Let’s Debate: Jared Goff, Tee Higgins & the Different High Professional Bowl Snubs

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With the discharge of every yr's Professional Bowl rosters, there additionally comes one other version of Professional Bowl snubs, the inevitable oversights and egregious slights that may get any NFL fanbase barely upset for a minimum of a day or two.

The Professional Bowl itself continues to evolve and alter — now on location on the Tremendous Bowl — however some marginal gamers getting in forward of different marginal gamers will at all times be timeless. So, let's dive in and look at the ten most evident omissions from this yr's Professional Bowl.

We're not simply main with this as a result of it is a quarterback. Goff has 32 landing passes in opposition to 5 interceptions this season. If that have been to carry up over the following two weeks, what number of occasions in NFL historical past has a participant had 30-plus landing passes and 5 or fewer interceptions and missed the Professional Bowl? Because it seems, this could be the primary.

Matthew Stafford is a no brainer for the NFC, and a minimum of Sam Darnold has been prolific for a robust playoff contender — 13 interceptions is quite a bit, thoughts you. We'll concentrate on Goff being extra deserving than Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who has worse numbers on a worse staff. Prescott has 28 landing passes — 4 fewer than Goff — and 10 interceptions -- twice as many as Goff. Goff additionally has a greater completion proportion and better yards per try. There is a first rate probability Stafford or Darnold bail after/throughout prolonged playoff runs and Goff will get in as an alternate. However it should not come to that.

Every convention will get 4 Professional Bowl corners, they usually nonetheless ignored Wright, who's been one of the best ballhawk on one of the best takeaways protection within the NFL. The Bears have 31 takeaways, and Wright has been their turnover catalyst — 5 interceptions, which ranks second within the NFL, and two compelled fumbles, together with three fumble recoveries. I get recognizing corners who play so nicely that opponents do not throw their method a lot, if in any respect. However you additionally ought to recognize a participant as actively concerned in turnovers as this. Do we actually want two Eagles corners out of the 4 on the place? Or as many nickels as exterior corners? I am going to bump off Cooper DeJean and plug in Wright.

Kevin Dotson is among the explanation why Matthew Stafford hasn't been sacked a lot this season. (Picture by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs)

Los Angeles deserves an even bigger Professional Bowl presence. It has 4 whole and two on offense, however the Rams' offensive unit leads the NFL in factors and whole yards. The Rams have protected Matthew Stafford in what must be an MVP season. He is solely been sacked 19 occasions, yet one more than the variety of sacks the Broncos have allowed for the fewest within the league. Dotson was Professional Soccer Focus' third-highest-rated guard — the others within the prime 4 made the Professional Bowl and may, however you would simply put Dotson in for Dallas' Tyler Smith, who ranks seventeenth by Professional Soccer Focus for a lesser staff that is given up six extra sacks than the Rams.

The NFC has such higher receivers this yr. The 4 Professional Bowl broad receivers from the NFC have 38 touchdowns, in comparison with simply 20 for the AFC, and that is with the Rams' Davante Adams and his 14 touchdowns not making the NFC lower. If I needed to bump out an AFC receiver, it could be Baltimore's Zay Flowers — productive with 78 catches for 1,043 yards, however how do handle two touchdowns all season? Higgins has fewer yards and catches, however he has 10 landing catches in 13 video games. Would you reasonably have 300 extra yards, or eight extra touchdowns?

Generally a man leads the NFL in tackles and that is all he does, however not Brooks. He is not solely acquired 169 tackles, however he is additionally tallied up 12.5 tackles for loss and three.5 sacks, with a compelled fumble and a fumble restoration. I get why Houston's Azeez Al-Shaair made the staff, as somebody in the midst of one of the best protection within the NFL. However it would not present up a lot within the stat sheet. Al-Shaair has 96 tackles, no sacks, one sort out for loss, one compelled fumble and an interception. You can also make the case he is surrounded by higher gamers who get the splash performs earlier than they get to him, however I would reasonably have an energetic chief like Brooks.

Jordan Davis has performed a key function in serving to the Eagles' protection grow to be among the best within the league. (Picture by Greg Fiume/Getty Photographs)

Proper thought right here, proper staff, however the fallacious participant. Jalen Carter made the Professional Bowl as an inside defensive lineman, however he is been outplayed by Davis. Carter has missed 5 video games, however Davis has been far more productive. He has 4.5 sacks to Carter's two. He has 65 tackles to Carter's 32. He additionally has 9 tackles for loss, in comparison with Carter's 4. And if you really want one other tiebreaker, Davis did not miss any video games because of an ejection for spitting on an opponent, so there's that.

By some metrics, Bernhard Raimann has been one of many sport's finest offensive tackles this season. (Picture by Michael Hickey/Getty Photographs)

Here is the factor: Joe Alt solely performed in six video games this season. The Chargers sort out is excellent, however you are taking part in a 3rd of a season, and we knew six weeks in the past he was achieved for the yr with an ankle harm. Similar to baseball requires a sure variety of at-bats to win a batting title, it is advisable to play greater than six video games to make the Professional Bowl. The very best of the full-time AFC tackles is Bernhard Raimann, who's PFF's second-rated AFC sort out, having performed 863 offensive snaps, in comparison with simply 312 for Alt.

No one has owned the kicker model the best way the Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey has lately. And three area objectives of 60-plus yards in a single season is unbelievable. However McLaughlin has an extended kick this yr — a 65-yarder, the longest outside kick in league historical past — and he is 11-for-11 from 50 yards and out, essentially the most such kicks and not using a miss ever in a season. Need to go 55-plus? McLaughlin is 5-for-5, Aubrey is 5-for-7. Only a case the place popularity is not far off, but when somebody has crushed Aubrey at his personal sport, it is McLaughlin.

Alec Ingold has helped the Dolphins type one of many sport's strongest speeding assaults. (Picture by Megan Briggs/Getty Photographs)

Do not get me began about fullbacks on the Professional Bowl poll. The place would not exist on many groups, so there's a lot much less competitors in comparison with every other place on the sphere. I do not imply to say it will possibly't be an necessary place, but it surely's a part-time function. The AFC nod went to Baltimore's Patrick Ricard — his sixth Professional Bowl — however he is solely performed 205 offensive snaps this season, with a single contact for a 3-yard achieve. Baltimore has one of the best run sport within the league, which is why he is right here, however Miami is not far behind, fourth in yards per carry. And Ingold has performed 304 snaps, with seven catches for 49 yards and two carries for 9 yards. It is a shut name, however give it to the man who's performed half as many snaps.

Why is Budda Baker going again for an eighth Professional Bowl, on a nasty, non-playoff protection in Arizona? Within the final 4 years, Baker has totaled extra Professional Bowl nods (4) than he has interceptions (3) or sacks (2.5). PFF has 100 safeties graded this season, and he is 92nd out of 100 — backside 10%, racking up tackles on a bottom-five protection. As an alternative, go along with McKinney, who's PFF's No. 4 security and has 89 tackles but in addition two picks and a sack, each greater than Baker, and on a top-10 protection that is seemingly headed to the playoffs.

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade protecting the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Instances and The Athletic. You possibly can observe him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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