Two Atlanta Falcons who were obvious Pro Bowl snubs

The Pro-Bowl results are in and two Atlanta Falcons made the team in what has been a frustrating season. Rookie Kyle Pitts and special teamer Josh Harris will represent Atlanta in the Pro Bowl in surprising results.

Harris has been consistent and is deserving of the honor. Kyle Pitts has had an up-and-down season but has had electric moments pointing to the rookie’s potential and popularity.  Both of these Atlanta Falcons were deserving but one could easily argue two Atlanta Falcons that were left off the roster were even more deserving.

Cordarrelle Patterson not making the Pro Bowl roster in what has been a breakout season points to the obvious flaws in the system. The Pro Bowl matters despite what some people may argue, you know it matters from how it is approached by the players.  It is listed as an accolade on a player’s resume and we have seen players campaign for the honor.

While the Pro Bowl honor matters it is an obviously flawed system that allowed the Atlanta Falcons two most consistent players to be left off of the roster

What makes Cordarrelle Patterson so great is also what cost him making the Pro Bowl. Patterson isn’t great at any one position. Rushing the football Patterson has 565-rushing yards and 5-rushing touchdowns this season.

As a receiver, Patterson has 524-receiving yards and 5-receiving touchdowns all while returning the majority of kicks for the Atlanta Falcons this season. This production is impressive when you consider the team it comes from.

Atlanta is a bad team whose offense has been solely reliant on Cordarrelle Patterson. While Kyle Pitts is a Pro-Bowler from the Atlanta offense anyone that has watched the Falcons this season knows the difference.

Pitts had two huge games against very bad teams and otherwise has had a quiet rookie season. Despite his yardage production he has only scored once this season and has often disappeared when this offense needed him most.

When Atlanta needed a big play or a first down and managed to find it, it was more often than not because Cordarrelle Patterson got his hands on the football. Patterson has managed all of this production as Atlanta’s primary weapon behind an offensive line that simply put cannot block for a rusher or a passer with any capability.

Patterson not making the Pro Bowl speaks to the flaw in the system and shows that it continues to be a popularity contest and not about who is most deserving of the honor. If it were about being deserving not only would Patterson be on the roster but Atlanta corner A.J. Terrell would have as well.

Terrell is quietly having a very elite season and becoming one of the best corners in football. This has been overlooked by much of the league due to the fact that the Atlanta Falcons defense is less than talented.

Outside of Terrell and Grady Jarrett this Atlanta Falcons defense is a mess. One that has allowed underwhelming quarterbacks to look like MVPs any Sunday they are lucky enough to play Atlanta. None of this is A.J. Terrell’s fault the corner has literally done everything he can to improve the Atlanta defense.

He rarely allows a catch and on the rare occasions he does isn’t afraid to deliver a hit and make the tackle. While he lacks the interceptions of a certain popular Dallas Cowboys corner his play this season has been just as impressive as my colleague pointed out here earlier this season.

The points made in the article still ring true and point to the fact the Pro Bowl is still a flawed system. While it is an accolade and carries some weight it is important to point out it is a popularity contest that doesn’t consider every player equally.

If it did Cordarrelle Patterson and A.J. Terrell would certainly make the Pro Bowl on a roster that would be hard-pressed to find two players who have done as much with as little help as Patterson and Terrell in Atlanta.