Although the Baltimore Ravens appeared to be well represented at the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl, once the votes were counted and the invitations went out, by game-time only a portion of the ones honored ended up making the trip to Hawaii for the free paid vacation of sorts. Fullback Vonta Leach, guards Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda and linebacker Ray Lewis were the only Ravens playing in yesterday's game and despite the 14th selection for Lewis in his amazing 16 year NFL career, surprisingly he was the only player from this great defense to make the trip.
Leach carried the ball three times for a grand total of seven yards, but did in this game what he was unable to do all season for Baltimore, and that was find the end zone, scoring yesterday on a one-yard bull-rush. He also caught a pass for 13 yards in the game, where a fullback was a requirement for the offense at all times under Pro Bowl rules.
Grubbs and Yanda played as well as can be expected in an offensive shoot-out with little defense at all, and protected their Pro Bowl quarterbacks good enough to keep them without a sack and allowing them to put up 470 passing yards on their way to a 59-41 "victory."
Lewis had four tackles on defense, although tackling was loosely defined all day, as this was a day to showcase offensive prowess. However, he spoke about the honor of playing amongst your peers, which is why he always takes the trip when voted into his spot by the fans and of course loves being with the other players who revere him almost like a god among men, seeking his autograph with the same excitement as the kids do.
Besides, while the players not only get the free trip to Hawaii, the winners got 50,000 and the losers had to "settle" for only $25,000.