With several undeserving players voted in annually and top performers left off both rosters, the Pro Bowl isn't indicative of who the NFL's best.
Nick Mangold, the only Buckeye named to the Pro Bowl, is among the 11 former Big Ten players to make it. The injured Mangold is the No. 1 ranked center in the league, according to Pro Football Focus' grades. If he is able to play, he is certainly deserving of the honor. Corey Linsley, not currently headed to the Pro Bowl, is No. 3 in their rankings.
If you read this every week, perhaps you consider Johnathan Hankins' Pro Bowl- absence an egregious error. Rated as the fifth-best defensive tackle in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, "Big Hank" finds himself among elite company – Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy and Marcell Dareus are the only players ahead of him.
Hankins was a dominant pass rusher, recording seven sacks on the season. He also racked up 49 combined tackles. This comes one year after being selected in the second round while hardly making an impact in his rookie season.
"I think Johnathan’s been steady for us," said Giants defensive coodinator Perry Fewell, via ESPN.com. "It’s deceiving when you watch him because you just think he’s a big man that can’t rush the passer. I think he does have pass-rush ability. I think he can push the pocket for us very well."
There's no doubt he's the most improved Buckeye in the league and, by our estimation, had the best overall performance of any this season.
Buckeyes in the Playoffs
| Team | Player(s) | First Game |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | Ted Ginn Jr. | at Carolina, Jan. 3, 4:35 PM, ESPN |
| Carolina Panthers | Philly Brown, Andrew Norwell | vs Arizona, Jan. 3, 4:35 PM, ESPN |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Mike Nugent, Dane Sanzenbacher | at Indianapolis, Jan. 4, 1:05 PM, CBS |
| Denver Broncos | Bradley Roby | TBD, Jan. 11, 4:40 PM, CBS |
| Detroit Lions | Rob Simms | at Dallas, Jan. 4, 4:40 PM, FOX |
| Green Bay Packers | A.J. Hawk, Corey Linsley | TBD, Jan. 11, 1:05, FOX |
| Indianapolis Colts | Boom Herron | vs Cincinnati, Jan. 4, 1:05 PM, CBS |
| New England Patriots | Nate Ebner | TBD, Jan. 10, 4:35 PM, NBC |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Mike Adams, Will Allen, Cameron Heyward, Ryan Shazier | vs Baltimore, Jan. 3, 8:15 PM, NBC |
Play of the Week
The Chiefs needed a miracle to make the playoffs. In other words, they needed the Browns to win in December.
In addition to the Ravens losing to the Browns, a Texans loss to the Jaguars would've allowed the Chiefs to make the playoffs for a second straight season. Neither occurred.
Kansas City's defense still dominated, though, en route to knocking San Diego out of the playoffs. Kurt Coleman picked off Philip Rivers twice, the first of which was a high-flying grab right before halftime:
How They Fared in Week 17
| Player | team | position | stats/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Adams | Pittsburgh Steelers | OT | Steelers win AFC North |
| Will Allen | Pittsburgh Steelers | S | 7 tackles, 1 target on fake punt |
| Alex Boone | San Francisco 49ers | OL | Placed on IR after suffering knee injury |
| Philly Brown | Carolina Panthers | WR/KR/PR | 1 reception, 28 yards, 2 rushes, 41 yards in division-clinching win over Falcons |
| Chimdi Chekwa | Oakland Raiders | CB | Inactive for loss to Broncos |
| Kurt Coleman | Kansas City Chiefs | S | 2 tackles, 2 interceptions in win over Chargers |
| Nate Ebner | New England Patriots | DB/ST | Took snaps at safety in loss to Bills |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | Arizona Cardinals | WR | 1 reception, 6 yards, 3 kick returns, 49 yards in loss to 49ers |
| Johnathan Hankins | New York Giants | DT | 2 tackles, 1 QB hit in loss to Eagles |
| Brian Hartline | Miami Dolphins | WR | 5 receptions, 94 yards in loss to Jets |
| A.J. Hawk | Green Bay Packers | LB | 2 tackles in division-clinching win over Lions |
| Boom Herron | Indianapolis Colts | RB | 10 carries, 35 yards, 3 receptions, 31 yards in win over Titans |
| Cameron Heyward | Pittsburgh Steelers | DE | 7 tackles, 1 sack in win over Bengals |
| Carlos Hyde | San Francisco 49ers | RB | Inactive for win over Cards due to ankle injury |
| Malcolm Jenkins | Philadelphia Eagles | S | 8 tackles in win over Giants, not penalized for a helmet to helmet hit |
| James Laurinaitis | St. Louis Rams | LB | 9 tackles, 1 QB hit in loss to Seahawks |
| Corey Linsley | Green Bay Packers | C | Packers rush for 152 yards in win |
| Nick Mangold | New York Jets | C | Inactive due to leg injury, named to Pro Bowl |
| Jake McQuaide | St. Louis Rams | LS | He's a good teammate |
| Jack Mewhort | Indianapolis Colts | OL | Shifted to right tackle in win over Titans |
| Andrew Norwell | Carolina Panthers | OL | Panthers run for nearly 200 yards in win over Falcons |
| Mike Nugent | Cincinnati Bengals | K | 1 of 2 field goals, 2 extra points |
| Ryan Pickett | Houston Texans | DT | 1 tackle in win over Jaguars |
| DeVier Posey | Houston Texans | WR | Inactive again, played in only one game this season |
| Bradley Roby | Denver Broncos | CB | 3 tackles, 2 passes defended in win over Raiders |
| Dane Sanzenbacher | Cincinnati Bengals | WR | 1 reception, 7 yards, 1 interception on fake punt pass |
| Ryan Shazier | Pittsburgh Steelers | LB | 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss in win |
| John Simon | Houston Texans | LB | Active in win over Jags |
| Rob Sims | Detroit Lions | OG | Lions lose NFC North crown, but still make playoffs |
| Donte Whitner | Cleveland Browns | S | 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss in loss to Ravens |
/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2884912/odbhit.0.gif){kind=link}