Michael Irvin, not surprisingly, picked several Cowboys to his Pro Bowl roster.
Jason Garrett and the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff will join captain Michael Irvin in an effort to upend Team Carter in the 2015 Pro Bowl on Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The game will be shown live at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Naturally, Irvin loaded up on Cowboys, starting with the offense, and will stick with his guys in this relatively new format. Irvin is a Hall of Fame receiver who won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys between 1992-95.
Tony Romo will quarterback the offense. Romo recorded the best passer rating of his career during the 2014 season. His 34-9 TD-INT ratio was also a career best, on his way to 3,705 yards passing at 8.52 yards per attempt.
Romo's offensive backfield-mate DeMarco Murray will join him on Team Irvin. Murray was part of one of two pairs of player captains selected to lead the Pro Bowl squads. Irvin made sure to claim Murray, who came packaged with Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden. Murray was the NFL's leading rusher in 2014, racking up 1,845 yards during the regular season. He finished 484 yards ahead of Le'Veon Bell, the NFL's second-leading rusher.
Here's a close look at the rest of Team Irvin:
Offense
Quarterbacks
Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Breakdown: Romo was an easy pick for Irvin, who has been championing the quarterback for years on NFL Network in his analyst role. Ryan and Stafford both had huge statistical seasons, throwing for 4,694 and 4,257 yards, respectively.
Running backs
C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos
Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints
DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys
Breakdown: Murray led the league by a wide margin in rushing, totaling 1,845 yards. Murray also had the most carries of any running back this decade, so he might welcome the sight of Anderson and Ingram. Ingram, once considered a first NFL Draft bust, had a career-high 964 yards in 2014.
Wide receivers
Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants
Golden Tate, Detroit Lions
Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos
Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
Breakdown: Irvin was a receiver, so it's no surprise he loaded up on them. Beckham Jr. was a human highlight reel as a rookie, while Sanders finished with the fifth-most yardage of any receiver this season. Tate finished two spots behind Sanders in his first year in Detroit, amassing 1,331 yards. Cobb, who is set to become a free agent, had a career-best 1,287 yards.
Tight ends
Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints
Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
Breakdown: Another Cowboys player makes the team in Witten, who is still going strong in his 30's. The future Hall of Famer had a down year by his standards, catching 64 passes for 703 yards and five touchdowns. Graham also fell below expectations, failing to reach 900 yards receiving for the first time since his rookie year in 2010.
Offensive tackles
Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns
Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
Trent Williams, Washington
Breakdown: Smith and Thomas are widely recognized as two of the best left tackles in the game. Williams is also a mountain of a man, but doesn't get much recognition nationally, perhaps because of the chaotic state of Washington. For Thomas, this is his eighth Pro Bowl in as many seasons.
Offensive guards
Kyle Long, Chicago Bears
Zach Martin, Dallas Cowboys
Marshall Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
Breakdown: Martin made the Pro Bowl in his rookie year, and will be playing alongside Yanda and Long. Long has made the Pro Bowl two years running, while Yanda has been a mainstay for four consecutive seasons. In the playoffs, Yanda played a superb right tackle when coach John Harbaugh shifted the line around.
Centers
Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys
Nick Mangold, New York Jets
Breakdown: Frederick has made his name known as one of the best centers in football only two years into his career. Drafted as a first round pick in 2013, Frederick has shined alongside Martin and Smith on the Dallas wall. Mangold has been consistent since being taken by the Jets in 2006, becoming a six-time Pro Bowler.
Fullback
Marcel Reece, Oakland Raiders
Breakdown: Reece is perhaps the best player on the Raiders, and has been for years. Unlike many fullbacks, Reece can do more than simply block. He has long been a safety valve for quarterbacks and can even run the ball with effectiveness. This year, Reece churned out 350 total yards.
Defense
Defensive tackles
Geno Atkins, Cincinnati Bengals
Aaron Donald, St. Louis Rams
Sheldon Richardson, New York Jets
Breakdown: Donald is the gem of this group. The first-round rookie out of Pittsburgh has shown incredible ability in his first year, flashing with quickness and power. Atkins is in the contest on name recognition alone. He was called out in a big way by his defensive coordinator in Cincinnati for his poor play all season.
Defensive ends
Robert Quinn, St. Louis Rams
Cameron Wake, Miami Dolphins
DeMarcus Ware, Denver Broncos
Breakdown: Irvin went with experience here, tabbing two of the oldest players in the Pro Bowl in Ware and Wake. However, Irvin also drafted Quinn, one of the top pass rushers around with nothing but upside. After a slow start to the campaign, Quinn rebounded and amassed 10.5 sacks to lead the Rams.
Oustside linebackers
Elvis Dumervil, Baltimore Ravens
Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers
Von Miller, Denver Broncos
Breakdown: It is hard to find a deeper group on the team. Dumervil had a tremendous season, finishing third to Justin Houston and J.J. Watt with 17 sacks. Miller tailed off late in the season but still had 14, while Matthews, who played inside and outside this year, had 11.
Inside linebackers
Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers
D'Qwell Jackson, Indianapolis Colts
Breakdown: Kuechly was an animal in 2014 for the Panthers. The middle linebacker hit everything in sight, totaling a league-high 153 tackles. Jackson made the most of his first impression with the Colts after toiling for seven years in Cleveland, notching 140 tackles and four sacks.
Cornerbacks
Vontae Davis, Indianapolis Colts
Brent Grimes, Miami Dolphins
Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns
Chris Harris Jr., Denver Broncos
Breakdown: Irvin went with the speedier, smaller group here. Davis has become one of the best corners in the game, while Harris got paid like one in Denver. In December, Harris signed a five-year extension worth $42.5 million. Haden is making his second consecutive Pro Bowl with the Browns, and Grimes his third.
Safeties
Eric Weddle, San Diego Chargers
Mike Adams, Indianapolis Colts
T.J. Ward, Denver Broncos
Breakdown: Weddle shined this year on a mediocre Chargers defense, earning first-team All-Pro honors as a strong safety. Ward enjoyed a solid first season in Denver, justifying his contract. Adams is the unlikely name of the bunch, earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl in 11 seasons.
Special teams
Kicker
Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts
Breakdown: Vinatieri was his typically incredible self. The 42-year-old made 30-of-31 field goal attempts, scoring 140 points on the year. This is his third Pro Bowl.
Punter
Kevin Huber, Cincinnati Bengals
Breakdown: Huber is making his Pro Bowl debut after having a terrific year in Cincinnati. Huber averaged 46.8 yards per punt and had 37 percent land inside the 20-yard line.
Punt returner
Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles
Breakdown: Sproles was the best punt returner in the NFL this season. The 10-year veteran had 506 punt-return yards and scored two touchdowns, helping Philadelphia to a 10-6 record.
Long snapper
L.P. Ladouceur, Dallas Cowboys or Jon Dorenbos, Philadelphia Eagles
Special teamer
Darrell Stuckey, San Diego Chargers
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1GT00tJ
No comments:
Post a Comment