The 2012 NFL Pro Bowl will take place on Sunday at 4:00 PST on NBC, and the Chargers will have five players participating in the festivities. This is the eighth time that Antonio Gates has been selected to a team, the fourth time Philip Rivers has been chosen, the second Pro Bowl for Vincent Jackson and the first Pro Bowl for Eric Weddle and Ryan Mathews. Jackson is a replacement for Wes Welker, but Jackson was tied for sixth in the NFL with nine touchdown receptions. Calvin Johnson, Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham and Jordy Nelson were the only players with more receiving yards and touchdowns than Jackson in 2011.
Mathews is a replacement for Ray Rice due to injury. Mathews was 10th in rushing yards while missing two games, and every running back ahead of him had at least 27 more rushing attempts with fewer yards per attempt. Gates missed three games, but he was still tied for fourth among tight ends in touchdown receptions, and 10th in receptions and receiving yards among tight ends. Weddle was named an All-Pro safety for the second year in a row, and was tied with Kyle Arrington and Charles Woodson for the NFL lead with seven interceptions. Rivers threw more than 15 interceptions for the first time in his six seasons as San Diego’s starting quarterback, and was tied with Rex Grossman for third in the infamous category of interceptions with 20. However, Rivers was sixth in passing yards, seventh in completion percentage and eighth in touchdown passes.
The Pro Bowl is basically a scrimmage for the players as no one wants to risk a serious injury. The Chargers cannot afford for any of these players to get injured, as they already need to re-sign Jackson since there are not many realistic options for wide receivers through free agency. The Chargers also need another pass rusher, a strong safety, more depth at the receiver position and may need a new center, so it would be smart for Rivers, Jackson, Weddle, Mathews and Gates to avoid making spectacular plays, and just go through the motions on Sunday.
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