Perry: How many Patriots could be called Pro Bowl snubs? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Just because the Patriots have a middling record doesn't mean they have middling talent across the board. Their defense is one of the best in football. Their special-teams units have a couple of league-leaders.
Matthew Judon was named to the Pro Bowl on Wednesday night, but he had a handful of teammates who had arguments to be entered into the NFL's all-star game.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
Patriots rookie Marcus Jones could make an easy case as a return man. He's No. 1 in punt-return average in the conference (13.6) and No. 2 in kick-return average (24.9). He also scored a touchdown on an 84-yard punt return that won the Patriots a divisional game against the Jets. New York's Braxton Berrios will get the nod as the return man for the AFC, taking over for injured Ravens specialist Devin Duvernay, despite the fact that Jones has better numbers.
Patriots guard Mike Onwenu also has a case to be a Pro Bowler. According to Pro Football focus, he hasn't allowed a sack and he's PFF's No. 2 guard in the AFC, according to their grading system, behind only Joel Bitonio from Cleveland.
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
Bitonio is a Pro Bowler, as is Quenton Nelson and Joe Thuney. Nelson is the biggest name of the group, but it seems as though he landed in the Pro Bowl primarily off of name recognition. He's 28th in PFF grade at guard this season.
Perry's Mailbag: The most important Pats storyline for final three games
One more? Another rookie. Another special-teamer, as a matter of fact. Matthew Slater said Brenden Schooler, undrafted out of Texas this year, is "playing as well as anyone in our league right now." And he's not lying.
He's third in the AFC in special teams tackles, per PFF, behind only Jets specialist Justin Hardee and Jacksonville's Andrew Wingard. Schooler's five missed tackles may have held him back in the eyes of his fellow players and coaches around the league, but he also has two fumble recoveries in the kicking game this year -- something neither Hardee nor Wingard (one forced fumble each this season) can say.
We'll see if any of these -- or others like running back Rhamondre Stevenson or safety Kyle Dugger -- end up going to the Pro Bowl as alternates with other players bowing out. If Judon is the lone Patriot to get to the Pro Bowl, it'll be the first time since 2000 that fewer than two have made it during Bill Belichick's tenure as head coach.
