Tennessee Titans TE Delanie Walker stung by Pro Bowl snub

TENNESSEE -- When you're on a terrible team, everything is magnified.

Even when something good should happen, oftentimes it doesn't.

Case in point is with Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker. If anyone was deserving of a Pro Bowl bid this season, Walker is on that list. He leads all NFL tight ends with 76 catches, a total that is 12th best among all players in the league, and is third in receiving yards with 935.

Yet, when it came time for Pro Bowl tight ends to be chosen, it was New England's Rob Gronkowski, Cincinnati's Tyler Eifert, Carolina's Greg Olson and Kansas City's Travis Kelce on the Pro Bowl rosters.

"It is what it is. I'd already told y'all what was gonna happen, so I'm not surprised at all," Walker said. "I've got mixed feeling about it. I could be a little about it, but I'm actually happy for the guys that got in."

While it would be difficult to remove any of those four from the Pro Bowl list, it is just as difficult to leave Walker off. In fact, you can make the argument that Walker is doing as much, or more, with less than any of the other four. Walker's numbers are being put up on a team that is 3-11 with no other consistent option on the field a lot of the time, and with a rookie quarterback -- albeit a good one in Marcus Mariota -- throwing him the football.

It could be argued, that the type of numbers Walker would put up if he had Tom Brady or Cam Newton throwing him the ball, or A.J. Green or Jeremy Maclin as a first option in the receiving progressions, are far greater than with his current circumstances.

"That's why I said I'm confused," Walker said. "People say, 'Well, he's on a bad team.' But I've got the same stats as dudes that are on playoff teams that have multiple weapons. You tell me how that makes me that I don't deserve to be in the Pro Bowl. Because I'm on a bad team, I don't deserve to go to the Pro Bowl, I guess."

Titans interim coach Mike Mularkey said he was extremely disappointed in the selection process.

"I'm very disappointed for Delanie (Walker)," he said. "I don't know what else you can do to turn the votes, other than have a better record and have more exposure. I think that would have helped but there are four good tight ends as well that are going, you give them credit, but I just think Delanie with where we are and with some of our injuries and the situation we're in, what he's done for our football team, people know we're going to try to throw it to him, for him to still come out like he does and have game, after game, after game, I'm very disappointed for him."

Walker is a first alternate and said he will go this year if a slot opens up due to a player pulling out because of injury or reaching the Super Bowl. He declined an invitation to go last year.

Also, defensive tackle Jurrell Casey is a first alternate on the defensive line as well this season.

SERIES HISTORY: 28th meeting. Titans lead series against the Texans, 15-12. The Titans dominated this series early on, but have lost six of the past seven meetings, including a 20-6 loss in Houston on Nov. 1 that got Ken Whisenhunt fired as head coach.

GAME PLAN: It could be a battle of backup quarterbacks with Zach Mettenberger going for the Titans and Brandon Weeden getting the call for the Texans if Brian Hoyer isn't cleared from the concussion protocol in time to play. Whoever plays for the Texans, the Titans' M.O., has to be to protect Mettenberger from J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus and the Texans other pass rushers better than they did the first time. The Texans had seven sacks and Mercilus had 3.5 of those in a career day.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

--Titans offensive line vs. Texans DE J.J. Watt.

The Titans shuffled offensive line allowed far too many hits weeks ago on Mettenberger and have given up 10 sacks in the past two games, including one that may have ended Marcus Mariota's season. The Titans simply cannot leave Watt one-on-one on Sunday as they seemingly had a penchant for doing in recent matchups against him.

--Titans TE Delanie Walker vs. Texans secondary.

Walker may be smarting from his Pro Bowl snub, and might want to take it out on the Texans. Houston's secondary is the weakest link of the defense, but it will be important for Mettenberger to get the ball out quickly to try and neutralize the Texans' potent pass rush and get the football in Walker's hands often.