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The Sporting News announced its 2011 NFL All-Pro team yesterday. The team is voted on by 30 executives from the NFL, so it's not just another poll of members of the media.
Somewhat surprisingly, two players from the Detroit Lions made the team: wide receiver Calvin Johnson and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Johnson's inclusion is no surprise, of course. He had an amazing season, and as mentioned in the Sporting News' write-up, he "has emerged as the league’s biggest matchup nightmare." Suh's inclusion, on the other hand, is a surprise. Fair or not, a lot of people soured on him in 2011, but not those who voted on the Sporting News All-Pro team.
Although he saw a big drop-off in production (from 10 sacks to four) from his rookie campaign and lost two games to suspension, his presence was still a big reason for the success of coach Jim Schwartz’s front four.
Suh's numbers did drop in 2011, but based on this particular All-Pro team, it seems the notion that a lot of what Suh does goes unnoticed is accurate.