NFL Pro Bowl Voting: Rams DE Chris Long Deserves Your Vote

by Ryan Van Bibber on Dec 19, 2011 1:10 PM CST in 2011 NFL regular season

Quarterback Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals is sacked by defensive end Chris Long #91 of the St. Louis Rams in the first half of the game on December 18, 2011 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Whitney Curtis/Getty Images)

Voting for the NFL Pro Bowl closes tonight with the Monday Night Football game. In the hours between then and now, you need to take time to go and cast your ballot for St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long. He's one of several Rams that deserves a vote, but NFL fans of all stripes should be punching their ticket for Long's career season.

Long picked up his 13th sack of the season in yesterday's loss to the Bengals. Each new sack brings a new career-best mark for Long, whose best season before this one was 2010 when he had 8.5 sacks. With two games left to play, there's a good chance he adds to that total.

Long's 13 sacks are the fifth-most in the NFL so far this season. Jared Allen, a comparable player, is doing something similar to Long with the Vikings. He has 17.5 sacks. Eagles DE Justin Babin leads the league with 18 sacks.

The franchise record for sacks is 17, set by Kevin Carter in 1999. Long's 13 sacks tie him for the fourth-most in franchise history. Leonard Little has the third-most with 14.5 in 2001. Kevin Greene had 16.5 sacks twice in 1988 and 1989.

Long's 13 sacks matches a single-season high for his father Howie Long, an eight-time Pro Bowl player.

Finally, Long deserves a little recognition for being a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable year. His consistently high motor is matched by only a few players on the team, and the Rams defensive line has been a tough group since the halfway point of the season.

Others that deserve a vote: James Laurinaitis and Steven Jackson.

So stop reading this and go vote.

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Comments

What a

bust

Turf Show Times editor, Mocking the Draft writer, and I gots that Twitter too, yo.
"my keyboard won't corporate, neighter will my smell check." - Knoxfan

by 3k on Dec 19, 2011 1:12 PM CST reply actions

He totally peaked in college

"Doin' blow off a strippers nipple" -VanRam
Hit me up on Facebook and Twitter. You know you want to.

by Eric Nagel on Dec 19, 2011 1:30 PM CST up reply actions

agreed!

he’s no adam carikker! sniff

by Mark Jaramillo on Dec 19, 2011 1:52 PM CST up reply actions

joking aside...

chris long has been in beast mode this yr! i was overly critical of him in the beginning, but he stepped up, and is killing qb’s! clearly a sight for sore eyes for this rams fan. i wish james lairanitis would get the same love for the voter’s as well.

by Mark Jaramillo on Dec 19, 2011 2:01 PM CST up reply actions

Brandon Lloyd deserves a vote too. 61 receptions this year for over 800 yards

Can you imagine how great he’s have been with better support?

join me @ Google+

by Douglas M on Dec 19, 2011 1:29 PM CST reply actions

Too bad the Rams typically allow 200 yards rushing per game

and like 4 teams all year have actually had to pass to beat them, or else Long would be hunting for Strahan’s record by now…

Formerly JBaccSTL. Been losing sleep over Rams football since 1999.

by Joe Mazzi on Dec 19, 2011 1:36 PM CST reply actions

Again:

Remember when we gave a damn?

Note to Douglas M: Remember that 99% of what I say involves BS

by King Sam Rules! on Dec 19, 2011 1:47 PM CST via mobile reply actions

The NFL's five sack leaders are all from the NFC.

Suck it, AFC.

Formerly JBaccSTL. Been losing sleep over Rams football since 1999.

by Joe Mazzi on Dec 19, 2011 2:01 PM CST reply actions

(If you don't count the tie between Long and Suggs)

Formerly JBaccSTL. Been losing sleep over Rams football since 1999.

by Joe Mazzi on Dec 19, 2011 2:12 PM CST up reply actions

Von Miller gets my VOTE

I do not understand how that could be argued.

http://www.codex99.com/illustration/images/foster/songbird_sm.jpg

by Da Rookie on Dec 19, 2011 2:45 PM CST reply actions

I don't have my laptop and can't put a link up from my phone

But I saw Donnie Avery tweet something about his lunch; so I asked him what he’s doing nowadays the rams need WRs and him getting cut was BS. He replied “yeah it was. But I’m still with the titans”
I love twitter.

Beating off the dog is never appropriate when we have company over...... I mean EVER!

Follow @Sergey_Konyshev

by sergey606 on Dec 19, 2011 2:57 PM CST via mobile reply actions