Alex Smith is the biggest 2018 Pro Bowl snub

The 2018 NFL Pro Bowl rosters have been released with three Chiefs making it: Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and Kareem Hunt. We quickly identified the biggest Pro Bowl snub: Chiefs QB Alex Smith.

Alex isn’t the only snub. I counted a couple of other Chiefs that should have merited consideration.

QB Alex Smith

Of all weeks, to pick Philip Rivers ahead of Alex Smith this week, the week where Rivers lost the game for his team and Alex helped win it. The Chiefs beat the Chargers for the eighth straight time this week. It’s not just the wins and losses where Alex has the edge over Rivers. This year, he has the edge in the stats too. Alex Smith has completed more passes for a higher completion percentage than Rivers. Alex has thrown for more touchdowns than Rivers. Alex has half — five — the interceptions that Rivers does this season (10). Alex is throwing for more yards per attempt. Every major category, Alex Smith leads Philip Rivers.

Yes, Alex had a slump in the middle of the season but based on the entire season’s body of work, Alex deserved this over Rivers.

RT Mitch Schwartz

3 Chiefs named to Pro Bowl

Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images

Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt and Travis Kelce are going to the Pro Bowl.

We knew Schwartz was unlikely to be picked because not only do right tackles get screwed financially (well, relatively) but they also get screwed in Pro Bowls. Has anyone had a harder slate than Schwartz going up against Khalil Mack, Von Miller and Ingram / Bosa six games a year?

No offense to these tackles -- Alejandro Villanueva, Taylor Lewan and Donald Penn — but Schwartz should have a spot.

CB Marcus Peters

Peters is third in the NFL in interceptions with five and also has three forced fumbles. Only Eric Weddle, who made the Pro Bowl, has as many combined interceptions and forced fumbles. What can’t be judged about Peters is the impact he had by quarterbacks not throwing to him. Peters went from the most targeted corner his rookie year to someone quarterbacks -- even great ones like Drew Brees — avoided for the entire game.

The problem is I’m not sure who I would take out of the current list of corners that made it. All these guys had great years: AJ Bouye, Jalen Ramsey, Aqib Talib and Casey Hayward.

LB Justin Houston

This wasn’t Houston’s best year but he was still one of the best defenders on the Chiefs. This is a position defined by sacks and Houston is doing just OK there with 9.5 on the season. It’s hard to measure the rest of the impact he makes but he had a good season.

Others under consideration

K Harrison Butker had a good year and if he had started Week 1 and not Week 4 he may have had the stats to get this one. P Dustin Colquitt is an annual consideration, too. Also, Tyreek Hill was voted in as a returner but he could have been considered as a receiver too.