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Tonight at 8 p.m. eastern, the NFL will announce the Pro Bowl rosters on NFL Network. This year's game will be played on Sunday, January 25, 2015 in Arizona, the site of the Super Bowl.
With the rosters being announced tonight, which Colts have a shot to make it? Last year three Colts players made the roster (quarterback Andrew Luck, outside linebacker Robert Mathis, and long snapper Matt Overton), but it's a good guess to make that this year's Colts team will have more players represent them in the Pro Bowl. Who will they be, however?
Quarterback Andrew Luck will very likely go to his third straight Pro Bowl, despite a slump recently. He has thrown for 4,601 yards and 38 touchdowns while completing 61.7% of his passes, along with adding 268 yards and three touchdowns rushing. He was the fourth-leading vote-getter among all players in the fan voting, which accounts for one third of the final vote.
Another player with a good chance to make the Pro Bowl is wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who has caught 82 passes for 1,345 yards and seven touchdowns this season. His impact on the Colts is hard to ignore and his production speaks for itself too. There are a lot of deserving wide receivers, but Hilton definitely has a good chance.
Cornerback Vontae Davis was absolutely snubbed in the fan voting, as he didn't even finish in the top ten among cornerbacks, but hopefully the coaches and players rectify that wrong and put Davis in. He has played as well as any corner in football this season. Opposing quarterbacks have just a 39.1 passer rating when throwing against him, which is the best number of any corner in football this year (per Pro Football Focus). Furthermore, he has not allowed a single touchdown this season despite spending 445 snaps in coverage. He absolutely deserves a spot.
Punter Pat McAfee also is worthy of a Pro Bowl nod after putting together the best season of his career and arguably the best season by any special teams player in the league. He ranks fourth in the NFL in average yards per punt, second in the NFL in net average yards per punt, has tied his own franchise record with 27 punts pinned inside the 20 (compared to just 3 touchbacks), leads the NFL in touchbacks off of kickoffs, and has successfully converted three onside kicks this year, leading the league (and he also recovered one of those kicks himself). And, just for good measure, he's added three special teams tackles too.
Those four players - Luck, Hilton, Davis, and McAfee - are the players that I think absolutely deserve a Pro Bowl nod. There are a couple others who I think have a very good shot, too. And that list has to start with Adam Vinatieri. I mean, kickers are ultimately judged by makes and misses, and nobody has been better than Vinatieri at that this year. He's a perfect 28-for-28 this season on field goals and has hit all ten of his attempts from 40 or more yards, including from 53. He absolutely deserves a spot, but it's not certain.
Safety Mike Adams also is in the consideration for a Pro Bowl recognition, and he has been a huge addition to the Colts' defense. He has racked up 83 tackles, 11 pass deflections, five interceptions, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He was the fourth-leading vote getter among free safeties in the fan voting.
Those are the six Colts that I think have a good shot at making the team, though their chances certainly vary depending on a lot of factors. We'll have instant analysis as the rosters are announced tonight, but let's discuss: which Colts do you think are deserving of the recognition?
[UPDATE:] Five Colts players have been named to the Pro Bowl, as well as two being named alternates. See the players and the analysis here.