Pro Bowl rosters were officially released Tuesday — despite there being two more weeks left in the NFL regular season — and more than a few Vikings made the roster.
Wide receiver Adam Thielen, fifth in the NFL in receiving yards, makes his first Pro Bowl appearance, alongside Pro Bowl veterans Everson Griffen (fourth in the NFL in sacks), Xavier Rhodes (who has allowed a 73.1 passer rating in coverage) and Anthony Barr.
The Minnesota Vikings are currently second in the league in points allowed, so it makes sense that their defense featured heavily in Pro Bowl voting, though the most talented player on the team and the most important player on the defense both missed the initial Pro Bowl cut.
Harrison Smith, who has been playing phenomenally all-season with a style and level of play commensurate with Troy Polamalu, misses the Pro Bowl this year despite having made it the previous two years.
Linval Joseph has been immeasurably useful in pushing the team to be the best third-down defense in the NFL despite rarely being on the field on third down at all. Minnesota’s defense sees third-and-long more than any other defense except the New York Jets because they’ve been so effective on first and second down.
There are other Minnesota Vikings who had decent arguments for Pro Bowl accolades, including Case Keenum and Stefon Diggs. But Smith and Joseph’s absences stick out like sore thumbs in the Pro Bowl voting process.
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