By: Tom Greer
Giants fans…. we have failed our team. The NFL Pro Bowl announcements were released, and who would the Giants be sending if the normal Pro Bowl were happening? James Bradbury and Even freaking Engram…
Of course, I have no problem with James Bradburry making it - the guy has been a lockdown corner all season! He's been shutting down number one receivers like Deandre Hopkins and DK Metcalf all year. The man's been the definition of a shutdown corner and you could argue he is one of, if not the best free agent signing that Dave Gettleman has EVER made in his tenure with the New York Giants.
James Bradburry
Now, where my problems lie... and what I personally feel is a huge failure among us Giants fans - is our second Pro Bowl representative: Evan “Hands of Stone” Engram. Listen, on this occasion - I’m not one to go out of my way to trash someone; I’m looking to have more of a positive outlook on this. As I've said in previous blogs, Uncle Stevie buying the Mets has shown me the light of positivity and had quelled my typical pessimism. But for all intent and purpose... Evan Engram is NOT a Pro Bowler. This man has dropped more passes in this season alone than I can count, and for every big play he’s made - there is a litany of ones he hasn’t. I will forever have that image of him dropping a third-down-dime thrown by Daniel Jones which set the Eagles up for that painful game winning drive.
If I'm to be quite honest, no one on the offence should be in the Pro Bowl other than Wayne Gallman aka The Wayne Train. After Saquon went down, he picked the ball up and literally ran with it! The man has been the light to what has otherwise been a dark and grim Giants offense. For a guy who had been an after thought and someone who was never really given the full chance to show his skills - he is making sure the Giants and the league know he is the real deal. I hope that translates to a new deal keeping him on Big Blue. BUT... where the greatest injustice has been committed - is the fact that Leonard Williams and Blake Martinez are our Pro Bowl snubs.
The Giants defense is the only reason this team still even has a shot at winning the NFC East or I guess NFC Least, and a big reason for that is the efforts of guys like Leonard Williams and Blake Martinez. Blake Martinez being the best linebacker the Giants have had since Antonio Pierce over a decade ago and Leonard Williams shutting all his doubters up (myself included) racking up 24 tackles, and 8.5 sacks (most in his career) should be putting on the Pro Bowl jersey for Big Blue. Why did we fail? Because it came down to a fan vote. The players were campaigning their proverbial asses off and Leonard Williams had it in his Instagram story on a daily basis; however us as a 'Giants Fan Collective' failed two of the guys that have been absolute BALLERS on the defensive side of the ball.
I know its just the Pro Bowl, they’re not even actually playing a game... and that's even in a non-COVID-19 year the Pro Bowl is probably the least entertaining thing to watch; but its supposed to be the symbol for the 'best of the best' in terms of players all around the league. The fact that we couldn’t find a way to get two of the best players on the team in Leonard Williams and Blake Martinez; but have a spot for the always unreliable 'butter fingers' in Evan Engram - should have us Giants fans ashamed of ourselves. That being said, we've got time after the season is over to worry about the COVID season Pro Bowl, there's still games and perhaps a Division to win.