It’s that time again, everybody’s favorite. It’s time to discuss Pro Football Focus and how much they know or don’t know about football, because yesterday they published their own All-Pro selections, and, wouldn’t you believe it, the teams that were well-represented even went ahead and Tweeted about their players being recognized for their skill.
One team that didn’t do any Tweeting about their list was the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that is at least partly because not a single player was represented on their first-team list. As a matter of fact, the only player who even received a second-team designation was wide receiver Antonio Brown, who was ranked behind Julio Jones and Mike Evans.
As a second-team designation, Brown didn’t even get a write-up, or even a mention in the blurb. But he was still the only Steeler to make either the first-team or second-team units. Although there were two other players from the Steelers who got their names placed in the Honorable Mentions section of their respective positions.
One is easier to guess than the other.
Naturally, Le’Veon Bell was the running back who received an honorable mention, and it is worth mentioning that the running back who earned their second-team designation was Jay Ajayi, who is pretty relevant this week. The Steelers are, of course, playing the Dolphins, and we just broke down on the site a Dolphins beat writer’s argument that Ajayi was the better running back. The first-team running back was, of course, Ezekiel Elliott. David Johnson didn’t make the list, or the mentions.
The other player who made the list was…nickel back William Gay, who has done well for himself in PFF’s eyes over the course of the past several years, actually, since he returned to the Steelers, but this year he hasn’t even been starting—at least for the second half of the year.
To be clear, Gay actually made is as a “defensive back”. There were four cornerbacks named to the first- and second-team units, plus another pair of honorable mentions, so this category appears to be reserved for those players who do play in that nickel role, which is largely a starting role in today’s NFL.
You will probably have noticed by now that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s name appears nowhere on the list, and nowhere in this article until now. I’m sure there is plenty to argue about on that point, although Roethlisberger may not have had statistically his most impressive season.
Of course, none of this matters, for multiple reasons. For one, Pro Football Focus is not exactly sanctioned by anybody, let alone an authority, so theirs is just one of many opinions out there. This is not the actual All-Pro list.
And, of course, Bell, Brown, Roethlisberger, Gay, and the rest of the Steelers have a game to prepare for on Sunday. There’s no room for pouting about season accolades, even if it’s about Pro Bowls tied to bonuses. We’re just getting started with the playoffs.
