One Steelers 2019 Pro Bowler doesn’t belong with the rest
By Tommy Jaggi
The Steelers will see five players make the Pro Bowl after the 2019 season. Here’s why one of them doesn’t belong in that company.
The Steelers seem to have a solid number of representatives in the Pro Bowl each year, and 2019 is no exception. After six Pittsburgh players were selected into the Pro Bowl in 2018, the black and gold saw another five this season.
While Alejandro Villanueva and James Conner made the initial Pro Bowl roster last season, neither were selected this year. But among the Steelers who did make the Pro Bowl, there is one name who doesn’t belong in this group – a player who has made the Pro Bowl more than any other player on the team.
That player I am referring to is center Maurkice Pouncey. Though Pouncey has been terrific in years past, the center has had a very poor season in 2019. He hasn’t been the road-grader in the running game that he used to be, and he is constantly allowing the pocket to cave in during pass protection. The Pro Bowl center also has several terrible snaps this year – one even resulted in a defensive touchdown for the Rams.
According to Pro Football Focus, Maurkice Pouncey has just a 47.7 overall grade this season – good for the lowest mark in the league out of 36 qualifying centers. While his grade has been on the decline each of the past three seasons, this is by far the worst mark of his career.
While Pouncey will see his name called to his 8th Pro Bowl appearance in 10 NFL seasons, there are several other Steelers more deserving of this honor who will be watching the game at home. Steven Nelson was fantastic this year for Pittsburgh – allowing just 51.5 percent of passes to be completed while targeted and surrendering just a 66.6 passer rating this season.
His counterpart, Joe Haden, is also more deserving of this reward. While he has given up more receptions at a slightly higher rate (53.8 percent completion), Haden has 4 interceptions and 15 pass defenses.
These aren’t the only guys who’s name could have been called instead of Pouncey’s for the Pro Bowl. Bud Dupree, Matt Feiler, and rookie Devin Bush have all outperformed Pouncey at their respective traditions.
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The Pro Bowl ballot is voted on by fans every year and is more of a popularity contest than a list of the league’s best players. Maurkice Pouncey has had an excellent career with the Steelers, but I would have like to have seen more deserving players receive this honor in 2019.