Baltimore Ravens: Little Love From Pro Bowl Voters

The Baltimore Ravens are getting very little love in the Pro Bowl voting as Justin Tucker is the only player current heading to Honolulu.

It is difficult for players to get credit for achievements on a team with a losing record. Teams are judged by wins and losses, but that does not mean that certain players on the team are not having a season that deserves recognition.

The Baltimore Ravens are in the midst of one of the worst season’s in franchise history, but that should not keep some of their players from heading to Honolulu for the Pro Bowl. The current voting has just one Raven heading to Hawaii, and to me, he is not deserving of the vote over some of his teammates.

Kicker Justin Tucker is currently second in the voting at his position behind Stephen Gostkowski of the New England Patriots. Tucker trails Gostkowski by almost 100,000 votes. But does a guy that has missed seven field goals this season deserve that kind of recognition or is he getting the votes because he has become a household name of sorts?

There is no denying that he is automatic from under 50 yards. He’s made 24-of-25 field goals from under 50, but 2-of-8 over the 50-yard mark. He is one of just a handful of kickers to make every PAT this season, but his field goal percentage ranks in the bottom third of the league. It’s shocking that he is getting so many votes when there are other kickers hitting at over 90 percent.

In my eyes, there are two players on this Ravens team that deserve Pro Bowl honors: punter Sam Koch and defensive tackle Brandon Williams. Both guys really stand out when you watch the Ravens.

Koch has the most realistic shot of the two to make the Pro Bowl. He currently ranks third in votes behind Pat McAfee of the Indianapolis Colts and the Patriots’ Ryan Allen. Koch is at the top in terms of net punting at 44.5 yards per punt. He is fourth in average at 48.3 yards per punt, just a few decimals points behind the leader in that category. He has also dropped 19 punts inside the 20-yard-line.

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The eye test tells you he is deserving of the honor. He is booming punts and has been the most consistent Raven this season. To me, McAfee and Koch are the top punters in the game and should be heading to the Aloha State.

Seeing Williams sitting at eighth in the voting for defensive tackles stunned me. He is likely getting looked over because of how the rest of the Ravens defense – and whole team, honestly – has been a disappointment this season. However, his impact is felt in every game.

The Ravens rush defense is ranked in the top-10 in yards allowed and yards per carry. They have allowed just six rushing touchdowns on the season. If Williams is not in the backfield himself, he is pushing his blocker back a few yards. He is demanding double teams on a consistent basis. He has two sacks on the season at a position that doesn’t usually generate big sack numbers.

Geno Atkins and Kawaan Short are currently the top-two vote getters, but eighth for Williams? The only logical explanation I can come up with is that the national audience does not see him play weekly and that has to be hurting him in the voting. We get to watch Williams every week and see just how much of a force he is on the inside.

Now here is something that will make Ravens fans chuckle a bit. Michael Oher could be headed to the Pro Bowl. He is one of 13 Carolina Panthers that are currently first or second in the ballots. Try and wrap your head around that. He was ran out of Baltimore and the Tennessee Titans only gave him a year before they gave up on him. Now that he plays on an undefeated Panthers team, he is getting credit for what Cam Newton is doing for that team.

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There is less than a week in the voting and it’s possible that the Ravens have just their kicker and punter make it. No player on offense or defense. Just the kicking game.

That’s the kind of season it has been for the Baltimore Ravens.

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