Tag: Pro Bowl

Michael Thomas, multiple Saints players top-5 in Pro Bowl voting

The NFL opened up fan voting for the Pro Bowl, and New Orleans Saints players like Michael Thomas rank in the top five at their positions.

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The NFL has opened up voting for this year’s Pro Bowl, and multiple New Orleans Saints players rank inside the top five at their positions. The Saints announced Monday that Michael Thomas has surpassed Dallas Cowboys star Amari Cooper to lead all wide receivers in votes earned, and that he ranks eighth in the entire NFL for fan voting.

Additionally, left tackle Terron Armstead, punt returner Deonte Harris, and punter Thomas Morstead each rank second-best at their position groups. Defensive end Cameron Jordan and kicker Wil Lutz are sitting in third for theirs, while Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams place fourth among strong and free safeties, respectively. Fullback Zach Line and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk have earned the fifth-most votes for their positions. Not a bad showing at all.

Fans can click this link to vote for their favorite Saints players on the 2020 Pro Bowl ballot. Obviously these Saints players would prefer to be practicing for Super Bowl LIV rather than participating in the Pro Bowl, but getting named to that exclusive list is great recognition. Be sure to help them out and cast your ballot.

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3 Chargers who should make their first Pro Bowl in 2020

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lists three players that could make their first Pro Bowl appearance.

Despite having a 4-7 record, the talent on the Chargers would not suggest that. Loaded on both sides of the ball, Los Angeles had a league-high eight players make the Pro Bowl last year. This year should see some of the same members, but there are a few that are worthy of their first nod.

These three players very well could end up playing in Orlando, FL for the first time with the NFL’s best because of their strong play this season.

TE Hunter Henry

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Surprising enough, Henry has yet to make a Pro Bowl appearance since coming into the league in 2016. But injuries have hampered him throughout the course of it, thus holding him back from making it. But this year is different as Henry sustained an injury early in the season, and has played like he never missed a step.

Henry has caught 39 passes for 487 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 12.5 yards per reception and has caught 72.2% of his targets. He has either racked up 80+ yards or a touchdown in four of his six games back to the lineup. With five games remaining, there’s a good chance that we could see him with close to 55 receptions, 800 yards and two or three more scores.

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Andy Lee, Zane Gonzalez both warrant Pro Bowl consideration

Gonzalez has made more field goals than anyone else in the league.

The Arizona Cardinals have not had a great season but do have some players who deserve recognition for their fine seasons. Defensively, there are three players who should get Pro Bowl consideration, even when the defensive unit, on the whole, is bad.

Two others also should be in the mix — kicker Zane Gonzalez and punter Andy Lee.

Gonzalez leads the NFL with 26 made field goals. He has hit 26-of-29, including 2-for-2 from 50 yards and beyond.

Lee is second in the NFL with a 48.8-yard punting average. He is eighth in net average.

If one of the two were more deserving, it would have to be Gonzalez. He has been fantastic. Aside from two missed field goals when Andy Lee was hurt, he has been nearly automatic. He has looked like the kicker he was at Arizona State when he won the Lou Groza award as the best kicker in the country.

Without many wins, they likely won’t get the attention they might merit, but they certainly are worthy of a Pro Bow nod.

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

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Irish in the NFL: Quenton Nelson named to ESPN’s 25 under 25

Former Notre Dame Irish guard Quenton Nelson was named to ESPN’s all 25-under-25 team.

Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Quenton Nelson was the only offensive lineman named to ESPN writer Mike Clay’s 25 under 25 team – a list of the 25 best players in the league who are age 25 or younger.

Nelson has had an incredible start to his NFL career as the starting left guard for the Indianapolis Colts, where he was drafted sixth overall in the 2018 draft.

Nelson immediately took over as a starter for the Colts, and has played all but one offensive snap in the last two years.

He was a Pro Bowler and a first team All-Pro in his rookie season, but amazingly he’s playing even better in year two.

Here’s an excerpt from Clay’s article, where Nelson came in at No. 5.

The lone offensive lineman on our list, Nelson has been the driving force for the emergence of the Colts’ line as one of the league’s best units. The Notre Dame product has been on the field for all but one of Indianapolis’ offensive snaps since he was selected with the sixth pick of the 2018 draft. His 94.1% pass block win rate ranked 11th among guards during his rookie season and sits at 93.7% (11th best) this season.

Nelson was named to the Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro during an outstanding rookie season, and he’s on track for significantly more award recognition over the next decade.

Nelson starred at Notre Dame from 2014-2017, and was named an All-American in his final season with the Irish. He has a chance to be one of the best offensive linemen in the league, and perhaps of all-time, if he keeps this pace up.

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Badgers in the NFL: JJ Watt reveals phone number and texts with fans

Former Wisconsin Badgers defensive end JJ Watt posted his phone number on Instagram, and has responded to hundreds of texts from fans.

If there’s ever been anything you wanted to say directly to Wisconsin Badgers legend JJ Watt, now is your chance.

The future Hall of Fame defensive end, now with the Houston Texans, is using his extra free time after going on the injured reserve to connect with his fans in an even more direct way than his usual strong presence on social media.

View this post on Instagram

text me. 262.404.3664

A post shared by JJ Watt (@jjwatt) on

That’s right, Watt posted his phone number and allowed fans to reach out to him directly. He admitted he was looking for better ways to connect with his fans, and wanted to try out direct texting.

Watt said he received over 25,000 texts, and while he did take the time to respond to hundreds of them, don’t be surprised if your text goes unanswered while the Pro Bowler navigates his sea of fans over the next few weeks.

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Michael Thomas trails only Amari Cooper in Pro Bowl voting

New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas might be the best in the game, but he’s behind Dallas Cowboys WR Amari Cooper in Pro Bowl voting.

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The 2020 Pro Bowl is months away, giving New Orleans Saints fans an opportunity to vote their favorite players into this year’s exhibition game. Fans can vote by following this link; we put together a list of all of the Saints players on this year’s ballot in this post.

Voting has been open for over a week, but no Saints players yet lead their category in votes earned, which is disappointing. It doesn’t help that the Pro Bowl’s position breakdowns are outdated, pitting fan-favorite Saints such as linebacker Demario Davis against pass rushers like Green Bay Packers star Preston Smith.

According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, one Saints player is within striking range of first place: wide receiver Michael Thomas, who some have suggested deserves recognition as the league’s Most Valuable Player. But even Thomas, the NFL’s leader in both receptions (94) and receiving yards (1,141), trails behind someone else: Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper.

That shouldn’t be too surprising. Cooper’s career has gone through a complete turnaround since the Cowboys acquired him in a trade with the Oakland Raiders, and he’s the focal point of their passing attack (logging 56 receptions for 886 yards so far). Dallas also enjoys the benefits of a national brand they’ve spent decades building, spurred on by the Cowboys’ first playoff win in five years last season. Cooper is one of the best players on a popular team, so of course he’s going to earn a ton of votes.

So it’s important for Saints fans to get out the vote and put in a ballot for Thomas. Be sure to check out the ballot and get your votes in before the Dec. 12 deadline for Pro Bowl fan voting.

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Packers have 5 different top vote getters in early Pro Bowl voting

Preston Smith and Adrian Amos highlight the Packers’ top vote getters in early Pro Bowl voting.

Two free-agent additions and two specialists are among the five Green Bay Packers players currently leading their respective positions in Pro Bowl votes through the first week of fan voting.

Outside linebacker Preston Smith, strong safety Adrian Amos, kicker Mason Crosby, punter JK Scott and offensive tackle David Bakhtiari are all the leading vote getters in the NFC at their individual positions so far, according to the NFL.

Overall, the Packers have received the third-most total votes, trailing only the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.

Smith, who signed a four-year, $52 million deal in March, leads the Packers and ranks fourth in the NFL in sacks (10).

Amos, who also signed a four-year deal, has 53 tackles, one interception, two pass breakups resulting in interceptions and one pass breakup preventing a two-point conversion.

Crosby, 35, has made 13-of-14 field goals and all 29 extra points. His 92.9 field goal percentage ranks fourth in the NFL, and he’s one of only six kicker without an extra point miss.

Scott, a second-year pro, is averaging 45.9 total yards and 41.9 net yards per punt, both career-highs. He ranks eighth in the NFL in punts downed inside the 20 (19).

Bakhtiari, a three-time All-Pro, remains one of the NFL’s top pass-blocking offensive tackles. He ranks third among offensive tackles in pass block win rate, per ESPN.

Pro Bowl rosters will be announced on Dec. 17. Fan voting is open through Dec. 12. The 2020 Pro Bowl is scheduled for Jan. 26.

How to vote your favorite Seattle Seahawks onto the Pro Bowl roster

Everything you need to know to cast your votes for your favorite Seattle Seahawks players to 2020 Pro Bowl roster.

Now that the NFL has entered the second half of the regular season, things are beginning to ramp up as teams compete for coveted playoff positions. Players are also starting to rally fans for votes to this year’s Pro Bowl, which will be held at Camping World Stadium, in Orlando, FL.

Here’s everything you need to know to vote your favorite Seahawks’ onto the Pro Bowl roster.

For the third season in a row, voting will be open for four weeks, with the polls closing on Thursday, Dec. 12.

Fans can vote multiple times for their favorite players, using a number of different mediums, including the league’s official website page at NFL.com/ProBowlVote.

In addition, fans can also vote directly on Twitter starting Nov. 28. All tweets should include the first and last name of the player, official Twitter handle (if available) or a hashtag including the player’s first and last name. All tweets must also include the #ProBowlVote hashtag.

The 2020 Pro Bowl is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. PT on Jan. 26 and will be televised on ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and Disney XD.

Pro Bowl rosters will be announced Tuesday, Dec.17 on the NFL Network’s Pro Bowl special “NFL Total Access: Pro Bowl Players Revealed.”

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Saints nominate Terron Armstead for Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

The New Orleans Saints nominated LT Terron Armstead, a 2018 Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro, for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

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The New Orleans Saints nominated left tackle Terron Armstead for this year’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, an award that gives recognition to NFL players who best demonstrate sportsmanship during games. All 32 teams initially select one of their own players for the award, which is then winnowed down to eight finalists. Players vote for the winner while submitting their Pro Bowl ballots later in the regular season. Here’s the list of previous winners, including Armstead’s teammate, Drew Brees:

  • 2018: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees
  • 2017: Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly
  • 2016: Indianapolis Colts running back Frank Gore
  • 2015: Oakland Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson
  • 2014: Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald

It’s clear that this is a very exclusive group to be a part of, and even being nominated in the first place says a lot about the respect Armstead’s teammates share for him. Check out the full list of nominees, by team:

The award-winner will receive a $25,000 donation to a charity of their choice as well as a commemorative trophy. Despite playing at a high level throughout his Saints career, Armstead has often been overlooked for Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition. He first made the cut for those clubs in 2018 as a second-team All-Pro, but he had to back out of his Pro Bowl commitments while recovering from an injury suffered during the season. Here’s hoping Armstead gets the recognition he’s due from his peers for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

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4 Texans worthy of making the Pro Bowl

With the Pro-Bowl voting underway, here are four Houston Texans deserving of going to the All-Star Game in the winter, including Deshaun Watson.

Pro Bowl voting is live. In the thick of a tight AFC playoff race, the Houston Texans have their fair share of players worthy of heading to Orlando, Fla. on Jan. 26, 2020.

Four, in specific, stand-out as obvious Pro-Bowl selections. To get them there, Texans fans will be relied upon. They can do so by heading to NFL.com/ProBowlVote to cast their ballots. Voting ends on Dec. 12, it is free and encouraged that multiple ballots are sent in.

During the final two weeks of voting — Nov. 28 to Dec. 12 — fans will be able to vote for their favorite Texans on Twitter. They will be able to do so by tweeting the player’s first and last name, the player’s official handle or a hashtag including their first and last name. All three methods must include the #ProBowlVote hashtag.

When making voting, here are four Texans to keep in mind for Pro Bowl voting:

QB Deshaun Watson

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Deshaun Watson is a full-fledged MVP candidate. His name on the Pro Bowl roster won’t be surprising come January. In fact, come game time in Orlando, Fla., the only thing that would be surprising is not seeing Watson suited up — unless he is in Miami.

Watson is drilling passes at a 70.2% clip, has a career-high 107.1 passer rating, has upped his passing touchdown rate from 5.1% to 6.0% (18) and lowered his interception rate from 1.8% to 1.7%. He has done so while throwing for 2,432 yards, rushing for 279 and tallying five touchdowns on the ground.

If stats don’t do the trick, take a gander at NFL Twitter on Sundays. Seemingly every week, Watson is producing highlight reels with his magical abilities. Combine that with a winning record (6-3), statistical improvement and a broad fan base and Watson is seemingly a lock to make the Pro-Bowl in back-to-back years.

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