Apparently we missed the announcement of the Pro Bowl rosters today. Perhaps that’s due to our lack of giving a shit.
The Pro Bowl is joke. A joke we’ve been over many times, so you won’t see much talk of it around here.
But three Green Bay Packers made the squad, so we’ll tell you about that.
They’re exactly the three guys you would expect would make a sham of an all-star game like this — Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews and Josh Sitton.
Of those three, we’re pretty sure Sitton belongs. We know Rodgers doesn’t belong and we’re not sure about Matthews.
But that’s the thing. Guys make this game on name recognition alone a lot of times.
Matthews is having a decent season with 63 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Does that put him among the best inside linebackers in the NFL?
Probably not.
Inside linebackers are typically measured by one statistic over every other — tackles. So while Matthews has already established a career high in that category, it’s more telling that he’s 73 tackles off the NFC lead.
That’s held by San Francisco’s NaVorro Bowman and his 136 tackles. Note the difference between the number of tackles Bowman has and the number of tackles Matthews has is greater than Matthews’ total number of tackles.
A total of 11 guys in the NFC have 100 tackles or more. Eight of them are linebackers.
So is Clay Matthews one of the best inside linebackers in the NFC this year?
Let me consult with my trusty Magic 8 Ball…
Signs point to no.
And yes, we know the Pro Bowl rosters are no longer chosen by conference, but if we looked at the entire NFL, then Matthews would be even further down that list.
As for Rodgers, he’s having the worst season of his career. If we have to tell you that, then you should go back to watching Days of Our Lives.
So we know he doesn’t belong, but let’s investigate anyway.
Rodgers has a rating of 95.2, which is nice, but way below the standard he’s set and good enough for just 12th in the league.
The other quarterbacks selected to the Pro Bowl were Tom Brady, Cam Newton, Carson Palmer, Russell Wilson and Ben Roethlisberger.
If I were, say, Andy Dalton, I would be pissed. He has much stronger credentials than Rodgers does this season.
And even though they’re on shitty teams, so do Eli Manning, Drew Brees and Kirk Cousins.
That’s right, Kirk Fucking Cousins has more yards, a higher completion percentage and a better rating than Rodgers this year.
But yaaaaaaay, Pro Bowl!
Again, you concentrate on the negatives and don’t say shit about Sitton. Typical.
Idk if you guys keep track, but clay Matthews Rushes and blitz like 30% – 40% of the time. I don’t even think he can be considered a full time inside Linebacker.
Agreed, he still plays a signifcant amount at OLB so that will affect his tackle totals. That said, he’s playing well but not worthy of the Pro Bowl.
Mike Daniels got snubbed, so, probably, did TJ Lang.
see my comment post to the next article about MD being off the pro bowl.
btw Phats, welcome back, we thought you had exited this forum out of disgust.
please help us fend off the invasion of the “stealth trolls” this season, as the “knuckleheads” [pun intended] we chased off last playoff season are back with new handles and a stealthy approach, so to cause discord amongst the true TP regulars: Al Hombre and Knucklehead are two that have been buzzing this site occasionaly to date.
i will be posting updated “troll index” at regular intervals as the teams making the playoffs will inspire their crackhead fans to “weigh in” LOL
Fritz,
I don’t know if you’ve been drinking too much cheap brandy, are senile or have been in a cabin for too long…?
If I remember correctly you are one of the few on here who isn’t a Packer-hating, Montey-head, muppet?
I have no idea why you’d call me out. Hopefully, just a mistake on your part.
Popularity contest winners who further undermine the credibility of the farce this game’s become.
No Packer deserved the honors as one of the league’s best at their position based upon THIS year’s play.
Sitton – Drive-killing penalty machine this year.
Matthews – Middle of the road ILB.
Rodgers – When Kirk Cousins is outplaying your ass, time to take a loooooong look in the mirror instead of putting on your Peyton Manning ‘I just shit my pants’ face and pointing fingers at everyone else.
At least I won’t piss away 3 hours of my life watching this shitshow.
Totally agree about the popularity contest Savage.
The game itself has become a watered-down version of flag football…..
Never watched it – never will !
“So we know he doesn’t belong, but let’s investigate anyway.”
Yes, let’s investigate.
Wilson: 3,538 /29 / 7
Newton: 3,402 / 33 / 10
Brady: 4,405 / 35 /6
Rodgers: 3,379 / 29 / 6
Clearly, he doesn’t belong.
Good fact-checking PB
@Savage
Sitton has had about 3 bad penalties this year and had 1 or 2 terrible calls go against him, otherwise he’s been his usual dominant self.
Matthews is indeed just an average ILB, but not because he can’t do it all because far too often he overplays to the outside of gaps instead of plugging the hole, allowing RBs to crease our D and leaving our safeties tet-a-tet with a RB with a full head of steam in the open field.
Rodgers is nowhere near his usual standard but it’s kind of difficult to get in a rhythm when your receivers aren’t getting open or dropping well-thrown balls, pretty sure he’s had at least 5 or 6 dropped TDs.
All that and he still has stats comparable to the league leaders.
Finally, Kirk Cousins is a talented QB, the coaching staff of the Redskins is just a massive joke.