Way to Go, Tress!

It would have been a shame if it didn't happen, but thankfully, we don't have to worry about it. Instead, we can say, show me the way to Orlando - Tress! Oh and congratulations!

🗣THE STARTING PUNTER FOR THE NFC @Tress_Way #HTTR pic.twitter.com/4qJsHLNsc6
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 18, 2019

Tress Way is heading to his first ever Pro Bowl, a deserving honor as the starting punter for the NFC squad.

From the Redskins press release:

Way was selected as the starting punter for the NFC and the selection is the first of his career. He becomes the first Redskin punter to be selected to the Pro Bowl since Matt Turk in 1998. Way joins Turk (three-time Pro Bowler in 1996-98) and Reggie Roby (Pro Bowler in 1994) as the only players in Redskins history to be selected to the Pro Bowl as a punter.

Way, 29, has appeared in 94 games for the Redskins from 2014-19 and has registered 428 total punts for 19,923 yards (46.5 avg.) and has pinned 158 punts inside the 20-yard line. Way also holds a career net average of 40.5. He is the franchise leader in average, net average and punts inside the 20-yard line (since 1976) and is second in franchise history in total punts, total punt yardage and recorded the second-longest punt in franchise history, a 79 yarder in Week 13 this season.

This season, Way has recorded 70 punts for 3,456 yards (49.4 avg. and 43.6 net avg.) and has pinned 26 punts inside the 20-yard line. He is second in the NFL and first in the NFC in total net yardage and leads the league in total average so far this season. His 26 punts inside the 20-yard line currently ranks eighth in the league and his 79-yard punt is the longest of the season thus far.

Way deserves a lot of credit, obviously, but so does Nick Sundberg, his trusty long-snapper and former special teams coordinator, Ben Kotwica, who was instrumental in signing Way and in fairness, Bruce Allen and the pro scouting department, in 2014. Kudos to Nate Kaczor as well, who replaced Kotwica after he left for the Atlanta Falcons.

2020 #ProBowl Special Teamers! pic.twitter.com/HnP0HjC4VT
— NFL (@NFL) December 18, 2019

The Redskins could have and perhaps almost did give up on Way at least once and they stayed patient, which was obviously the correct call.

Brandon Scherff was put on injured reserve on Tuesday and it's virtually impossible to imagine him appearing in the game. He was not named a starter, but listed as a reserve, which counts for his third Pro Bowl selection.

He was tied for first in penalties with nine among guards but he was only charged with one sack per ProFootballFocus.com.

NFLPenalties.com has Scherff as the 2nd most flagged guard but the guys above him have played in 14 games each. Scherff has missed three games already, with two more to come.

Landon Collins was an alternate as was Matt Ioannidis. Quinton Dunbar, who has missed three games this season as well, was not chosen.

Chris Russell is the Publisher of Maven & Sports Illustrated's Washington Redskins channel. He can be heard on 106.7 The FAN in the Washington D.C. area and world-wide on Radio.com. Chris also hosts the "Locked on Redskins" Podcast and can be read via subscription to Warpath Magazine. You can e-mail Chris at russellmania09@Gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @Russellmania621.

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