My Pro Bowl Picks - Offense

Meet Texans center Chris Myers.  Now vote him into the Pro Bowl.  He deserves it.

You probably don't care about the Pro Bowl, and you shouldn't.  The game is disinteresting at best, a farce at worst.  However, I care deeply about who gets selected to the Pro Bowl each year.  Why?  Because, for better or worse, the Hall of Fame committee takes Pro Bowls into account when they decide who to enshrine in Canton.  And it pains me to see Brandon Meriweather go to Hawaii because people remembered that he played for the Patriots and once stomped on a player.  

So take a minute to fill out a ballot, and we'll come closer to getting the right guys in the Pro Bowl.  If you need some suggestions, I've  pored over stats, video, and ProFootballFocus.com (which assigns a grade to every player on every play of every game), to give you the players who deserve to be honored for their performance, not their popularity.  Today I'll cover just the offense, so please come back tomorrow for the defense and special teams.

QUARTERBACKS

AFC - Tom Brady (NE), Ben Roethlisberger (PIT), Tim Tebow (DEN)  Peyton Manning's injury and a down year for Philip Rivers leaves a big void at the third QB spot in the AFC.  I'm tempted to go with Matt Schaub for his efficient start to the season, but Tebow is on pace to nearly match his total yardage output and the young QB's turnaround of the Broncos has been remarkable.

NFC - Aaron Rodgers (GB), Drew Brees (NO), Eli Manning (NYG)  Rodgers had a 96.7 passer rating in his worst game of the season, and I've long predicted that Brees would be the one to set the new single season passing record.  With an awful running game and defense, there are two words to explain how the Giants are still in the playoff race: Eli Manning.  The Colts are 0-13 without Peyton Manning, and the Giants would be almost as bad without Eli.

RUNNING BACKS

AFC - Ray Rice (BAL), Maurice Jones-Drew (JAX), Arian Foster (HOU)  Rice leads the league in yards from scrimmage.  Jones-Drew is the NFL's top rusher, despite being the only real threat in the Jaguars offense.  An injury robbed Fred Jackson of this honor, and Ryan Mathews' 5.1 yards per carry deserve recognition, but Arian Foster's versatility has kept the Texans humming despite injuries to Schaub and Andre Johnson.

NFC - Matt Forte (CHI), LeSean McCoy (PHI), Frank Gore (SFO)  You only need to look at the Bears' last two games to see how helpless their offense is without Forte.  McCoy has been one of the lone bright spots on the Eagles' disappointing offense.  It's tough to leave out Adrian Peterson, but Gore is a huge reason why San Francisco is 10-3.  He is responsible for 28.7% of the 49ers' yards from scrimmage, while Peterson makes up 22.8% of the Vikings' offensive output.

WIDE RECEIVERS

AFC - Wes Welker (NE), Mike Wallace (PIT), Vincent Jackson (SDG), A.J. Green (CIN)  Welker leads the league in receptions and yards.  Wallace is Pittsburgh's version of DeSean Jackson (if Jackson didn't take plays off and could run something other than a fly route).  There's a big drop after those two.  Speaking of drops, I'm not voting for Brandon Marshall or Dwayne Bowe when they are tied for 2nd and 4th, respectively, in dropped passes this season.  Instead, I'll go with Vincent Jackson, who is on pace for 1,170 yards despite Philip Rivers' struggles, and Green, who the Bengals can thank for keeping them in the playoff hunt.

NFC - Calvin Johnson (DET), Larry Fitzgerald (ARI), Steve Smith (CAR), Hakeem Nicks (NYG)  No receiver can take over a game like Johnson and Fitzgerald.  Smith is back at an All-Pro level with Cam Newton.  Victor Cruz isn't even on the Pro Bowl ballot, despite being third in the league in yards.  However, I'd still vote Nicks in over him.  He's nearly matched Cruz's production this season, despite fighting constant double-teams.

FULLBACKS

AFC - Vonta Leach (BAL)  Leach's blocking helped make Arian Foster an All-Pro last year, and now he's doing the same for Ray Rice, whose yards per game, yards per attempt, and touchdowns are all up.

NFC - Jed Collins (NO)  Green Bay's John Kuhn gets more attention because he runs in the occasional touchdown, but his blocking has been average this year.  I'm going with Collins instead, who has done an excellent job leading the way for the Saints' three-headed monster.

TIGHT ENDS

AFC - Rob Gronkowski (NE), Owen Daniels (HOU)  Gronkowski isn't only the best pass-catching tight end in the league; he's the best run-blocking one as well.  Daniels has been a constant producer on a Texans offense that's battled injuries all season.

NFC - Jimmy Graham (NO), Tony Gonzalez (ATL)  Graham is second in the league in receptions, not just among tight ends, but among all receivers.  I'd have voted for Fred Davis over Gonzalez if Davis hadn't been suspended for these last four games.  Instead, Gonzalez's bounceback season has shown that he's not quite ready to end his Hall of Fame career.

TACKLES

AFC - Eric Winston (HOU), Joe Thomas (CLE), Eugene Monroe (JAX)  An uncharacteristically down year for Miami's Jake Long leaves a lot of competition at the tackle spot in the AFC.  No tackle has been as consistent in both the run and pass game as Winston.  Thomas is on his way to the Hall of Fame if he can keep up this elite play.  And I put in Monroe over Tennessee's Michael Roos because the Jaguars tackle has blocked well for a rookie QB and helped Jones-Drew lead the league in rushing.

NFC - Jason Peters (PHI), Tyron Smith (DAL), Bryan Bulaga (GB)  Watch any Eagles game, and you'll see Peters swallow up a pass rusher or sprint ahead on a screen to lead the way for McCoy.  Many voters prefer to only select left tackles here, but I won't discriminate against Smith when he's had to hold his own against pass rushers like Jason Babin, Chris Long and Ryan Kerrigan.  The same goes for Bulaga, who has only given up one sack of Aaron Rodgers all year.

GUARDS

AFC - Marshall Yanda (BAL), Brian Waters (NE), Andy Levitre (BUF)  Yanda is incredibly underrated, even for an offensive lineman.  He's played at a high level for three years, and deserves to make his first Pro Bowl after surrendering just two quarterback hits this season.  Waters has made the Chiefs look silly for cutting him. He's given up only four QB pressures in 13 games.  And Levitre has been the Swiss Army Knife of the Bills line, excelling at guard, center, and tackle this season.

NFC - Evan Mathis (PHI), Carl Nicks (NO), Steve Hutchinson (MIN)  After Philadelphia's offensive line seemed to be a weakness coming into the season, I'm voting two of it's members into the Pro Bowl, as Mathis' run blocking has been off the charts.  Nicks is often overshadowed by teammate Jahri Evans, but I prefer the balance he brings to the pass game, where he's only given up six QB pressures this season.  Hutchinson may not have deserved a couple of his previous Pro Bowl appearances, but he does this year after stepping up his pass protection.

CENTERS

AFC - Chris Myers (HOU), Nick Mangold (NYJ)  If you can vote for only one lineman this year, make it Myers.  He's the biggest reason behind the success of Houston's dominating running game.  Mangold not only returned from a high ankle sprain after only two weeks, but picked up his All-Pro level of play right where he left off.

NFC - Scott Wells (GB), John Sullivan (MIN)  Wells has been the best pass-blocking center in the league this season, which is no small feat when your quarterback drops back as often as Aaron Rodgers does.  Sullivan has had superb run blocking against tough tackles like B.J Raji and Ndamukong Suh.

Now that you've seen my suggestions, get out and vote!  And remember to check back tomorrow for my defense and special teams picks.

Want to talk football?  Follow me on Twitter at @BostonGiant.

Have a suggestion for an article?  Email me at eternalsunshinepete@gmail.com.

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