Shane Lechler misses Pro Bowl for first time in six years

Shane Lechler had been named to five straight Pro Bowls coming into this season with three of those seasons being named All Pro. In Oakland, punting is serious business. With how bad the team has been for the better part of the past decade, there was a lot of punting to be done. And no one did it better than Shane Lechler.

Lechler was not snub this season, however. He has had one of the worst seasons of his career. It started in the season opener when Jon Condo went out and he was under siege with Travis Goethel doing the long snapping duties. He had his first punt blocked in five years as well as a few botched snaps.

Since then, he hasn't looked quite himself. His punts haven't been the kind of glorious moon shots we are used to seeing from him for much of the season. He consistently outkicks his coverage which has his net average sitting at 12th in the AFC and 24^th in the NFL. That is not like him at all.

He was pedestrian this season and didn't deserve a spot in the Pro Bowl. And that is probably the first time in his 13 year, 6-time first team All Pro, 7-time Pro Bowl career that has been able to be said.