12: 43 PM ET
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Mike ReissESPN Team Writer
- Coated Patriots since 1997
- Joined ESPN in 2009
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Fresh England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson, who leads the NFL with six interceptions, was as soon as added to the fan pollfor the Professional Bowl on Wednesday after on the beginning being left off.
Fan balloting for the Professional Bowl started Tuesday, and Jackson’s absence created a buzz on social media, highlighting the process in which gamers land on the ballot.
The NFL asks groups to post 11 gamers on offense, 11 gamers on defense and five special-teamers for the ballot. The Patriots, as is their current procedure over time, on the beginning submitted their substandard defense with a entrance seven and 4 defensive backs. Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore and veteran Jason McCourty are starters at cornerback, so Jackson wasn’t phase of the record the Patriots on the beginning submitted.
However the Patriots reached out to the NFL on Wednesday morning and requested a switch to a nickel defense, eradicating a linebacker and alongside with Jackson.
Professional Bowlers are chosen in step with a combination of fan vote and the balloting of coaches and gamers. The NFL presented Tuesday that this year’s Professional Bowl could presumably no longer be played as current and as an change will likely be digital in Madden NFL 21.
That does no longer reduce the price of being chosen as a Professional Bowler for some gamers, equivalent to Jackson, who is in his third NFL season and is scheduled to be a restricted free agent after the season.
After Jackson recorded his sixth interception of the season in Sunday’s 23-17 upset purchase over the Baltimore Ravens, he drew reward from coach Bill Belichick.
“He has a exact appropriate knack for finding the ball,” Belichick talked about. “He has appropriate hands, snappily hands and the power to find and have interaction the ball with out seeing it the total methodology in.”
Said Jackson: “I’m a playmaker, man. I do know easy play the ball slightly well. When I am going up for the ball, I develop into the receiver.”