Patriots Land Only 1 in Pro Bowl, Fewest Since 2000

Linebacker Matthew Judon earned his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl; second with New England.

As if the New England Patriots needed reminding about their underwhelming season, the Pro Bowl served a harsh refresher Wednesday night.

The only Patriots player to earn a spot on the AFC's Pro Bowl roster is linebacker Matthew Judon. The last time New England had only one representative on the all-star team was 2000, Bill Belichick's first season as coach in Foxboro.

Coming off a 10-7 season in which they made the playoffs and returned a quarterback - Mac Jones - who made last year's Pro Bowl as a rookie, the Patriots have endured a season of hiccups. The play-calling of Matt Patricia has been oft-criticized, even by Jones himself. The quarterback suffered an injury, had rookie Bailey Zappe looking over his shoulder and has produced several visible, profanity-laced outbursts in recent weeks.

The Patriots lost a bizarre game to the Las Vegas Raiders last week via one of the dumbest plays in NFL history, dropping them to 7-7 and in need of sweeping their remaining three games - starting Saturday at home against the Cincinnati Bengals - to make the playoffs.

How bare is the Pats' star power? Every other AFC East team had at least three players selected. 

One of the lone bright spots this season has been the play of Judon, who earned his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl and second straight in New England. Through 14 games, he’s tallied a career-high 14.5 sacks, the second-most in franchise history. Judon has also amassed 50 tackles and 26 quarterback hits, his most since 2019. The other AFC outside linebackers are the Pittsburgh Steelers' T.J. Watt and Khalil Mack of the Los Angeles Chargers.

For the first time in league history, the Pro Bowl will not consist of an actual football game, but rather a series of contests. The 2023 Pro Bowl Games, which will include player races, strength competitions and a 7-on-7 game between the AFC and NFC, are scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 5 in Las Vegas.

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