This year's Pro Bowl will not include any ProUte players - no starters, reserves, or alternates. Steve Smith's numbers (65 receptions, 982 yards, 7 TDs) were down compared to last season (78, 1,421, and 6), when he went to his fourth Pro Bowl. That decline in production had more to do with the struggles of Smith's quarterback than the injury that ended his season early. His teammate Jordan Gross, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, missed almost half of the season with a broken leg, however.
But in a season when Steelers safety Troy Polamalu was hampered by injury, were there really three other safeties better than Eric Weddle in the AFC? He doesn't have Ed Reed's reputation or Jairus Byrd's 9 interceptions, but he has nearly twice as many tackles (82 to 45) as both of them. Brian Dawkins has more total tackles (108), but Weddle would have kept pace if he hadn't missed two games with an injured knee. He has the same number of interceptions (2), and his 1.5 sacks offset the 1 forced fumble that Dawkins has in his favor. Weddle's numbers are comparable to Byrd's, Dawkins's, and Reed's, if not better outright. So why wasn't he at least chosen as an alternate?
The Cincinnati Bengals received the biggest snub, sending no one to the Pro Bowl despite winning the AFC North. Chad Ochocinco has reminded Cincinnati fans that the objective is reaching the Super Bowl, not the Pro Bowl. That's a fine team-oriented outlook, but it overlooks the Colts, Chargers, and Patriots in the process. Should the Colts reach the Super Bowl again that would vacate both starting defensive end positions for the AFC. Reserve Mario Williams would fill one of those slots, but it would be great to see Jonathan Fanene, who has 6 sacks to Williams's 8, be added to the team. The Bengals have not released any information about alternate selections and Fanene's name has not been in the mix, but he is on par with any deserving defensive end behind the top three.
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