Despite leading the NFC North for the better part of a month, the Detroit Lions were shut out of Pro Bowl voting announced tonight.
No Lions players were named to the NFC Pro Bowl roster, though four players were selected alternates for the game Jan. 29 in Orlando, Fla.: quarterback Matthew Stafford, cornerback Darius Slay, kicker Matt Prater and punter Sam Martin.
Stafford is the second alternate at quarterback in conference despite being prominently mentioned in MVP discussion in recent weeks.
The 28-year-old has led eight fourth-quarter comebacks this year, but statistically pales in comparison to some of the other players selected for the game.
Through 14 games, Stafford has thrown for 3,720 yards while tossing 22 touchdown passes and just eight interceptions. He's completing 66.3 percent of his passes, the second highest total in his career.
Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott were named to the NFC Pro Bowl team at quarterback. Ryan is third in the NFL with 4,336 yards passing and Rodgers is sixth with 3,781 yards. Both players have 32 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and Ryan and Prescott have their teams in first place in their divisions.
Lions tight end Eric Ebron said this afternoon that Stafford was "definitely" deserving of making the Pro Bowl, but he allowed that deserving selections don't always make the game.
Stafford missed out on the Pro Bowl when he threw for a career-best 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2011. He played in the game for the first time two years ago as an alternate.
"It's all politics, man," Ebron said. "We got people that should make it, but it doesn't define you as a player. It's the Pro Bowl. It doesn't define you. Slay hasn't made a Pro Bowl and yet he still got paid because of his play. People recognize it. It's all politics. It's all about who wants to be a face, who wants to be in the cameras and limelight."
Slay is the second alternate at cornerback _ Janoris Jenkins, Patrick Peterson, Richard Sherman and Xavier Rhodes were selected to the team _ and Prater and Martin are the first alternates at their position.
Prater, who was passed over for the Falcons' Matt Bryant, is 30-for-33 on field goals this year and a perfect 6-for-6 from 50-plus yards. He hasn't missed a kick since before Halloween.
Martin was second in the voting to the Rams' Johnny Hekker. Hekker leads the NFL with a 46.2-yard net average, and Martin is second at 43.9 yards.
The Lions are one of six teams that do not have a player picked for the Pro Bowl along with the New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars.
