Victor Cruz – WR, New York Giants | 2012 Pro Bowl Snubs

2012 Pro Bowl Snubs

Victor Cruz – WR, New York Giants

Darrelle Revis might not know who he is, but the rest of the NFL does. Cruz has been Eli Manning’s primary weapon, and an opposing secondary’s worst nightmare down the field. The 6-0, 204-pound receiver out of Massachusetts has 1,358 receiving yards (90.5 YPG) and eight touchdowns on the year. There’s a great chance he adds to those stats in Sunday’s NFC East winner-take-all finale against the Cowboys. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

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2012 Pro Bowl Sn... Every year the integrity of the Pro Bowl vote is brought into question, and every year fans and voters agree to disagree on those selected and those left out. While many of the 2012 selections were deserving of their nods, there were a few good men who were inevitably slighted. Chris Young names them here. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

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London Fletcher ... Fletcher may be this season’s biggest snub, mainly because the Redskins have warranted little media attention all year. But regardless of how bad the QB situation is in D.C., Fletcher was a beast. The undrafted linebacker out of John Carroll University leads the league in tackles with 163, and had three forced fumbles and two sacks. That’s 71 more tackles than Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher who made the Pro Bowl for the eighth time in his career. Indeed, stats don’t tell the entire story.

UPDATE: According to Washington Post NFL insider Mike Jones, Fletcher, along with teammates Lorenzo Alexander and Brian Orakpo, have been selected as alternates for the Pro Bowl. Better late than never, I suppose. (AP Photo/Gary Wiepert)

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Sean Weatherspoo... The Falcons must have seen something in Sean Weatherspoon when they drafted him 19th overall out of Missouri in 2010. In his second year as an NFL starter, the 6-2, 240-pound linebacker has 109 tackles and four sacks, and is a large reason why the Falcons defense ranks eighth in the league in rushing yards allowed. Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson are easy ins, but if Ray Lewis and Broncos rookie Von Miller are headed to Honolulu, Weatherspoon should be too. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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Navorro Bowman –... You might not see Navorro Bowman jerseys all over Candlestick Park, but there’s no denying the kind of year the former Penn State Nittany Lion is having for the Niners. 133 tackles and 1 sack is solid. And yes, San Francisco has eight men booked for Hawaii. But without Navorro filling in for an injured Patrick Willis, the 49ers probably wouldn’t have the league’s top-ranked defense, nor would they be 12-3 and headed to the postseason for the first time since 2002. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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Geno Atkins – LB... Vince Willfork, Richard Seymour and Haloti Ngata all had respectable seasons as interior defensive lineman and they all made this year’s Pro Bowl. But according to Cincy Jungle, Atkins was better than them all. Atkins leads the NFL with eight QB sacks, 14 QB hits and ranks second with 25 QB pressures. If you’re wondering why Cincy’s defense ranks sixth in the league, look no further than Atkins. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

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Victor Cruz – WR... Darrelle Revis might not know who he is, but the rest of the NFL does. Cruz has been Eli Manning’s primary weapon, and an opposing secondary’s worst nightmare down the field. The 6-0, 204-pound receiver out of Massachusetts has 1,358 receiving yards (90.5 YPG) and eight touchdowns on the year. There’s a great chance he adds to those stats in Sunday’s NFC East winner-take-all finale against the Cowboys. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Jordy Nelson – W... I’m not one to toss around the phrase “underrated” because I feel it’s a bit misleading. Underappreciated, on the other hand, is a more apt definition for Packers WR Jordy Nelson. 1,101 receiving yards (73.4 YPG) and 12 touchdowns speaks for itself. Nelson isn’t a flashy guy, but if you’re going to consider Victor Cruz a snub, you have to consider the same for the former Kansas State Wildcat. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)

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Duane Brown – LG... Most Texans fans would say their entire O-line deserves a ticket to Hawaii. Joe Thomas is one hell of a tackle. But if Thomas goes (and Logan Mankins and Jake Long), so too must Duane Brown. Brown had a Pro Bowl year for Houston. Just ask T.J. Yates. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

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Aldon Smith – LB... Every year there is a snub that can go either way depending on your allegiance. With the types of seasons rookies Andy Dalton, Cam Newton and Von Miller are having, it’s easy to be “the other rookie.” But Aldon Smith has done his fair share in his first season with the Niners. 35 tackles, two forced fumbles and 14 sacks is nothing to sneeze at. The problem? Smith was not on the fan ballot and lost approximately 33 percent of the voting total as a result. That’s a tough break, but the coaches and players should have covered. If they need additional proof of Smith’s dominance, they should revisit the Steelers game in Week 15, where not even two power outrages could slow the young LB down. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

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Aaron Hernandez ... Rob Gronkowski’s shadow dwarfs many men. But how does Antonio Gates make the Pro Bowl and Aaron Hernandez does not? Hernandez’s 72 receptions for 772 yards and six touchdowns is better than Gates’ 59 receptions for 672 yards and six touchdowns. Plus, the Chargers are enjoying an early winter. (AP Photo/Margaret Bowles)

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Matthew Stafford... Stafford and Newton have been named NFC alternates, but that doesn't feel exactly right. 2011 has been the year of the quarterback, and fans can look no further than the seasons Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are having for evidence of that. But Stafford and Newton have put up gaudy numbers, too. In his third year with the Detroit Lions, Stafford threw for 4,518 yards (301.2 YPG) and 36 touchdowns with an average QB rating of 96.6 through 16 weeks, and he did it without any semblance of a run game. Meanwhile, Newton (3,893 yards, 34 TDs) has had a record rookie season and should be a lock for this year’s ROY award, with due respect to Von Miller and Andy Dalton. It’s likely both Stafford and Newton will see the field on Jan. 29, assuming the Packers or Saints reach the Super Bowl or (gulp) the Lions make a run. But an alternate award is still an alternate award, kinda like getting an honorable mention ribbon for coming in fourth place at the sixth-grade science fair. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski/Rich Addicks)

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