For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the goal is to be playing in Glendale, Arizona in a little over a month from now, the site of Super Bowl XLIX.
If that doesn’t happen though, five members of the Steelers team will be making the trek to Glendale anyways.
Five Steelers were selected to the 2015 Pro Bowl team, announced Tuesday night by the NFL. The Steelers are sending multiple players to the Pro Bowl for the 14th straight season and for the 23rd time in the last 26 seasons.
It’s no surprise that the Steelers are well represented on the offensive side of the ball, having produced the NFL’s top-ranked offense throughout the regular season.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le’Veon Bell, wide receiver Antonio Brown and center Maurkice Pouncey were all chosen as Pro Bowlers.
On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Lawrence Timmons got the honor.
For Roethlisberger, it is his third Pro Bowl selection. He has had a fantastic 2014 season, setting Steelers single-season franchise records for completions (384) and passing yards (4,635), while tossing 30 touchdowns and compiling an impressive 103.8 passer rating.
As for Bell, who was voted the Steelers MVP on Tuesday, the second-year pro will be heading to the Pro Bowl for the first time.
He established a new single-season Steelers record with 2,115 yards from scrimmage, the second-most in the NFL. He has rushed for 1,341 yards and eight touchdowns while setting single-season franchise records for running backs with 77 receptions for 774 yards.
While Bell has established himself as maybe the best all-around back in the NFL, the same case can be made for Brown, who will be heading to the Pro Bowl for the third time in his career.
Brown leads the NFL with 122 receptions and 1,570 receiving yards, both Steelers franchise records, to go along with 12 touchdown catches. He also leads the league in receptions for first downs (80) and 10-plus catch games (four) and is one of three players to average 100.0 yards or more per game in 2014.
A return to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time for Pouncey is big as the anchor of the Steelers offense line missed all but a handful of plays in 2013. His presence has helped the Steelers offense accomplish a lot of what they have in 2014.
Heading to the Pro Bowl for the first time, an honor long overdue, is Timmons.
Timmons has been the leading tackler on the Steelers’ defense in 2014, with 121 combined tackles (80 solo). That is good for third-most in the AFC and eighth overall in the NFL.
The Pro Bowl will be played Sunday, January 25, 2015, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and will be televised live on ESPN at 8 p.m. EST.
Pro Bowl rosters were determined by the votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group’s vote counted one-third toward determining the 86-man Pro Bowl list.
For the second consecutive year, players will be assigned to teams by a Pro Bowl Draft.
Photo Credit: USA Today Sports
