We could have easily given this award to Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, who recorded ten receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns.  Or we could have went with Matt Ryan, who threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns.  But we didn’t.  Instead, both of those guys earn honorable mentions, while Abraham gets the nod with his four tackles, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Corey Peters in the third quarter.

The Falcons’ defense was in shut-down mode all night, as the Jaguars didn’t record a point until late in the third quarter, and even that touchdown came via a blocked punt return.  In the end, they would allow a passing touchdown to Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert, but by that time they had already secured the 41-14 victory.

It was a brilliant performance by the Falcons’ defensive unit, which was led by defensive end John Abraham.  As a result, he earns our “Stat Line of the Night” for Thursday, December 16, 2011.

However, I’m more interested in the players that didn’t get the invited to the big dance this year.  There are always good players that snubbed and this year is no different.  Lets take a look at the biggest snubs from this years Pro Bowl teams.

AFC

Phillip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers,

Leads the league in passer rating and is having a career season.  The Chargers are having a bad season and Old Man Favre is now in the NFC, which made Phil the odd man out.

Steve Slaton, RB, Houston Texans,

This rookie is 7th in the NFL in rushing with 1124 yards and has 40 receptions.  He also has 9 total touchdowns.  Playing for the Texans didn’t help his chances, he will be a Pro Bowler some day.

Randy Moss, WR, New England Patriots,

Even playing without stud QB Tom Brady, Moss has scored 10 touchdowns, which is second in the NFL.  He is still one of the best players in the entire league at his position.

Lamarr Woodley, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers,

One half the most dominant pass rushing duos in Steeler history has been left off this years team.  Woodley has had a breakout year and is currently tied for 8th in NFL in sacks, with 11.5.

Shaun Ellis, DE, New York Jets,

Ellis has been one of the most productive players for the Jets this year.  His touchdown against the Bills was the biggest play of the season for that team, although it came well after the Pro Bowl Ballots were in.

Michael Griffin, FS,  Tennessee Titans,

Griffin has put together a fantastic season playing for the surprising Titans.  He has missed 4 games and is still second in the NFL with 5 interceptions.  The presence of Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu and his teammate Chris Hope, made his chances of making the team slim.

NFC

Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons,

His numbers certainly don’t jump off the page, but what he has done for the Falcons has been nothing short of amazing.  He didn’t make it this year, yet his future will be full of trips to Hawaii.

Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears,

Forte has put together one of the best rookie seasons in Bears history, which is saying alot when you look at the running backs on that list.  Much like Ryan, this rookie was snubbed this year, but will be a mainstay at the Pro Bowl in the future.

Antonio Bryant, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers,

His numbers got a huge boost in recent weeks, which is a big reason why he didn’t make the team.  He is having a great season and could be the NFL’s comeback player of the year.

Karlos Dansby, LB, Arizona Cardinals,

Dansby is one of the most underrated players in the entire NFL, on the defensive side of the ball.  Year after year he puts up big numbers and never really gets recognized for his achievements.

John Abraham, DE, Atlanta Falcons,

Abraham has been one of the most improtant players for the Falcons this year, and is 3rd in NFL in sacks.  He might have been snubbed from this year team beacuse he has been injured during the last couple seasons.

Oshiomogo Atogwe, FS, St. Louis Cardinals,

Atogwe has had a solid season playing for the lowly Rams.  The fact that he plays for such a bad team is the main reason why he failed to make the team.

At the end of the day, the Pro Bowl is mostly a popularity contest and possibly one of the worst all star games in all of sports.

Bryon Leftwich stepped in for Big Ben on Monday night and led the Steelers to an impressive victory. Ryan Fitzpatrick helped the Bengals get their first win, and Even Rex Grossman a hand in his team beating the Lions.

It is only fitting that this week our Offensive player of the week is Gus Frerotte, who started the year on the bench. Our offensive rookie of the week is Joe Flacco, who was supposed to backup Troy Smith this season but that all changed when Smith was fell ill during the preseason and the rest is history.

Here is the complete list of the best Fantasy Football Players Of Week 9.

Best Offensive Player – Gus Frerotte, QB, Minnesota Vikings.
No, this is not a typo; Gus Frerotte is the offensive player of the week, in our opinion. Call it a slow week for Fantasy Football but, Grampa Gus had himself a dandy of a game. Frerotte completed 11 out of 18 passes and had 3 touchdowns. The Vikings seem to be in much better shape now the Frerotte is the starter and Jackson is nailed to the bench.

Honorable mention: Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants.

Best Offensive Rookie – Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens.
Flaccos appearance on this list has been long over due and this past Sunday he put together a fine game. He completed 17 passes for 248 yards adding 2 touchdowns. Flacco Looks to have all the tools necessary to be a franchise quarter back in the NFL. The Ravens managed to win a Superbowl with Trent Dilfer, so the sky is the limit for Flacco.

Honorable mention: Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons.

Best Defensive Player – John Abraham, DE, Atlanta Falcons.
The new look Falcons have benefited a great deal from the stellar play of John Abraham, who continues to torment opposing quarter backs. This past week he managed to take down Russell 3 times, which gives him 10 sacks this season. Abraham is putting together a solid year and could be in the running for defensive MVP.

Honorable mention: Justin Tuck, DE, New York Giants.

Best Defensive Rookie – Brandon Carr, DB, Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs came close to upsetting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday and rookie Brandon Carr, had the best game of his young career. The Grand Valley State product made 4 tackles and 1 interception to keep the Chiefs in the game. The Chiefs seem to have found a solid pair of corners in this years draft as Brandon Flowers has also had some big games this season.

Honorable mention: Pat Sims, DB, Chicago Bears.

Remember to check back next week for the best Fantasy Football Players of week 10.