Getty Matthew Stafford competes in the 2015 Pro Bowl.
The Detroit Lions have had a below average season thus far, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some good cases made in terms of players who should be voted into the NFL Pro Bowl.
This past week, Pro Bowl balloting officially opened, and while it might seem silly for some to pack the ballot boxes for players on a 3-5-1 team, there is no doubt the Lions have many deserving options for inclusion.
Here’s a look at which players deserve the love this season for Detroit, and who fans should be backing for the Pro Bowl the most.
Kenny Golladay, WR
From nearly the start of the season until now, Golladay has been having an excellent season catching the ball. So far, he’s put up 697 yards and 8 touchdowns. He’s had some huge games already this season, and four times Golladay has gone well over 100 yards in a game catching the ball for the Lions. He’s also made some history for the franchise not seen since the 1930s.
In total, Golladay has enjoyed arguably the best start to a career of any wideout in his 2017 draft class not named JuJu Smith-Schuster. With 1,783 yards and 12 touchdowns thus far in his career coming into the 2019 season on the field, Golladay looks like an obvious top dog in Detroit for the foreseeable future with Matthew Stafford tossing him the rock. That’s good news for the Lions, who have long pondered how to find production at the wideout position minus Calvin Johnson. Not an issue anymore with Golladay taking over.
This season, Golladay is earning a seat at the table with the top wideouts in the league. He’s earned the 2020 Pro Bowl as well.
Matthew Stafford, QB
Doing his best to try and shift the narrative from those who are negative about him, Stafford has been on a tear so far this season, putting up more touchdowns than interceptions while also going well over 1,000 yards already on the season. He’s played consistent and looks the part of a guy who is ready to make the 30s the best years of his career. The Lions also have a better offense under Stafford now, as they are being led by Darrell Bevell, a guy who has worked with elite quarterbacks and elite offenses before. Quite frankly, he’s played at an MVP level.
This season, Stafford’s play has been a breath of fresh air for the team, and they’ve needed him playing well to have the respectable start they have had thus far. It seems the team’s new offense, which is putting up numbers and popular in the locker room, is suiting its quarterback well. Mistakes have been limited and the big plays have come more freely and frequently.
Stafford, even with injury, has made a case that he should make the Pro Bowl this season, and it will be up to fans to help send him there.
Marvin Jones, WR
Jones has been fantastic this season for the Lions, and opposite Golladay, has been one of the top wideouts in the entire game. This season, he’s put up 612 yards and 6 touchdowns, which are solid numbers for Detroit. More than that, he has given the Lions a formidable 1-2 punch with Golladay and has been very dependable this season.
Jones had to prove he could come back off last season’s injury, and he was able to do that with a massive season thus far in 2019. It’s safe to say Jones will continue to put in the good work for the Lions and as a result, should be earning himself Pro Bowl votes and love.
Matt Prater, K
Like every season, there has been few players in the league more stable at kicker than Prater. He’s still got the leg to boom the long kicks, and has gone 17-20 this season for the Lions. Prater remains a rock and also is taking on the look of a player who might be ageless at the position in Detroit not unlike Jason Hanson was for decades.
In spite of being arguably the best kicker in the NFC North, Prater doesn’t get nearly enough love for what he does so well so quietly. For this reason, it’s time for the fans to send him into the Pro Bowl in order to give him a nice feather in his cap.
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