Pro Bowl Snubs of Kirk Cousins and Eric Kendricks Are Indefensible
When the Pro Bowl starters were announced on Tuesday night and three Vikings were included among the selections, the immediate reaction from Vikings fans was not one of satisfaction and excitement for Dalvin Cook, Danielle Hunter, and Harrison Smith.
To be clear, those three – particularly Cook and Hunter – deserved to make the team, and it's great to see their elite production this season be rewarded by NFL coaches, players, and fans. But focus quickly shifted to two players who didn't make the NFC team: Kirk Cousins and Eric Kendricks.
Cousins and Kendricks are the most valuable players for the Vikings' 7th-ranked offense and 6th-ranked defense (per DVOA), respectively, and have put together 2019 campaigns that are up there with the very best in the conference at their positions. They are among the best players in the entire NFC, regardless of position, and they undoubtedly should be Pro Bowl starters.
Being snubbed from the Pro Bowl likely isn't a huge deal to either Cousins or Kendricks, who both figure to get in as alternates when players drop out. Great players on contending teams would much rather be playing in the Super Bowl than a glorified flag-football game that no one watches, and being named to the All-Pro teams at the end of the season is seen by many as a more prestigious honor.
But these two snubs prove beyond a doubt that the Pro Bowl voting process is flawed. Cousins' past reputation – one he has proven to be much more than – cost him a spot, while Kendricks presumably suffered from a lack of name-recognition compared to the two NFC middle linebackers who made the team. If either player was having the same season in Dallas or New England or Pittsburgh, their names are probably called on Tuesday night.
More than anything, the snubs of Cousins and Kendricks are somewhat disrespectful. Their film and statistics show they're more than deserving, and there's really no explanation for the exclusion of either one.
Aaron Rodgers over Kirk Cousins in 2019 makes zero sense
Of the three NFC quarterbacks who made the roster – Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers – only one is an obvious choice over Cousins. Wilson is having an MVP-caliber season for the Seahawks, who have the best record in the NFC at the moment, and his added value as a scrambler gives him a clear case over Cousins despite the two having similar passing statistics.
Brees is an interesting case only because he's missed almost six of the Saints' 14 games. That type of time missed frequently can be a disqualification for Pro Bowl selection, though Brees has been truly incredible in the eight-plus games he has played in.
The inclusion that makes no sense is Rodgers. Looking at statistics, it's clear the selection of Rodgers was based entirely on his legacy of long-term greatness and his ability to still make awe-inducing throws from time to time.
Because if statistical production were considered by every voter, not one in their right mind would give Rodgers the nod over Cousins. He trails Cousins in every imaginable advanced stat, from passer rating to average net yards per attempt to expected points added, and everything in between. The only statistic Rodgers leads in is touchdown to interception ratio, but that has been shown to be a poor measurement of overall QB play.
Rodgers over Cousins is the single most obvious snub from this year's Pro Bowl. Nothing that happens the rest of the way will change that, but on Monday night – and perhaps again in two weeks – Cousins will have his chance to prove that the voters made a mistake.
The best middle linebacker in the NFL isn't a Pro Bowl starter
Eric Kendricks has had an unbelievably good season as the anchor of the Vikings' defense. He's the best coverage linebacker in the NFL; Kendricks leads all linebackers with 12 passes defended and is second in receptions allowed per coverage snap. He has also vastly improved his run defense, ranking in the top ten in run-stop rate.
His versatility and game-changing talent has made him the best player on a Vikings defense that has six players who have previously made Pro Bowls. He's the number one linebacker in the league according to PFF, and should be a legitimate candidate for Defensive Player of the Year alongside his teammate Danielle Hunter and a host of others.
And yet he's not a Pro Bowl starter, apparently.
Part of the issue is that only two MLBs make the team from each conference, and the NFC has two very famous players at that position who have been elite for most of this decade: Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner. Both are great players and have been for years, but Kendricks has simply been better than them this season.
