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Amidst a record-breaking, 12-2 campaign, players and coaches on the Ravens will tell you they’re only worried about one goal right now: winning a championship.
However, before the super bowl comes the Pro Bowl. While it may have lost its luster over the past few years, being selected to said game is still a prestigious honor for players and rewards them for high-level play throughout the season.
The Ravens haven’t always been well-represented at the Pro Bowl, but that won’t be the case this year, as a whopping 12 players earned nominations. Here’s the breakdown . . .
Offense
QB Lamar Jackson
RB Mark Ingram
G Marshal Yanda
TE Mark Andrews
FB Pat Ricard
LT Ronnie Stanley
RT Orlando Brown Jr. (alternate)
As the leading vote-getter for all players, it’s no surprise to see Lamar Jackson on this list. This figures to be the first of many times he finds himself on the AFC Pro Bowl roster. Jackson currently leads the league in passing touchdowns (33), is on pace to finish with well over 3,000 passing yards and recently set a new record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback. He’s done so while sitting out multiple fourth quarters.
Whether or not Mark Ingram made the roster was up in the air, not because of his merit but because of the talent in the conference. This is Ingram’s third career Pro Bowl selection and so far this season, the veteran running back has 14 combined touchdowns and nearly 1,000 rushing yards, while also averaging 5.0 YPC.
The team’s other “Mark” on the offensive side of the ball is TE Mark Andrews, who has emerged as one of the position’s best pass-catchers in just his second career season in the NFL. Andrews has 58 catches, 759 yards and eight touchdowns on the year.
Marshal Yanda is no stranger to the Pro Bowl and has once again been the anchor for the team’s offensive line this season, which ranks among the best in the NFL. Yanda already has seven Pro Bowl selections to his name and continues to play at an extremely high level.
On the other side of the offensive line, Ronnie Stanley earned a well-deserved Pro Bowl nod for the first time in his career. Stanley is in the midst of a career-best season and has been the best pass-blocking tackle in the NFL this season. He missed last week’s game against the Jets with a concussion, but has an 84.0 grade from PFF on the year.
Also making the Pro Bowl for the first time is Pat Ricard, or “Project Pat”. Ricard plays both fullback and defensive tackle but earned this nod as the former, as he’s quickly emerged as one of the best fullbacks in the league in Greg Roman’s offense.
Orlando Brown Jr. is an alternate for the Pro Bowl despite leading all tackles in voting.
Defense
CB Marcus Peters
CB Marlon Humphrey
OLB Matthew Judon
FS Earl Thomas III
Like Jackson, CB Marcus Peters was among the leading vote-getters at the cornerback position - and for good reason. Since being traded to Baltimore midseason, Peters has been nothing short of fantastic. Peters has five interceptions on the year and a PFF grade of 86.3.
On the other side of the field, Marlon Humphrey earned his first career Pro Bowl selection. The majority of Ravens fans thought Humphrey should have been on the roster last year, but he finally earned a nod in his third NFL season. Peters may have taken some of the spotlight away from Humphrey, but “Marlo” has been lockdown all year.
Another first-timer is OLB Matthew Judon, who has quietly put together a strong season. In a contract year, Judon has 47 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, 29 QB hits and three forced fumbles. The Grand Valley State product has especially turned it on as of late and is one of the most important cogs in the team’s defensive success.
For the eighth time in his career, FS Earl Thomas was selected to the Pro Bowl. However, this is the first time he’s ever been on the AFC roster and the first time he’s ever been representing the Ravens. Thomas hasn’t posted gaudy numbers this season, but he’s had a significant impact in the middle of the field and does have a couple interceptions to his name. He also has 1.5 sacks, which he’d never done in his career prior to this season.
Special Teams
K Justin Tucker
LS Morgan Cox
P Sam Koch (alternate)
Nothing to see here. The “wolfpack” is doing their thing.
12 nominations for the Pro Bowl from one team is tied for the most ever in league history, which reflects the historical season the Ravens have put together through 14 games. While it’s nice to see our favorite players earn recognition, hopefully they won’t actually be heading to Orlando come late January.
Instead, let’s hope all Ravens players will be heading to Miami instead.
Do any of these selections surprise you? Do you think any Ravens players were snubbed from the Pro Bowl? Share your thoughts below!