Deacons in the NFL - Playoffs & Pro Bowl
2/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 11, 2011
By Currie McFayden, WakeForestSports.com
The Packers and the Steelers gave the 2010-11 NFL season just the type of conclusion that the fans were hoping for, a classic Super Bowl matchup that came down to the wire between two of the best teams in the league. MVP Aaron Rodgers ultimately helped his case to be an elite quarterback as he led Green Bay to a 31-25 victory, the franchise's fourth Super Bowl title and first since the 1996-97 season.
Several Wake Forest players were represented in the playoffs, including two (Desmond Clark and Calvin Pace) who advanced to the conference championship games. Tyson Clabo and Ovie Mughelli were both participants in the 2011 Pro Bowl, the first time that either has been selected for the honor.
Here is a player-by-player look at how the former Demon Deacons performed in the playoffs and the Pro Bowl.
OT Tyson Clabo, Atlanta Falcons
Clabo and the Falcons entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the favorites to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. However, the Falcons were defeated in the divisional round by the eventual champion Green Bay Packers, 48-21. Matched up against Clay Matthews, the runner-up for the league's Defensive Player of the Year award, Clabo did a solid job of protecting QB Matt Ryan despite the Packers' formidable pass rush. He was also selected as an alternate for the Pro Bowl at right tackle and was added to the final roster after Philadelphia's Jason Peters decided not to attend. The NFC gave up just a single sack and racked up 184 rushing yards en route to a 55-41 victory. Clabo enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
TE Desmond Clark, Chicago Bears
The veteran tight end was inactive for No. 2 seed Chicago's divisional round win, 35-24, over the Seahawks but was utilized for his well-known blocking abilities in the NFC Championship Game against Green Bay, a 21-14 loss. The Bears gave up just two sacks to the Packers' swarming defense but suffered critical losses when both starting QB Jay Cutler and backup Todd Collins were knocked out of the game. Clark will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason and has shown that he can still be a valuable asset in both run blocking and pass protection.
LB Aaron Curry, Seattle Seahawks
The 7-9 Seahawks, a team that many pundits termed a "first-round bye" for the New Orleans Saints, pulled one of the biggest playoff upsets in NFL history with a 41-36 win best remembered for RB Marshawn Lynch's 67-yard dash for the game-winning touchdown. Curry turned in another great game with seven tackles, his ninth game of the season with more than five tackles. In the divisional round, Seattle fell to the Bears, 35-24, but the second-year linebacker had two tackles, broke up a pass and also picked off an errant throw from RB Matt Forte on an attempted trick play, his lone interception of the season. Curry, who signed a six-year, $60 million rookie contract with the Seahawks in 2009, remains under contract with the team through 2015 and has emerged as a true standout for the defensive unit.
FB Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta Falcons
The powerful fullback received just a single carry for one yard in the 48-21 loss to Green Bay but was used extensively in protection schemes. Mughelli was selected as the starting fullback for the NFC in the Pro Bowl and enjoyed a great game in the exhibition matchup. He carried the ball twice for three yards and a touchdown, his first rushing touchdown since November 4, 2007. He also brought in two passes for 23 yards. Obviously the numbers are not counted as official stats, but the eighth-year player appeared to enjoy his time on the field in Hawaii. Mughelli signed a six-year, $18 million contract with Atlanta in 2007 and remains under contract through 2013.
LB Calvin Pace, New York Jets
Although Pace was not credited with starts in the Jets' first two playoff victories over Indianapolis (17-16) and heavily-favored New England (28-21), his presence was certainly felt on the field. The linebacker had four tackles against the Colts and three against the Patriots. He also added one sack in each game and a forced fumble against New England. Despite losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game by a 24-19 margin, Pace recorded yet another sack and three more tackles. With sacks of three of the premiere quarterbacks in the league in three straight games, it is clear that he has made a full recovery from his foot surgery early in the season. Pace remains under contract with the Jets through 2014 after signing a 6-year, $42 million contract in 2008.
LS Joe Zelenka, Atlanta Falcons
Zelenka's snapping helped kicker Matt Bryant to successfully convert three extra points in the Falcons' playoff loss against Green Bay. The snapper, who turns 35 on March 9, helped Bryant to the best season of his career in terms of field goal accuracy (90.3 percent) and extra points converted (44-of-44). Zelenka, who snapped in every game this season, will remain under contract with Atlanta through the end of next season.
