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The San Francisco 49ers have several players in Pro Bowl position, like punter Andy Lee, defensive end Justin Smith and inside linebacker Patrick Willis.
A total of eight players are set to represent the San Francisco 49ers in the 2012 Pro Bowl, though that number could end up being higher if alternates make it, or perhaps lower (which would be preferred) if the 49ers can make the Super Bowl. Eight players represents the highest total of any team representatives this year, tied with the New England Patriots and one more than the vaunted Green Bay Packers.
How deserving are these players? Surely, the 49ers are having a great season, sitting at 12-3 and with a strong possibility of finishing 13-3 with the No. 2 seed in the NFC come playoff time. On top of that, the 49ers have been considered extremely underrated in recent years, at least as far as the talent on their roster is concerned. They've had steady representatives each season, but never anything significant like eight players. Let's examine each one and his merits for making it.
Rogers is having a fantastic season - perhaps the strongest of any corner in the NFL, let alone the NFC. Rogers was given a pretty standard contract after earning the ire of most every fan the Washington Redskins fan in existence. The team let him walk after it appeared he just didn't have the hands to make big plays in the passing game.
It was a huge mistake to let him go. Not only does Carlos Rogers have six interceptions, but only three players in the entire league have more - just one more, mind you. He'd be the best corner on the Redskins if they'd kept him, but then again, maybe it was the 49ers coaches who made things click for him. Easily the most deserving of the 49ers Pro Bowlers.
DE Justin Smith
Smith has gone under the radar, but there isn't a more complete 3-4 defensive end in the NFL. Jarred Allen may get a lot more sacks, but Smith is a lot better against the run and it all evens out. Smith has been underrated for quite some time, but has been getting some more exposure this season with the 49ers winning. He also was the biggest factor in San Francisco's victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, catching up to and forcing a fumble on the very fast and generally dependable Jeremy Maclin.
He's the best linebacker in the league and he shows it every single year. The only reason the 49ers weren't lost without him was due to the fact that NaVorro Bowman is having such a great season and Larry Grant really stepped it up in his absence. He can cover, he can rush the passer, he can tackle anybody and can catch any player in the NFL. This is his fifth Pro Bowl in five seasons, breaking the 49ers franchise record set by Ronnie Lott.
OT Joe Staley
This is certainly the most questionable of all of the selections, due to the nature of the 49ers offensive line. It certainly seems like Mike Iupati or Jonathan Goodwin deserved the honor more, and Staley might be making it due to name recognition. However, Staley has come a long way since the first couple weeks of the season in which he and the rest of the line were abused. Now, the majority of the pressure comes from the right side, where Anthony Davis and Chilo Rachal/Adam Snyder struggle.
Goldson is one player who is widely disputed among the 49ers fan base. Folks like how he's been getting in front of receivers to pick off six balls this year, but they don't like his tendency to over-commit on said interceptions, giving up big receptions because of it and his tendency to miss tackles. A lot of tackles. He's also given low efficiency ratings by most of the advanced stats sites. Still, at this point, it's hard to argue against six interceptions.
HB Frank Gore
One the top five backs in the NFL in regards to rushing this year, and a player who has earned Pro Bowl honors before. He's very good at what he does and the 49ers wouldn't have won nearly as much as they have without him. He's struggled at times, but that can also be attributed to the somewhat poor play of the offensive line and the fact that teams aren't afraid of quarterback Alex Smith.
Akers broke the 49ers franchise record for points scored in a single season, beating a mark set by Jerry Rice. Is that enough reason? No? Well, he also broke the NFL record for number of field goals in a single season. He's one of the best kickers in the league right now. There's no question he deserved it.
P Andy Lee
Lee has been so underrated over the past few years. He's always been one of the best punters in the league, and this season, he was definitely the best - even better than Shane Lechler across the bay. He'll make those return specialists look absolutely silly in the Pro Bowl.
On Tuesday, the NFL announced the official rosters for the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl. While the game itself is frivolous and even the honor itself has lessened in recent years, it's still something that seems to be gotten right more often than naught. It also helps that the San Francisco 49ers ties for the most amount of representatives in the game this time 'round. The 49ers have had more written about them this year than in some time, but as we've been doing all season, it's par the course.
Eight players made the official roster as starters or reserve players, while a whole slew of alternates were also listed. That's more representatives than the Green Bay Packers and the same number as represented by the New England Patriots, who like their chances at another Super Bowl this season. For that reason alone, it feels really odd to consider the idea of "snubs," but it's something that has to be argued either way.
To preface the talk of potential snubs on the 49ers, let's simply relent that maybe certain players didn't deserve a Pro Bowl nomination - maybe left tackle Joe Staley. That isn't to say he didn't for sure, but let's just disarm those who might take the "too greedy!" angle and suggest that any of the snubs below be in place of Mr. Staley, yes? Good! Onto the snubs.
If you listen to Jon Gruden, the best linebacker combination in the NFL is Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. If you listen to someone who doesn't just vomit love and sunshine on whatever group of 106 players he happens to presently be witnessing, you'd likely hear (this season) that Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman are the two best. Earlier in the season, Bowman was making plays that no other linebacker was making, covering extreme amounts of distance and wrapping up players who had no business being wrapped up.
Up in the press box at Candlestick Park, the media had to correct themselves more than once when calling out which player it was that just made the play. "That's No. 52, Patrick Willis on the tackle ... Correction, that's No. 53, NaVorro Bowman with the stop in the backfield."
Statements like that were a virtual regularity, and he kept it up throughout the entirety of the season. He's not a huge stat guy, but he's given coverage duties on running backs, tight ends and slot receivers, and he does it very well. On top of that, he's one of the reasons the 49ers can actually stop a screen pass now, one of the things that killed them for years. Bowman was absolutely one of the three best inside linebackers in the NFC this season.
LB Aldon Smith
Eager to know how much consideration Smith got from the voters outside of the fan ballot. It was probably a significant amount, but the NFL neglected to include him on the fan ballot, which accounts for 1/3 of the vote. It's really unclear as to why he wasn't included, because at that point he was already putting up the sack numbers. Von Miller, a fellow rookie who has fewer sacks, was interviewed on the NFL Network on Tuesday and asked about the rookie sack record.
You know, the rookie sack record that Aldon Smith needs half a sack to tie and a full sack to break, while Miller needs three. Yeah, that record.
Aldon has been tearing through people lately. Absolutely tearing. When he collides with a tackle or tight end, it's violent and explosive, and he's often on his way to the quarterback. Against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, you can count on him getting that sack record. Even outside of rookies, Aldon is only behind the truly best in the NFC in regards to pass-rushing. And yet Von Miller makes it. That's got to be the very definition of a snub.
OG Mike Iupati
Iupati has been the best player on the 49ers offensive line all season. The fact that Staley made it over him is somewhat confusing, but it's very possible that his selection was all name recognition. That being said, both have been solid this year, generally holding down the fort while the right side of the line absolutely collapses. But it does extend beyond just pass blocking.
When the 49ers user some intricate blocking scheme that involves a player getting outside, even if it's to the opposite side of the line, it's Iupati showing the most hustle to get out in front of Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter or whoever happens to have the benefit of following such a smash-mouth behemoth. He does all the little things and is undoubtedly one of the better guards in the NFL, and is most certainly a snub this season.
On Tuesday, the NFL announced the official rosters for the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl. San Francisco 49ers fans expected more than a couple players to make the roster, and they shouldn't be disappointed with the haul. After stellar seasons, all of Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, Carlos Rogers and Joe Staley made the roster as starters. On top of that, Dashon Goldson, Frank Gore, David Akers and Andy Lee were named as reserves.
Justin Smith has been ridiculously good this season, essentially winning the 49ers a couple of games, including his big forced fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles. Willis is the best linebacker in the league and always deserves the honor, and Rogers has had easily the best season of his career. Fans of his old team, the Washington Redskins, were happy to see him go due to the fact that he had problems holding onto interceptions. Now he's caught plenty, and will represent the 49ers in the Pro Bowl.
Staley is somewhat of a different story, his season has been up and down, but he's put together some very impressive games. Almost all of the significant pressure coming to Alex Smith has been from the opposite side, due largely in part to strong play from Staley and Mike Iupati.
It's good to see Gore get another one, and good to see Goldson recognized as a reserve after playing extremely well, picking off as many passes as Rogers. The biggest issue with the players who were actually selected is the fact that Lee and Akers are reserves and not starters. Lee is far and away the best punter in the NFC currently, and Akers just broke the record for most field goals in a season.
Also of particular note are the myriad of 49ers named as alternates in case other players can't make it. linebackers NaVorro Bowman and Ahmad Brooks,special teamer Blake Costanzo, tight end Vernon Davis, center Jonathan Goodwin, guard Mike Iupati, defensive tackle Ray McDonald, fullback Bruce Miller, safety Donte Whitner and return specialist Ted Ginn Jr.
Of course, there's the possibility that none of these players will make it, as the 49ers have solid chance to make the Super Bowl!
As the San Francisco 49ers get ready for their first playoff berth since 2002, a number of their players may be making the trip to the Pro Bowl this season as well.
Inside linebacker Patrick Willis (41,7923 votes), defensive tackle Justin Smith (52,5578 votes), and punter Andy Lee (161,812 votes) lead the way in fan voting at their respective positions, while five other 49ers came in second (all of them behind a Green Bay Packer); cornerback Carlos Rogers, fullback Bruce Miller, center Jonathan Goodwin, free safety Dashon Goldson, kicker David Akers and special-teamer Blake Costanzo.
Six other Niners are in the top five for their positions as well: running back Frank Gore (fourth), left tackle Joe Staley (fourth), right tackle Anthony Davis (fifth), guard Mike Iupati (fourth), strong safety Donte Whitner (fifth) and kick returner Ted Ginn Jr. (third).
Remember, the fan vote is only a third of the voting process, players and coaches are the other two thirds. Also, If the Packers reach the Super Bowl, the 49ers could have as many as nine starters filling in for them at the Pro Bowl, but If 49ers go to the Super Bowl, none of them go to the Pro Bowl. Let's hope the later happens.
For more on the 49ers, head over to Niners Nation.
In an announcement by the NFL Thursday the San Francisco 49ers currently have two players leading the way at their respective positions in this years Pro-Bowl balloting as punter Andy Lee and inside linebacker Patrick Willis both have the most votes amongst players in the NFC.
Willis currently has 257,776 votes, while Lee has 102,280 votes; just for some perspective Aaron Rodgers leads all voters with 961,818 votes total. Willis has 93 tackles, four forced fumbles and an interception already this season, and is arguably the best at his position in all of football. Lee is currently averaging 50.8 yards a punt and is a large reason the Niners have been so dominant in the field position battle.
Balloting will conclude on Monday, December 19 following the conclusion of Monday Night Football (Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers, ESPN, 8:30 pm (ET). Each team will be announced at 7:00 pm (ET) Tuesday, December 27 on a special NFL Total Access 2012 Pro Bowl Selection Show on NFL Network.
The 2012 Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, January 29, 2012, televised lon NBC at 7:00 pm (ET) from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.
For more on the 49ers, head over to Niners Nation to get your fix.
The San Francisco 49ers are 7-1. But unfortunately they don't have any of their top performers quite yet breaking through to be the top at their position to earn their Pro Bowl berths. The only one who's currently placing first at their position is punter Andy Lee, who's been booting it at a record 50.5 yard average and a 43.8 yard net average.
That being said, there are a few Niners in good position if they can keep on performing as well as they have. Currently defensive tackle Justin Smith is trailing Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions (but both should end up making the final cut), and inside linebacker Patrick Willis is trading Desmond Bishop of the Green Bay Packers (and both should make the final cut here). David Akers is trailing Mason Crosby and Ted Ginn Jr. is trailing Devin Hester, so both of them have a steeper upward climb to getting to the Pro Bowl.
Check out the fan balloting for NFC West players by clicking here.
To discuss the 49ers, head to Niners Nation.
2012 NFL Pro Bowl: Brian Jennings Named To NFC Roster
On Monday, a great injustice in the NFL was reversed, as the San Francisco 49ers are sending their ninth player to the 2012 Pro Bowl, and there's not a more deserving candidate out there. Long snapper Brian Jennings was named the NFC's "need" player by the Green Bay Packers' coaching staff. Truly, he is the best player to don the red and gold over the last 12 seasons.
In all seriousness, Jennings has been recognized among the elite long snappers in the NFL, and this marks only his second trip to the Pro Bowl, and his first since 2004. He's certainly long overdue for a return, so it's good to see him make it, though he most definitely is wishing he were playing in a ... slightly more important game instead.
Jennings has been snapping to some great players of late, and he'll join punter Andy Lee and kicker David Akers in Honolulu to complete the 49ers core special teams unit that was certainly the best in the NFL in 2011. Akers set a league record for field-goal attempts, field goals made and points by a kicker. He also broke the 49ers franchise record for points by any player in a single season.
Jan 24 4:02a by James Brady