It's been a long time coming for Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons.
The franchise's first-round pick in 2007 has played at a Pro Bowl level the last few years, but missed out on the league's annual all-star game until now. Timmons was selected to his first Pro Bowl, along with Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, wide receiver Antonio Brown, running back Le'Veon Bell and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
The Pro Bowl will be played Sunday, January 25, 2015, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona, and will be televised live on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET. Like last season, the Pro Bowl is "unconferenced," so players were selected without regard to conference by a combined voting of fans, players and coaches.
Timmons' team-best 121 combined tackles (80 solo) are third-most in the AFC and eighth overall in the NFL. The Steelers' defense has held opponents to an average of 99.3 rushing yards per game - sixth lowest in the NFL through Week 16. This serves as the third consecutive year Timmons has notched 100 or more total tackles and the fourth time overall in his career.
Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons having excellent season.
Pouncey is making his fourth trip, just one season removed from a devastating knee injury that cost him all of the 2013 season. The Steelers' running game never got on track, but it's one of the best in the game now.
Much of that can be credited to the emergence of Bell, who is second in the league in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage. His 77 receptions leads all running backs. He has 11 combined touchdowns on the season, and Tuesday, was named the Steelers' team MVP.
Not much more can be said about the season Brown is having. He broke the team's receptions and receiving yards records by the end of the first quarter in Week 16, and will surpass Detroit's Herman Moore for the second-most catches in a season in NFL history in Week 17.
Roethlisberger is also having his finest season, having thrown for a club-record 4,635 yards and 30 touchdowns against just eight interceptions (in 570 attempts). His 8.13 yards per attempt is the second-highest in the NFL.