2015 Pro Bowl: New York Football To Be Lightly Represented

The 2015 Pro Bowl will once again be held the week in between the conference championships and Super Bowl. On Tuesday, the NFL announced the 2015 Pro Bowlers, and New York/New Jersey football will be lightly represented. Only one New York Jet or New York Giants was named to the original list, Jets center Nick Mangold. He beat out Kansas City Chiefs’ center Rodney Huston. The Jets and Giants each had two alternatives named though.

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Two Jets alternates come along the defensive line. The duo-anchor of Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson will both be alternates. Richardson was beaten out by St. Louis Rams’ rookie defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Wilkerson was beaten out by Chiefs’ defensive tackle Dantari Poe. The other two were running back Chris Ivory, who is eighth alternate at running back, and D’Brickashaw Ferguson, who is a fifth alternate.

Richardson is the biggest snub on the roster, as he has a strong case to have made the team right off the bat. He had a Jets’ high seven sacks on the season, which doubled from his Defensive Rookie of the Year number from 2013. He also registered 48 quarterback hits. The argument for Wilkerson isn’t as strong, as he missed three-games at an inopportune time and it worsened his overall numbers. It is not as easy for players to put up flashy stats that catch people’s eyes, as doing the dirty work such as stopping the run isn’t a point of emphasis for fans votes.

As for the Giants, they have no nominal starters selected for the second consecutive season. They do have a couple of alternates named though, as rookie wide receiver sensation Odell Beckham Jr. is a first alternate, and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is a fourth alternate.

Beckham Jr. is in the midst of one of the greatest rookie seasons ever for a wide receiver, already finding himself in the record books for a number of feats. He basically rewrote the Giants rookie record book, and is well on his way to superstardom. In only 11 games, Beckham Jr. has eye-popping stats, having 77 receptions for 1,120 yards and 11 touchdowns. Those are numbers players struggle to reach for a full season, and Beckham Jr. did it not only in his rookie campaign, but without training camp or preseason. He will be a mainstay in Pro Bowls for years to come.

Pierre-Paul, unlike last season’s high profile free agent to be Hakeem Nicks, has performed well for the Giants this season. No one knows what kind of contract the Giants will offer him in the offseason, if they offer him one at all, but he has earned the right to be in the mix for the Pro Bowl. He has 10.5 sacks thus far through 15 games, the second most in a single-season in his career.