Foolhardy Pro Bowl votes make for sour Carolina
The Carolina Panthers will return to the playoffs this year and may wind up with the NFC's home-field advantage. One reason is wide receiver Steve Smith. Another is running back DeAngelo Williams.
So why can't I find them among the starters for this year's Pro Bowl?
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| There's no question Steve Smith is one of the best two receivers in the NFC. (AP) |
And that is wrong.
I'm not sure what these guys did to tick off anyone outside of Ken Lucas, but bumping one from the starting 11 and the other from the entire squad makes as much sense as having Ed Hochuli run his next officiating clinic in San Diego.
Smith needs no introduction. He's been to the Pro Bowl three times, and he takes a back seat to no one. Not Fitzgerald. Not Boldin. Not anyone.
So he missed the first two games this year. Big deal. Look what he's done since: Produce seven 100-yard games, including the last four, and average nearly six receptions per contest for a team that ranks 21st in passing.
Not only does he have more yards receiving than either Fitzgerald or Boldin; his average of 17.7 yards per catch is tops among the league's top 20 receivers. In short, he's a playmaker who makes big plays.
Anyone who watches Carolina knows that. And anyone who watched Carolina come off the mat to beat Green Bay should know it, too. It was Smith who beat Pro Bowl defensive back Charles Woodson down the middle with an acrobatic 54-yard catch that led to the go-ahead touchdown.
That's not a knock on Fitzgerald or Boldin. They make big plays and each has more touchdown catches than Smith. But they should. They operate in a one-dimensional offense where Kurt Warner averages 40 throws and 299 yards a game.
They also have each other, meaning defenses have to pick which to double-cover -- leaving the other to beat the cornerback of his choice. Smith has Muhsin Muhammad on the other side, and while he's playing exceedingly well, he's also a 35-year-old wide receiver who doesn't command the respect of a Fitzgerald or a Boldin or a 28-year-old Muhammad.
That means opponents can roll their coverage toward Smith and roll the dice with Muhammad. I would. I'm sure most people would. But it doesn't matter. Smith will still beat you. In fact, he has five catches of 40 or more yards and 19 receptions of 20 or more.
Basically, opponents haven't figured out how to stop the guy, but the Pro Bowl just did. It checked him at the door, asking him to sit down and wait his turn -- and I don't get it. But that's the way it goes for Carolina, which counts defensive end Julius Peppers and tackle Jordan Gross as Pro Bowl starters ... but no Smith and no Williams.
Adrian Peterson is the NFC's running back, and no complaint there. He should be. He's the best back in football and a legitimate MVP candidate. Atlanta's Michael Turner is one of the two backups, and no problem there, either.
Where there's trouble is when we get to Washington's Clinton Portis as the second reserve, and I don't know if that's due to ballot stuffing by Redskin Nation or what but, I'm sorry, it's a mistake.
Yes, Portis is deserving. He's just not as deserving as Williams.
I know Portis was magnificent earlier this year. He was my mid-season MVP. But Pro Bowl rosters are not built on eight-game performances, and that's where he should get penalized. Over his last six games, Portis hasn’t been much of a factor -- exceeding 100 yards once and failing to score.
Washington lost all but one of those games, and, no, I don't think that's a coincidence.
Now let's look at Williams. He trails Portis in yardage, but that's because he splits time with rookie Jonathan Stewart. Even so, he's only 108 yards behind and, judging by recent performances, might catch Portis by the end of the season.
But that's not the point. This is: Williams has a per-carry average of 5.5 yards, with five runs of 40 or more yards. What's more he has 14 touchdowns, and only Turner has more.
Clinton Portis? He has more carries than Williams but only half the scores and averages nearly a yard per carry less. Hey, when Washington needed one yard to score last weekend coach Jim Zorn didn't call Portis' number once in three snaps. Only Zorn knows why. All I know is that when there's one yard separating Carolina and the goal line Williams gets the ball. Again. Again. And again.
One other thing: While Portis has been running down, Williams has been revving up -- running for 100 or more yards in five of his last seven games, including a career-best 186 against Tampa Bay. That's what I want from a running back, which is why I want DeAngelo Williams ...not Clinton Portis ... on the NFC team.
