I’m back from Florida, and while I tried to bottle up the 80-degree weather to bring back with me to Chicago, TSA wouldn’t let me (ugh … you can’t bring anything on flights these days). Sorry, friends.
Allen Robinson II – who leads the Chicago Bears in targets (130), catches (83), receiving yards (1,023), touchdowns (7), and offensive plays that make you smile (countless) – got snubbed from making his second Pro Bowl. I think.
Good luck coming up with an argument for Robinson replacing Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, or Michael Thomas, a quartet of pass-catchers who are at the top of the class at the position. After all, it’s not like those guys didn’t play their tails off to earn a spot in the Pro Bowl. And I certainly do not want to take away from others who play their way to great things. But still … Robinson was good enough to receive some recognition for what he has done on the field. Hence, I demand satisfactory acknowledgement of his excellence. That shouldn’t be a big ask.
That brings me back to the word “snub.” Because that might not be the right word. What is a fair term to use for someone who doesn’t get the love they deserve in a place where they actually deserve it? Eh, I won’t get too worked up over it right now. Robinson could ultimately end up as a replacement for someone who can’t (or doesn’t want to) attend the festivities in Orlando. I imagine Robinson – who hasn’t made the Pro Bowl since 2015 – would welcome a trip to catch passes from Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson.
By PFF’s grading scale, Robinson is the eighth-highest-graded receiver in the NFC. Robinson’s 80.4 grade ranks 13th overall. If the Bears’ offense could operate with any consistency, Robinson would have joined his friends in Orlando.
At least some Bears received recognition:
The Bears have as many Pro Bowl reps as the Texans, Vikings, and Patriots — three teams making the playoffs. They also have as many as the Buccaneers, who are not making the playoffs. Just throwing that out there for the moment.
Getting three Pro Bowl representatives on a non-playoff team doesn’t seem like something that would be easy, so the Bears should be thankful that they have that much going for them right now.
Also, kudos to nose tackle Eddie Goldman for earning Pro Bowl alternate status. Goldman has been a lock-down defender in the middle of the Bears’ defense since being drafted in the second round back in 2015. But because nose tackles don’t rack up sacks, they often get overlooked. It is nice to see the big fella get some well-deserved love for his work in the middle.
I was a bit thrown off by Tarik Cohen getting the nod as the alternate return specialist. Cohen’s 9.2 yards per return on punts is the fifth best in football and the second best among NFC returners, so it’s not as if the numbers didn’t merit inclusion. It’s just that his decision making and returns that lose yards or go for minimal gain because he spends a ton of time running east-west in search of lanes that may or may not pop up can be grating. But the powers that be who choose Pro Bowl alternates still think highly of enough of what Cohen brings to the table, which I suppose is what matters most.
However, I am not as thrown off by Khalil Mack being named to the Pro Bowl. Mack is having a down year by his lofty standards, but PFF still grades him as a top-10 player at his position.
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This statistic makes me sad:
Could there have been a worse week for the Chiefs-Bears prime-time showdown? The Bears have been eliminated from playoff contention and Mitch Trubisky is coming off a crummy game, while the Chiefs come rolling in on a winning streak, having clinched the division, and Patrick Mahomes is flat-out rolling. Football is cruel.
When the offseason discussion turns to quarterback, I don’t want to hear any Bears fans offer up Johnny Manziel as a viable option:
College football lost a legend late Tuesday evening:
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