Pro Bowl Snubs Cook, Hunter, Smith Are Key To Postseason Chances For Vikings

The Pro Bowl is a nothing event in the NFL, and has been for years. While other professional sports leagues turn their All-Star Games into major events – especially Major League Baseball – the NFL knows that it can’t fix the Pro Bowl.

They tried having captains pick teams and turning it into a flag football game, but nothing works. However, being named to the Pro Bowl is still a big deal. Never mind the contractual bonus that many players get for earning Pro Bowl status. Just being recognized by one’s peers, coaches and fans is still a big thing.

The Minnesota Vikings have clinched the NFC North title and have had one of the most memorable seasons of any team in the league. Their 11-3 record would suggest they have an elite team, but their plus-2 point differential tells a much different story, as does their No. 32 ranking in yards allowed.

The defense is giving up 399.2 yards per game, which is more than 113 yards worse per game than the top-ranked San Francisco 49ers. So, nobody really knows how good the Vikings are with the season nearing its climax.

Five Vikings were selected to the Pro Bowl this week, but only one was an absolute no-brainer. Justin Jefferson may very well be the best receiver in the NFL, having made the season’s best catch in an improbable comeback victory over the Buffalo Bills and putting together brilliant performances on a regular basis. Jefferson has a 111-1,623-7 stat line, and by the time the season is completed, he could become the NFL’s all-time single-season receiving yardage leader. The record holder is Jerry Rice, who had 1,848 receiving yards in 1995, and is unchallenged as the NFL’s best receiver ever.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins has made his fourth Pro Bowl, but this has not been a signature statistical season for the Vikings quarterback. Cousins has completed 355 of 544 passes for 3,818 yards with 24 TDs and 11 interceptions. The quarterback has had higher completion percentages and fewer interceptions in previous seasons, but the Vikings are winning with regularity in 2022, and that’s most likely the reason he was voted in.

Tight end T.J. Hockenson made it, but he established much of his reputation as a top receiver with the Detroit Lions. He has had a positive impact on the Vikings, but he proved himself with the Lions before coming to the Vikings.

On the defensive side, their No. 32 ranking on defense would preclude many honors, but OLB Za’Darius Smith made it in his first year with the Vikings. In reality, it has been an up-and-down season for the ex-Packer star. Smith has some good numbers with 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 5 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. However, most of his damage was done early in the year, as he has just 1.5 sacks in the last seven games.

Credit long snapper Andrew DePaola for making the team as well. Long snapping is one of the most overlooked skills in the NFL, and DePaola is consistently on point.

But the players that failed to make the Pro Bowl may be more notable. Running back Dalvin Cook, linebacker Danielle Hunter and safety Harrison Smith were snubbed. Cook and Hunter are Pro Bowl alternates, but that doesn’t really matter.

The feeling around the NFL is that all three were disappointments. Cook came into the season recognized as one of the top three running backs in the league. He certainly has had a few highlight moments this year – including the 64-yard TD reception on a screen pass that allowed the Vikings to tie the score in their record-setting 39-36 comeback victory over the Indianapolis Colts – but his 1,045 rushing yards and 4.5 yards per carry were not considered worthy.

Hunter was one of the NFL’s best pass rushers in 2018 and 2019 when he had 14.5 sacks in each of those seasons. Injuries prevented him from continuing on that track in 2020 and 2021, but he has been healthy this year. He has not been the player he was, at least in terms of production. Hunter has 55 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, but just 2.5 sacks in the last 5 games.

Perhaps the reason for the downturn is defensive coordinator Ed Donatell’s vanilla scheme, but that’s just an excuse. Hunter is not the player he was.

Smith has missed 2 games due to injuries, but he still has 77 tackles, 10 passes defensed, 5 interceptions and 1 forced fumble. The belief here is that Smith will be the catalyst if the Vikings can reverse form on defense in the final 3 games of the regular season and into the playoffs.

The 33-year-old can diagnose what opposing offenses are doing as well as any safety in the NFL, and Donatell must take advantage.

Smith may not be a Pro Bowler in 2022 – or even an alternate – but he is likely the key to an improved defensive performance the rest of the way.