The Green Bay Packers have joined the likes of the Chicago Bears in being shut out of the Pro Bowl.
Zero Pro Bowlers. First time the Packers have had that honor since 2005.
Did the Packers deserve any Pro Bowlers?
Yes, in fact they did.
David Bakhtiari, if not the best left tackle in the game, is certainly among them. In fact, he is the highest-rated tackle in the game, according to Pro Football Focus, garnering a grade of 89.1.
The other guy who deserved to be there is linebacker Blake Martinez, who is tied for the NFL lead in tackles with 127.
But hell, the Pro Bowl is a goddam joke and has been for some time.
And the Packers aren’t a playoff team, so why would they be any different than the Bears?
Instead, defensive tackle Mike Daniels and fullback Aaron Ripkowski are first alternates. Additional alternates are receiver Davante Adams, Bakhtiari, outside linebacker Clay Matthews and punter Justin Vogel.
It’s telling how good Vogel has been this year that he’s been named an alternate. That’s probably the positive here. Vogel has a 45.0 yard average and a 42.6 net. It seems Big Ted has finally been able to do something he hasn’t throughout his entire career — find a serviceable punter.
Meanwhile, here are the guys who beat out the guys who are actually deserving on the Packers.
At tackle are Dallas’ Tyron Smith, who hasn’t played in weeks, Washington’s Trent Williams, who is a I-know-his-name pick, and Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson, who actually deserves to be there, although not ahead of teammate Jason Peters.
At inside linebacker are Carolina’s Luke Kuechly and Seattle’s Bobby Wagner, the exact two guys we predicted last week. They have names too.
Unfortunate for Martinez, who will probably have to lead the league in tackles for three years before he gets a name enough to make this sham of an all-star game.
As we have long said, the Pro Bowl can suck it. It’s a joke. The real list of the best players in the league comes when the All-Pro team is announced.