Pro Bowl: Which Atlanta Falcons deserved their selection?
Six Atlanta Falcons players were voted into the 2017 Pro Bowl that will be played in Orlando. Not unexpectedly, most came from the offensive side of the ball.
With a little luck, all six Atlanta Falcons selected will not appear in this year’s Pro Bowl. As much as we’d enjoy watching Matt Bryant make his first appearance, a trip to Houston is preferred.
Either way, it’s worth taking a look at which Falcon ‘pro bowlers’ deserve their selections…and which do not.
Matt Ryan
How could voters deny the quarterback who leads the Most Valuable Player conversation? Matt Ryan finished 3rd among starters in completion percentage, 2nd in passing yards, 2nd in passing yards per game, and 2nd in touchdowns. His 9.3 yards per completion is nothing short of phenomenal and says a lot about the performance of Atlanta’s offense. Perhaps most impressive is his NFL-record, 13 different receivers in which he’s thrown a touchdown pass to in 2016.
This one’s a no-brainer, Matt Ryan belongs in the Pro Bowl as the NFC’s starting quarterback.
Devonta Freeman
I honestly take a bit of an issue with Freeman’s Pro Bowl selection. As electric as he can be, we didn’t get the consistency from him this season. Freeman would go off in one game and then post a clunker the next. His performances against Tampa Bay and Los Angeles leave a ton to be desired. I often wonder how effective Freeman would be if Atlanta’s passing game was so effective.
There’s other running backs that may be more deserving of the Pro Bowl selection. Both Jordan Howard and Carlos Hyde finished the regular season with more rushing yards, no to mention Hyde had a better yards-per-carry average. Hyde and Howard also ripped off more runs of 20-plus and 40-plus yards.
Freeman is one of the more productive pass-catching backs within the NFC, but his Pro Bowl slot is a direct credit to the Falcons’ offense.
Julio Jones
It’s amazing to think Julio Jones finished 2nd in the NFL for receiving yards despite not playing two games. He actually only finished 29 yards shy of TY Hilton for the NFL’s best mark. He also finished the regular season with 83 receptions, six touchdowns, and an NFL-leading 100.6 receiving yards per game.
Julio remains as dominant of a receiver as ever. The Atlanta offense learned to spread the ball around more, but that didn’t keep Jones from dominant performances. See the first game against Carolina to review. You could nitpick that he’s had some quiet games this year, but there’s no argument against Julio Jones earning the Pro Bowl nod.
Alex Mack
Validating offensive lineman is very difficult. The average fan doesn’t pay attention to offensive line play unless TV commentators put them front and center. There’s just no major statistic to use in grading centers, guards, and tackles.
I have come to trust Pro Football Focus’s grades on players, specifically offensive lineman. PFF graded Alex Mack as one of the top centers in the NFL. He was also selected as one of their second team All-Pros, with a rating of 90.5.
Vic Beasley
What a difference a year has made for Vic Beasley. The sophomore pass rusher led the NFL in sacks and forced fumbles and is in the thick of Defensive Player of the Year discussion. Beasley is unquestionably the heartbeat of the Falcons’ defense and a player who belongs in Orlando for the Pro Bowl.
Related Story: Vic Beasley wins major defensive award
Matt Bryant
Matt Bryant finally made it into the Pro Bowl and it’s well-deserved. It’s hard to argue with a 92% conversion rate on field goals, especially when Bryant was so good from long range. He did miss a potential game-winner earlier in the year, but it was a 58-yarder and Bryant’s not a “Spring chicken” anymore. You could also quibble his missed extra point, but what kicker hasn’t done that this year?
It wasn’t until Week 16 before one of Bryant’s kicks were blocked. He was put to work against New Orleans in Week 17 and finished the day perfect.