Arian Foster, J.J. Watt lead way in early Pro Bowl voting

Posted Nov 14, 2012

PRO BOWL VOTING

With five weeks of Pro Bowl voting remaining, 13 Texans players rank in the top five in the AFC in fan voting at their respective positions.

Running back leads the way with 333,396 votes. That ranks third overall among all NFL players, trailing only Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (376,981 votes) and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (345,036 votes). Foster, who has been to back-to-back Pro Bowls, ranks third in the NFL with 872 rushing yards and leads the league witih 12 total touchdowns.

Texans defensive end has 202,904 votes, more than any other NFL defensive player. Next-best is Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, who has 156,688 votes. Watt leads the NFL with 10.5 sacks and has a team-leading 10 passes defensed through nine games.

According to ESPN.com, 11 other Texans are in the top five at their respective positions.

ranks fourth among AFC quarterbacks, a position where three players make the Pro Bowl roster. ranks second at fullback behind former Texan Vonta Leach, with only one roster spot up for grabs.

At tight end, where the top two vote-getters make the Pro Bowl, ranks second behind New England’s Rob Gronkowski.

At tackle, where the top three make the Pro Bowl, Texans left tackle ranks fourth.

At guard, where the top three make it, Texans right guard ranks third and left guard ranks fourth.

At center, where the top two make it, 2011 Pro Bowler ranks fifth.

At cornerback, where the top three make it, 2011 Pro Bowler ranks fourth. , who’s tied for the AFC lead with four interceptions, ranks fifth.

At strong safety, which has two Pro Bowl roster spots per conference, ranks fifth. Linebacker ranks second in the “special teamer” category, in which one player makes it each year.

Fan voting comprises one-third of the final tally along with voting from players and coaches. Voting will continue online through Monday, Dec. 17. LINK

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