There are certainly a handful of players every year that seem to get a raw deal when it comes to getting selected to the Pro Bowl. This year was no different.
Some of the players that many think deserved the award were:
- Houston's LB Zach Cunningham
- Tampa Bay's LB Devin White
- Jacksonville's rookie RB James Robinson
- Atlanta's WR Calvin Ridley,
.....to name just a few.
Those players had great seasons in 2020 but were passed-by when the voting was all said and done. Every year because of this there are many people who think the selection process should be overhauled or totally redesigned.
Currently the votes that are counted come from coaches, players and fans in one-third increments. Every year with some of the selections it seems apparent that the fans probably have too much weight when it comes to selecting the most deserving players.
For instance, in 2008 Brett Favre was selected to the Pro Bowl after leading the league in interceptions with 22, while only throwing 22 touchdown passes and finishing 21st in passer rating.
In that same season San Diego's Phillip Rivers led the NFL in touchdowns passes (28), yards per attempt (8.23), and passer rating (101.4) but did not get voted to the Pro Bowl.
How can that happen? My guess is that fans knew it was Favre's last year with the Packers and they were feeling nostalgic and wanted to see him in a Packers uniform in the Pro Bowl one more time. Whatever the reason, there's always players that get in that don't deserve it and players that get overlooked that should be there.
One player this year that many think should have been there is Tom Brady.
The Buc's QB hasn't lit the league on fire in his first season in Tampa Bay, but there certainly can be an argument made for why he belongs in the 2020 Pro Bowl.
The three QB's selected from the NFC were Kyler Murray, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. All three are having great seasons. But, are they all more deserving than Brady?
Brady has more yards passing than all of them.
He has six more passing TD's than Kyler Murray and is 4th in the NFC in passing TD's.
He has a better QB rating than Kyler Murray.
He has two fewer interceptions than Russell Wilson.
The one area that Brady comes-up short in is the ability to "Wow" with his running abilities or the "escapability" that the other three have.
Certainly Murray's 11 TD's are impressive, but does it tip the scales in his favor over Brady's ability to play the position like a classic NFL quarterback?
Brady had made 13 out of the past 16 Pro Bowl's. He's also 43-years old and probably the best QB to ever play the game. But, apparently none of those things mattered to many of this years voters. Perhaps many are tired of seeing him selected since he never showed-up for the games anyways, even though there won't even be a Pro Bowl game played this year due to the pandemic.
Whatever the reasons were that kept people from voting him in, they may have just created a monster in Tampa. Hell has no wrath like Tom Brady scorned.
If we know Brady like we think we do, he will gladly take hold of this Pro Bowl snub and use it as a reason to put the NFL world on notice - he is not ready to relinquish his grip on the league.
votes from coaches, players and fans in one-third increments.