the franchise. He also had two nominations with the Cardinals in 2014-15.
