The NFL Pro Bowl rosters were released on Wednesday night and just like every season, there were a number of deserving players who did not make the cut.
This years' squad has a ton of talent, but there are some major questions about who made it and who didn't. For example, can the NFL explain how a horrible 2-13 Kansas City Chiefs team got five players on the roster, the same amount as the AFC West champion Denver Broncos and more than twice as many as the playoff bound Cincinnati Bengals.
The quarterback position is always a point of contention and this year was no different. Many times the players who get it deserve it, but the ones left off are glaring. This season Drew Brees, who leads the NFL in touchdowns, didn't make the squad and neither did Matthew Stafford and Tony Romo, who are ranked in the top three in passing yards.
Here are some of the most notable snubs off of the 2012 Pro Bowl Roster:
(click here for a link to the full roster)
Drew Brees, Quarterback, New Orleans Saints
The NFC quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Robert Griffin III) are all deserving of being named to the team, but it's ridiculous that Brees was left off. Sure, the Saints have had a down year overall after dealing with the fallout of the bounty scandal, but Brees has been his usual self while leading the NFL in touchdown passes.
This season Brees has thrown for a league-leading 4,781 yards and 39 touchdowns while competing over 62 percent of his passes. His 18 interceptions are a bit high and he likely took a hit for a nine-pick stretch in three games this season, but with how much the Saints throw the ball, at least some of those interceptions are due to the system and not the player.
The three leaders in passing yards in the NFL were all left off the Pro Bowl team, with Brees, Tony Romo and Matthew Stafford missing the cut. Brees has been exceptional in the Month of December, throwing for eight touchdowns with just two interceptions in three games. The Saints have won two in a row, including last Sunday against Dallas in which Brees had 446 yards passing and three touchdowns.
Brees has thrown a touchdown in every game this season but one (snapping his all-time record for consecutive games with a passing TD) and has passed for at least three touchdowns in 10 different games. In three games this year he has thrown four touchdowns. It's hard to say who Brees would get the nod over when it comes to Ryan, Rodgers and Griffin, but there has to be some room for him somewhere.
Russell Wilson, Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks
Andrew Luck, Quarterback, Indianapolis Colts
These two are listed together because they are rookies and the Pro Bowl snubs always get contentious with quarterbacks. It's understandable that they were left off the team due to the fact that they are first-year players, but both have been fantastic in leading their teams to the playoffs.
Luck has done something no other No. 1-overall pick has even done after leading the Colts to 10 wins after a 2-14 season in 2011. He has passed for a rookie-record of 4,183 yards, breaking Cam Newton's mark from last season and has added 21 touchdowns while completing over 54 percent of his passes.
The former Stanford quarterback has made some amazing plays this season, including a clutch short pass to Reggie Wayne to score the game-winner against the Detroit Lions four weeks ago. He had a career-high four touchdowns in the 35-33 win over the Lions and passed for 433 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-20 win over Miami on Nov. 4. The Colts have won four of the past five games and eight of the last ten overall.
Wilson hasn't been as impressive statistically as Luck, but he has been just as successful. Head coach Pete Carroll surprised everyone when he named Wilson the starter, but it has been all gravy for the Seahawks since then, as Wilson as led the team to a 10-5 record and a chance at an NFC West division title after defeating the 49ers on Sunday night.
The Seahawks are 7-0 at home this season, in large part to the play of Wilson. He has the rookie lead in passing touchdowns with 25 (one away from Peyton Manning's all-time mark) and has passed for 2,868 yards with just 10 interceptions. Wilson's numbers aren't enough to knock off someone like Rodgers or Ryan off the Pro Bowl squad, but he surely deserves some accolades for all that he has been able to accomplish this season.
Dez Bryant, Wide Receiver, Dallas Cowboys
This is another position where there is just an excess of talent. The receivers that made the team-- Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Julio Jones, Victor Cruz--are all deserving candidates, but Bryant also deserves to be on the squad after setting career-highs in every statistical category.
This season Bryant has made 88 receptions for 1,311 yards and 12 touchdowns while proving to be a huge deep threat for Tony Romo. He ranks eighth in the league in yards and is second behind Calvin Johnson in touchdown receptions. Roddy White and Vincent Jackson also have legitimate reasons to be on the team, but there can only be four wide receivers.
Bryant had a slow stretch of games in the middle of the year when the Cowboys were slumping, but when he has been "on", he has been explosive. He made 12 catches for 145 yards in an overtime win over Cleveland on No. 18 and then followed it up with an eight catch, 145 yards and two touchdown day against the Redskins in a loss.
In Sunday's game against the Saints, Bryant has nine catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns, but the Cowboys lost 34-31 in overtime. Bryant played with a hurt finger and will be asked to do the same in the regular-season finale against the Washington Redskins in a game that will decide the NFC East division.
Richard Sherman, Cornerback, Seattle Seahawks
The only reason Sherman might not have made the team is because he is dealing with an appeal for testing positive for PEDs. That must be the case, because no other cornerback has been as good this season.
Sherman has helped turn the Seattle secondary into a beast and is tied for second in the league with seven interceptions and one touchdown. He has made 53 tackles and has recorded 23 passes defended, which is tied for the league lead. He helped shut down the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady earlier this season and has been as dominant as any defensive player this year.
Other snubs:
-Mike Pouncey, Miami Dolphins, Center
-Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Wide Reciever
-Matt Kalil, Minnesota Vikings, Offensive Tackle
-Eric Weddle, San Diego Chargers, Safety
-C.J. Wilson, Buffalo Bills, Running Back