Five Patriots Named To Pro Bowl

The Denver Broncos had an NFL-high nine players named to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday night, while four teams were shut out among the initial selections.

For the second year in a row the two teams will be selected via a
draft, a setup that replaced the old AFC-NFC format.

Hall of Fame wide receivers Cris Carter and Michael Irvin were
selected in July as alumni captains for the game, which will be
held Jan. 25 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona,
site of the Super Bowl a week later.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and
Tennessee Titans did not have a player named among the initial
selections.

Quarterback Peyton Manning led the nine Broncos selected, making
the Pro Bowl for an NFL-high 14th time.

Two of Manning's favorite targets, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas
and tight end Julius Thomas, also were named. Another, wide
receiver Emmanuel Sanders, did not make it despite a career season.

Among the other apparent snubs were Giants rookie wide receiver
Odell Beckham Jr. and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

New England quarterback Tom Brady was named to his 10th Pro Bowl,
leading five Patriots who were selected.

The four other quarterbacks picked were Dallas' Tony Romo, Green
Bay's Aaron Rodgers, Indianapolis' Andrew Luck and Pittsburgh's Ben
Roethlisberger

Romo's Cowboys garnered six selections, second-most behind Denver.
Green Bay, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Seattle
joined New England with five players picked.

It will be the third Pro Bowl played in the same city as the Super
Bowl and first since 2010.

It's only the second time since the Pro Bowl was first played at
Aloha Stadium in Hawaii in 1980 that the game will be held
elsewhere.

The game will return to Hawaii in 2016.

In January, Jerry Rice's team beat the one captained by fellow Hall
of Famer Deion Sanders 22-21 in Honolulu.  (Metro Networks Inc.)