Naming cornerback Champ Bailey to the Pro Bowl team is beginning to sound similar to the claim John Elway was one of the better athletes to come out of Port Angeles, Wash.
It’s true, and it may be nice, but there’s so much more.
Elway wound up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame after he became the best quarterback in Broncos history. Bailey just received his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl berth, third in three years with the Broncos, at a time when more and more quarterbacks and wide receivers are acknowledging he is the NFL’s undisputed best cornerback.
“To me he’s the top candidate for defensive player of the year,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. “I can’t think of a guy who would be any more important to his team than Champ is to us.”
Perhaps nothing speaks to how the defense carried the Broncos most of this season than the announcement Tuesday that Bailey, middle linebacker Al Wilson and safety John Lynch were the three Broncos named to the AFC’s Pro Bowl team.
They will play Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, whose three Pro Bowl selections are offensive players – quarterback Carson Palmer, wide receiver Chad Johnson and tackle Willie Anderson.
While the selection of Bailey, who is tied for the NFL lead with eight interceptions, was expected, Wilson’s first-team honor was a mild surprise if only because he plays in the same conference as Miami’s Zach Thomas, the league’s leader in tackles, and Baltimore’s Ray Lewis, who not long ago was regarded as arguably the best middle linebacker in NFL history.
What no doubt helped Wilson was his maniacal, 16-tackle effort in a 13-3 win against Lewis’ Ravens in an early-season Monday night game.
“To beat out a guy like Ray Lewis and the special things that defense is doing there, it shows what Al’s peers think of him,” Lynch said. “Another thing about Al is he plays at such a high level each and every week. Amongst the players now, he has that reputation just like Ray.”
Although Lynch was named as a reserve, greater significance may be this was his eighth Pro Bowl selection, a magical number at his position.
Of the eight pure safeties in the Hall of Fame, only Colorado State product Jack Christiansen had fewer than eight Pro Bowl selections. Former Broncos safety Steve Atwater had seven Pro Bowl selections and is not enshrined in Canton.
Lynch’s eight Pro Bowls tie him with Hall of Fame safeties Ronnie Lott, Paul Krause, Larry Wilson and Willie Wood. And Lynch isn’t planning on this becoming his last Pro Bowl season.
“I’m having too much fun,” said Lynch, 35. “My criteria has always been that as long I’m playing at a level I’m pleased with and still love it, I’ll keep playing. I think I love it more than ever.”
Not surprisingly, the NFL’s two best teams, the San Diego Chargers (12-2) and Chicago Bears (12-2), had the most Pro Bowl selections. The Chargers, who dethroned the Broncos as AFC West champions, had nine selections, most notably record-setting running back LaDainian Tomlinson.
The Bears, who already have clinched the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, had seven selections – one on offense, three on defense and three on special teams, including rookie return sensation Devin Hester.
The starting skilled position players for the AFC are quarterback Peyton Manning, wide receivers Chad Johnson and Andre Johnson, tight end Antonio Gates and Tomlinson. For the NFC, they are quarterback Drew Brees, wide receivers Steve Smith and Torry Holt, running back Frank Gore and tight end Alge Crumpler.
The most notable Pro Bowl snubs were New England quarterback Tom Brady, Dallas wide receiver Terrell Owens and Philadelphia running back Brian Westbrook.
Also left out were cornerbacks Asante Samuel, Walt Harris and Nnamdi Asomugh, defensive ends Leonard Little and Trevor Pryce, linebackers Bart Scott and DeMeco Ryans, tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., running backs Chester Taylor and Rudi Johnson, center Tom Nalen and prolific wide receivers including Roy Williams, Lee Evans, Laveranues Coles, Marques Colston and Javon Walker.
Mike Klis can be reached at 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com.
Pro Bowl rosters
Feb. 10 at Honolulu
AFC
Offense
Wide receivers: s-Andre Johnson, Houston; s-Chad Johnson, Cincinnati; Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis; Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis.
Tackles: Willie Anderson, Cincinnati; s-Jonathan Ogden, Baltimore; Tarik Glenn, Indianapolis.
Guards: s-Alan Faneca, Pittsburgh; s-Will Shields, Kansas City; Brian Waters, Kansas City.
Centers: s-Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis; Nick Hardwick, San Diego.
Tight ends: s-Antonio Gates, San Diego; Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City.
Quarterbacks: s-Peyton Manning, Indianapolis; Carson Palmer, Cincinnati; Philip Rivers, San Diego.
Running backs: s-LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego; Larry Johnson, Kansas City; Willie Parker, Pittsburgh.
Fullback: s-Lorenzo Neal, San Diego.
Defense
Ends: s-Aaron Schobel, Buffalo; s-Jason Taylor, Miami; Derrick Burgess, Oakland.
Interior linemen: s-Richard Seymour, New England; s-Jamal Williams, San Diego; Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh.
Outside linebackers: s-Shawne Merriman, San Diego; s-Adalius Thomas, Baltimore; Terrell Suggs, Baltimore.
Inside linebackers: s-Al Wilson, Denver; Zach Thomas, Miami.
Cornerbacks: s-Champ Bailey, Denver; s-Rashean Mathis, Jacksonville; Chris McAlister, Baltimore.
Strong safety: s-Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh.
Free safeties: s-Ed Reed, Baltimore; John Lynch, Denver.
Specialists
Punter: Brian Moorman, Buffalo.
Place-kicker: Nate Kaeding, San Diego.
Kick-return specialist: Justin Miller, New York.
Special-teamer: Kassim Osgood, San Diego.
NFC
Offense
Wide receivers: s-Torry Holt, St. Louis; s-Steve Smith, Carolina; Anquan Boldin, Arizona; Donald Driver, Green Bay.
Tackles: s-Jammal Brown, New Orleans; s-Walter Jones, Seattle; Chris Samuels, Washington.
Guards: s-Shawn Andrews, Philadelphia; s-Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota; Larry Allen, San Francisco.
Centers: s-Olin Kreutz, Chicago; Matt Birk, Minnesota.
Tight ends: s-Alge Crumpler, Atlanta; Jeremy Shockey, New York.
Quarterbacks: s-Drew Brees, New Orleans; Marc Bulger, St. Louis; Tony Romo, Dallas.
Running backs: s-Frank Gore, San Francisco; Tiki Barber, New York; Steven Jackson, St. Louis.
Fullback: s-Mack Strong, Seattle.
Defense
Ends: s-Julius Peppers, Carolina; s-Will Smith, New Orleans; Aaron Kampman, Green Bay.
Interior linemen: s-Tommie Harris, Chicago; s-Kevin Williams, Minnesota; Kris Jenkins, Carolina.
Outside linebackers: s-Lance Briggs, Chicago; s-DeMarcus Ware, Dallas; Julian Peterson, Seattle.
Inside linebackers: s-Brian Urlacher, Chicago; Lofa Tatupu, Seattle.
Cornerbacks: s-Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay; s-DeAngelo Hall, Atlanta; Lito Sheppard, Philadelphia.
Strong safeties: s-Adrian Wilson, Arizona; Roy Williams, Dallas.
Free safety: s-Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia.
Specialists
Punter: Mat McBriar, Dallas.
Place-kicker: Robbie Gould, Chicago.
Kick-return specialist: Devin Hester, Chicago.
Special-teamer: Brendan Ayanbadejo, Chicago.
