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We mentioned Sunday that we are ranking the top-40 players in the AFC East. Let's begin "Walker's Fab 40" with Nos. 37-40.

No. 40: Kyle Arrington, CB

Team: New England Patriots

2011 stats: 88 tackles, seven interceptions

Analysis: Our Fab 40 in the AFC East begins with the NFL interception leader. Arrington made strides this past season by creating much-needed turnovers for the Patriots' defense. But too often Arrington and New England gave up chunks of passing yards. The Patriots were 31st in total defense and 31st in pass defense. Despite his stats, Arrington was not a shutdown corner. But his playmaking ability and good hands were enough to come in a No. 40.

No. 39: Kevin Burnett, LB

Team: Miami Dolphins

2011 stats: 105 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interception

Analysis: Burnett’s 2011 season followed the same path as Miami's. Like the Dolphins, Burnett started slow. He was one of the team's big free-agent additions and had trouble finding his role as Miami started 0-7. But Burnett started to show around midseason why the Dolphins acquired him. He was one of the team's biggest impact players on defense and finished with 105 tackles. Miami also went 6-3 down the stretch. There is a lot to like about Miami's defense entering next season and Burnett is one of the reasons.

No. 38: Brian Moorman, P

Team: Buffalo Bills

2011 stats: 48.2 yards per punt, 20 inside 20

Analysis: There were a couple of seasons recently when a strong case could be made that Moorman was the best player on Buffalo's roster. That is no longer the case. But Moorman remains one of the top punters in the AFC. He averaged 48.2 yards per punt and had another consistent season. Moorman and a healthy place kicker Rian Lindell provides a solid pair for Buffalo's special teams.

No. 37: Brandon Moore, G

Team: New York Jets

2011 Stats: 16 starts

Analysis: The Jets surprisingly had three offensive linemen make the Pro Bowl this year. I didn't think New York's performance in the trenches earned that, but Moore was one of those three players to get the call to Hawaii. Moore and center Nick Mangold are two of New York's best run blockers. But Moore needs to be more consistent overall and especially in pass protection.

The 2012 Pro Bowl will take place Sunday at 7 p.m.

Here is a list of players to watch from the AFC East:

Miami Dolphins

• WR Brandon Marshall
• DT Paul Soliai

New York Jets

• OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson
• C Nick Mangold
• G Brandon Moore
• CB Darrelle Revis

No Buffalo Bills made the Pro Bowl. The New England Patriots led the AFC with eight Pro Bowl players. But the Patriots will be playing in the Super Bowl Feb. 5, and none of their players will participate.

Thoughts from the Jets' 20-16 loss to the Texans in a preseason version of "Monday Night Football."

WHAT IT MEANS: Seven months after their crushing loss to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, the Jets began another Super Bowl quest Monday night. Rex Ryan’s cast of characters hasn’t changed much since then and, despite a loss to the Texans, there were enough positives to make it a successful preseason opener. They should’ve pulled it out, but rookie reciever Michael Campbell dropped a potential touchdown pass in the final minute.

ON THE MARK: After some spotty practice performances, quarterback Mark Sanchez (6-for-7, 43 yards) stepped up in prime time and was on point with every pass. His lone incompletion was a drop by backup tight end Matt Mulligan. With two starters missing from the offensive line, the Jets kept it conservative, calling only quick throws for Sanchez. But give him credit for his accuracy; that’s an area he’s working to improve. Sanchez was pulled after one quarter and, no, he didn’t want to fight Ryan to get back on the field.

KEY INJURY: The Jets lost backup center Rob Turner (lower leg) to a potentially serious injury. This injury won’t grab big headlines, but it’s costly because of Turner’s versatility. He can play center, guard, tight end and blocks in the wedge on kickoff returns. Turner, who started for the injured Nick Mangold, was carted off in the first quarter and replaced by third-stringer Robby Felix. Luckily for the Jets, Mangold should be back to practice this week.

THIN LINE: Just the other day, Ryan boasted that the Jets’ top seven offensive linemen are the best in the league. It’s not looking that way now. Not only is Turner out, but second-year lineman Vladimir Ducasse was awful.

Ducasse, who started for injured lineman Brandon Moore, allowed a sack at right guard and another at right tackle. The first sack came on the play in which Turner was injured; Ducasse’s failure to hold off defensive end J.J. Watt put Turner in a vulnerable position. Ducasse also got some work at left guard, where -- hooray -- he didn’t allow a sack.

If Turner’s injury is long term, the Jets will have to sign an experienced backup center. It’s a thin market. In fact, the best available center might be former Giant Shaun O’Hara.

THE PLAXICO VOID: The biggest story of the game -- Plaxico Burress -- wasn’t at the game. He was home, nursing an ankle injury and schmoozing with ESPN’s Mike Tirico in a phone interview during the fourth quarter. (In case you’re wondering, Burress reiterated that he expects to practice full on Wednesday.) Without Burress, the other new receiver, Derrick Mason, was in a prominent role. Mason caught all three passes thrown to him for 21 yards -- a solid debut, considering his lack of practice time with Sanchez.

THE ROOKIES: It was a nice start for the Jets’ draft class, especially nose tackle Kenrick Ellis (one batted pass), QB Greg McElroy (208 yards passing) and WR/KR Jeremy Kerley (32.5 average on kickoff returns). Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson started the game, but didn’t have any wow moments -- although he did have an offsides penalty. Running back Bilal Powell (nine carries, 25 yards) also played well and could push Joe McKnight for the No. 3 tailback job. McKnight left with a possible concussion.

KID QB: With backup QB Mark Brunell (finger) sitting out, McElroy played the second, third and fourth quarters, leading the offense to three field goals and a touchdown (2-yard scoring pass to Patrick Turner). McElroy lost a fumble on a strip sack, but he kept his composure and demonstrated some of the attributes that led the Jets to draft him in the seventh round -- smarts, poise and accuracy. Too bad he doesn’t have a gun.

WHAT A COMEBACK: Eight months removed from breaking his shin in a freak practice collision, safety Jim Leonhard was back on the field, back in the Jets’ starting lineup. It was a welcomed sight for the defense, which relies on Leonhard to make calls on the field.

INJURY WATCH: Linebacker Bart Scott hurt his left ankle/leg on the first play of the game. The replay looked bad, but he returned on the second series. He watched most of the second half with a huge wrap on his leg. Stay tuned.

INACTIVES: QB Mark Brunell, WR Plaxico Burress, C Nick Mangold, RG Brandon Moore, LB Brandon Long, G Trevor Canfield. The Texans played without RB Arian Foster and WR Andre Johnson, their offensive stars.

Jets chairman & CEO Woody Johnson, tight end Dustin Keller and guard Brandon Moore talk about being back in business.

» Best of NFC: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

As part of the Best of the NFL Week on ESPN.com, here are five bests for the AFC East:

Best hands, Davone Bess: Just to get a rise out of everybody, I could have gone with New York Jets receiver Braylon Edwards here. After all, he dropped only one ball last season on 98 targets and 53 receptions. But I couldn't bring myself to do it based on his track record. So I'm going with Bess, the Miami Dolphins' slot receiver, who drops one on occasion, but that's expected given his volume. The past two seasons, Bess has dropped 10 passes -- but on 233 targets and 155 receptions.

Best celebrator, Steve Johnson: The flamboyant receiver endeared himself to Buffalo Bills fans with his breakout 2010 season. He caught 82 passes for 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns. But his signature moment -- well, his positive signature moment -- came in Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He caught eight passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns. He further showed up the self-proclaimed "Batman and Robin" duo of Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. Johnson scored a TD and triumphantly lifted his jersey to reveal a T-shirt with a line from the Joker: "Why so serious?"

Best trash talker, Channing Crowder: Not many players would get into a verbal sparring match with an NFL coach, but the Dolphins linebacker gleefully engaged Rex Ryan two summers ago. Crowder's diatribes are enthralling, although sometimes dotted with malapropisms. After he accused Baltimore Ravens fullback Le'Ron McClain of spitting in his face, Crowder went on a rant that invoked Anne Frank when trying to mock officials for being blind. He meant Helen Keller.

Best nickname, Meat: That's what the Jets call right guard Brandon Moore. Why is it the best nickname? I don't know. Because it makes me laugh when I hear it, I guess. Maybe because it reminds me of the dialogue between Crash Davis and Nuke LaLoosh in "Bull Durham."

Best intimidator, Darrelle Revis: He's not a snarling, frothing menace on the other side of scrimmage. But when it comes to eliminating top receivers, Revis is the best in the business -- and the opposition knows it. He causes dread in coaches, quarterbacks and receivers the week they play the Jets.

ESPN.com's eight divisional bloggers were asked to name who we thought was the most underrated player on each team we cover. Our pieces ran Friday at noon, followed by senior writer John Clayton's league-wide All-Underrated squad.

None of the players I selected -- Buffalo Bills receiver Roscoe Parrish, Miami Dolphins defensive end Kendall Langford, New England Patriots linebacker Gary Guyton or New York Jets right guard Brandon Moore -- made Clayton's roster.

But Clayton did include one AFC East representative: Patriots right tackle Sebastian Vollmer.

I briefly considered Vollmer for my divisional piece, but I eliminated him because he was honored as a second-team All-Pro last year. In fact, I bypassed any player who had been selected All-Pro or for a Pro Bowl -- Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams, for example.

While Vollmer and Williams still might be thought of as underrated, being recognized among a handful of players at their positions does indicate they're highly thought of.

New York Jets left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson thought he had 750,000 reasons to show up to the team facility Tuesday.

In reality, he had none.

Ferguson, who will earn a $750,000 workout bonus for attending 85 percent of the Jets' offseason workouts, popped up in Florham Park, N.J., because the NFL lockout was lifted Monday. Ferguson found no workouts to be had. He told ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini he should be credited for his effort when it came time to calculate the bonus.

Ferguson was one of several players around the league who showed up at team facilities. Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery, guard Brandon Moore, defensive lineman Mike DeVito and linebackers Bart Scott and David Harris also appeared. Buffalo Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin dropped by One Bills Drive to find there was no reason to be there. Miami Dolphins cornerback Will Allen did the same in Davie, Fla.

Those players who showed up Tuesday came off looking naive or like they're seeking attention with a publicity stunt.

Prudent agents and NFL Players Association team representatives have advised their clients and teammates to stay away from facilities because there's no legitimate point.

Workout clauses are predicated on a percentage of sessions the team has scheduled. Conditioning programs haven't commenced. Therefore, players can't get credit for a workout attended or marked down for a workout missed.

"Just because we have a decision rendered in our favor, my mindset hasn't changed," Bills player rep George Wilson told Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan. "I'm still set on working out on my own. We knew that whoever didn't get the ruling in their favor was going to file an appeal. At the end of the day this is what I expected, and what we told all our guys."

New England Patriots rep Matt Light held a charity breakfast Tuesday morning and was in no rush to report to Gillette Stadium. Light advised his teammates to relax for now.

"What I've been telling the guys is 'Give it a little time,' " Light said. "Guys are wondering, 'Do I need to get on a plane today? How do I proceed?' I can't give them answers to all those things, but hopefully later on tonight I will have more of them."

Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork added: "I won't head to Foxborough until everything is over with. I don't think that is the right way [to do things] in this situation."

Sports labor squabbles often are described as billionaires arguing with millionaires over money.

While that's a catchy rhyme that sums up fan frustration, the phrase is not entirely true.

Inspired by a blog entry from the minister of all things AFC South, Paul Kuharsky, I looked at NFL Players Association files to count up the number of AFC East players scheduled for $1 million base salaries in 2011.

Granted, up-front bonuses and incentives can make base salaries misleading. But base salaries are the only figures that create a common ground, player for player.

You'll see a vast majority of NFL players make much less than $1 million a year. Although many will make seven figures before they walk away from the game, careers are short and treacherous. They'll never see that kind of cash again for the rest of their lives.

That's why they're fighting for every dollar now.

Of the 226 players under contract in the AFC East, only 62 of them (27.4 percent) will make base salaries of $1 million or more.

The NFLPA hasn't acknowledged any franchise tags that have been signed. Those players are marked with an asterisk and not factored into the totals.

Buffalo Bills

• Receiver Lee Evans, $3.275 million
• Cornerback Terrence McGee, $3.2 million
• Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, $3.195 million
• Defensive end Spencer Johnson, $3 million
• Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman, $2.75 million
• Defensive end Dwan Edwards, $2.6 million
• Center Geoff Hangartner, $2.55 million
• Outside linebacker Chris Kelsay, $2 million
• Running back Fred Jackson, $1.75 million
• Defensive lineman Kyle Williams, $1.75 million
• Kicker Rian Lindell, $1.45 million
• Punter Brian Moorman, $1.425 million
• Cornerback Reggie Corner, $1.2 million
• Receiver Steve Johnson, $1.2 million
• Safety Bryan Scott, $1.15 million
• Linebacker Andra Davis, $1.1 million
• Receiver Roscoe Parrish, $1.025 million
• Safety George Wilson, $1.025 million
• Cornerback Leodis McKelvin, $1 million

Base salaries of $1 million or more: 19

Players under contract: 54

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 35.2

Miami Dolphins

• Nose tackle Paul Soliai, $12.47 million*
• Tackle Jake Long, $11.2 million
• Receiver Brandon Marshall, $6.5 million
• Tackle Vernon Carey, $4.15 million
• Safety Yeremiah Bell, $3.7 million
• Defensive end Randy Starks, $3.625 million
• Inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, $2.7 million
• Inside linebacker Channing Crowder, $2.5 million
• Tight end Anthony Fasano, $1.9 million
• Cornerback Benny Sapp, $1.9 million
• Inside linebacker Tim Dobbins, $1.7 million
• Cornerback Will Allen, $1.5 million
• Safety Tyrone Culver, $1.25 million
• Fullback Lousaka Polite, $1.25 million
• Receiver Davone Bess, $1.013 million
• Kicker Dan Carpenter, $1.005 million

Base salaries of $1 million or more: 15

Players under contract: 55

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 27.3

New England Patriots

• Quarterback Tom Brady, $5.75 million
• Cornerback Leigh Bodden, $3.9 million
• Tackle Nick Kaczur, $3.4 million
• Defensive end Ty Warren, $3.1 million
• Center Dan Koppen, $2.9 million
• Safety James Sanders, $2.8 million
• Tight end Alge Crumpler, $2.4 million
• Outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, $2.3 million
• Receiver Deion Branch, $2.2 million
• Receiver Wes Welker, $2.15 million
• Kicker Stephen Gostkowski, $1.7 million
• Cornerback Jonathan Wilhite, $1.2 million
• Offensive lineman Dan Connolly, $1.025 million
• Inside linebacker Gary Guyton, $1 million

Base salaries of $1 million or more: 14

Players under contract: 60

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 23.3

New York Jets

• Quarterback Mark Sanchez, $14.75 million
• Inside linebacker David Harris, $10.1 million*
• Cornerback Darrelle Revis, $6 million
• Tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, $5.615 million
• Inside linebacker Bart Scott, $4.9 million
• Outside linebacker Calvin Pace, $3.855 million
• Outside linebacker Bryan Thomas, $3.2 million
• Guard Brandon Moore, $2.75 million
• Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, $2.425 million
• Center Nick Mangold, $2.26 million
• Defensive end Mike DeVito, $2.125 million
• Safety Jim Leonhard, $1.95 million
• Receiver Jerricho Cotchery, $1.8 million
• Defensive tackle Sione Pouha, $1.28 million
• Quarterback Mark Brunell, $1.25 million

Base salaries of $1 million or more: 14

Players under contract: 57

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 24.6

With the NFL's collective bargaining agreement hours from expiring, I thought it would be a good time to provide a rundown of the NFL Players Association representatives for each AFC East team.

These players essentially are the shop stewards, the 32 liaisons who are in closest contact with union executives and the ones responsible for keeping their teammates abreast on all developments.

Three of the four AFC East representatives are free agents, but that's not uncommon. In these cases, union responsibilities often are maintained until players have new teams or retire. Teams cannot sign or trade players until a new CBA is negotiated.

Buffalo Bills

Representative: Safety George Wilson. He's the only AFC East rep under contract, having re-signed Tuesday. Wilson is known as one of the hardest-working and classiest players in the game. The two-time captain entered the NFL in 2004 as a receiver and switched positions to stick around.

Alternates: Outside linebacker Chris Kelsay, punter Brian Moorman.

Miami Dolphins

Representative: Running back Ricky Williams. A running joke in the Dolphins' locker room is that Williams is a good choice because nobody has met with the commissioner more often than he has. Williams just completed his 10th season and is a free agent.

Alternates: Quarterback Chad Pennington, receiver Brandon Marshall, long-snapper John Denney.

New England Patriots

Representative: Left tackle Matt Light. He's one of the Patriots' most charitable and entertaining players. Light just finished his 10th NFL season and was chosen for his third Pro Bowl. He also is a free agent.

Alternates: Quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Alge Crumpler.

New York Jets

Representative: Fullback Tony Richardson. He has played 16 NFL seasons and also sits on the NFLPA's 11-man executive committee. He recently wrote an op-ed piece for the Huffington Post about the looming lockout.

Alternates: Right guard Brandon Moore, safety Jim Leonhard.

The New York Jets won't let a conference opponent cherry-pick their coaching staff for an offensive coordinator.

The Jets already have announced they're keeping Brian Schottenheimer around, and they've spurned a team's request to speak to another assistant about becoming a coordinator.

ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton reports the Tennessee Titans approached the Jets about offensive line coach Bill Callahan filling their coordinator vacancy. The Jets declined because Callahan is under contract.

Callahan has overseen one of the NFL's best offensive lines the past three seasons. The Jets feature All-Pro center Nick Mangold and Pro Bowl left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Right guard Brandon Moore and right tackle Damien Woody are highly respected in the league.

Clayton, citing an unnamed source, said Callahan would like to be a coordinator again to enhance his allure as a future head coach candidate. Callahan was Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator for four years before being promoted to head coach in 2002. He became the fourth first-year head coach to take his team to the Super Bowl.

Callahan lasted only two seasons in Oakland. He became head coach at Nebraska and introduced the West Coast offense to a traditional ground-and-pound program.

Jets quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh also has significant coordinator experience. He handled play-calling duties for the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens and the University of Pittsburgh.

In the event of a prolonged labor dispute, another potential problem that hadn't occurred to me would impact players like Wes Welker, Davone Bess and Danny Woodhead.

There will be an NFL draft in April, but there won't be free agency until a new collective bargaining agreement has been hammered out. NFL.com senior writer Steve Wyche points out that would prevent undrafted rookies from signing with teams.

Rosters are loaded with undrafted contributors, and that's plainly evident in the AFC East.

The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots were led in rushing by undrafted backs Fred Jackson, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Woodhead.

Rookie free agents are necessary to building a roster and maintaining a personnel budget. The Patriots have masterfully collected players nobody pegged worthy of a pick. In addition to the Patriots' top two running backs and wide receiver, right guard Stephen Neal, defensive end Mike Wright, linebacker Gary Guyton and cornerback Kyle Arrington fall in this category.

Even the New York Jets, who readily turn over their roster and pursue star veterans, have a few undrafted starters: right guard Brandon Moore, defensive lineman Mike DeVito, linebacker Bart Scott and safety Jim Leonhard.

Wyche astutely points out how important it is for these long-shot gems to get into a team's offseason conditioning program as quickly as possible, and that they generally make their way through special teams. With that in mind, Wyche writes, special-teams play "could actually be worse if those type of players can't get signed in time for a fairly lengthy offseason of work."

Reader input didn't make compiling the 2010 All-AFC East team a simple process.

Despite your tremendous response to help me assemble the quintessential roster, I had to make an executive decision, break a deadlock, defend one of my no-brainer selections and throw out some ballots because of shenanigans.

In the end, we have an All-AFC East squad everybody should be satisfied with.

We began the process a week ago, when I chose 10 players I believed were automatic. The other 17 positions were for you to vote upon. You didn't disappoint.

There were some great races, most notably at left tackle and nose tackle.

As with any voting process on the AFC East blog, I always can be convinced to move from a stance. My instructions were to vote for one nose tackle for a 3-4 scheme with emphasis that New England Patriots keystone Vince Wilfork and Buffalo Bills standout Kyle Williams must be considered nose tackles because that's how each team identifies him.

But enough readers made the case that Wilfork and Williams played elsewhere along the line so frequently that they should be eligible for some quasi position. I do appreciate the point.

The Patriots' official game-by-game player participation record says Wilfork started eight games at defensive end. Williams started every game at nose tackle (12) or defensive tackle (four).

I decided to add Wilfork and Williams as "defensive tackles" on a defensive front with New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis, who received an avalanche of votes. But I didn't want to slight the No. 2 defensive end, Kendall Langford of the Miami Dolphins. Langford received a healthy number of votes. Too many to dismiss.

That left me with a dilemma: How can I honor four defensive linemen and still maintain a 3-4 alignment? I took the easy way out. I added a 12th defender. I'm not thrilled with my final decision, but it's an appropriate way to give proper credit where it's due.

On the other side of scrimmage, Dolphins left tackle Jake Long and Jets left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson finished in a tie, forcing me to make the call. Each was selected to be a Pro Bowl starter. Long was voted All-Pro.

I chose Long. He played hurt for much of the season. He slipped on plays here or there, but he mostly remained dominant.

A few readers took me to task for my coronation of Dolphins punter Brandon Fields without allowing a vote because Jets punter Steve Weatherford had a great season. Weatherford tied an NFL record with 42 punts inside the 20-yard line. He was impressive.

But I found Fields more remarkable this year. He ranked fourth with a 46.2-yard average (3.6 yards longer than Weatherford). Fields' net average of 37.8 yards was only 0.3 yards shorter than Weatherford's, but the Dolphins were atrocious on special-teams protection and coverage. They fired their special-teams coordinator after Week 4. Fields had two punts blocked and one returned for a touchdown.

The Jets have venerable special-teams coach Mike Westhoff and sensational coverage men, as illustrated by four Jets receiving at least two votes for the special-teams position on the All-AFC East team.

And it's not often a punter is MVP of a game, but Fields certainly was against the Jets in Week 14.

There were some surprises in the balloting.

Bills receiver Steve Johnson ran away with one of the two available spots, but I didn't expect Santonio Holmes to take the other one so handily over teammate Braylon Edwards or Patriots star Wes Welker.

I assumed Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski would win, but in a close race, especially with the possibility of splitting votes with teammate Aaron Hernandez. Gronkowski crushed everyone else. He had four times as many votes as his closest competition, Dustin Keller of the Jets.

Bills linebacker Arthur Moats finished a distant second to Calvin Pace. But I found it amusing that almost every time a vote came in for him, the reader stipulated it was because Moats injured Brett Favre.

Patriots rookie Devin McCourty had six times as many votes as Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis for the position opposite Jets star Darrelle Revis. Antonio Cromartie wasn't remotely in the race.

The most balanced voting happened at the safety positions. Patriots strong safety Brandon Meriweather edged out Jim Leonhard of the Jets, with Donte Whitner of the Bills closely behind in third.

Bills free safety Jairus Byrd, a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2009, accumulated just 14 more votes than Patrick Chung of the Patriots.

The special-teams race was fun to track. Thirteen players received at least one vote, with Jets hitter Eric Smith barely beating teammate James Ihedigbo and Bills fullback Corey McIntyre.

» NFC Pro Bowl: East | West | North | South » AFC Pro Bowl: East | West | North | South

Perfect sense: Nobody can argue with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady starting for the AFC. He's setting efficiency records and is the frontrunner for league MVP. Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Cameron Wake was named a starter. He broke out in his second NFL season and leads the league with 14 sacks. Dolphins left tackle Jake Long will start at left tackle, making it three Pro Bowls in three seasons for him.

New York Jets center Nick Mangold, an All-Pro last year, will start. It is also good to see Jets left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson chosen. I feared Ferguson would get overshadowed at such a loaded position. The AFC East placed four offensive linemen -- three starters -- on the squad.

Made it on rep: The biggest surprise for me was Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather. He regressed from last year's Pro Bowl season. He actually lost his job as the starter for a couple weeks in September and might not have started in Week 14 because coaches were unhappy with him. Patriots left guard Logan Mankins didn't play until last month because of a contract squabble, but he was named a starter anyway because he has been phenomenal from the moment he took the field. He deserves to be in the Pro Bowl, but I didn't expect him to be voted a starter. Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis is another player who slipped significantly since last year's All-Pro season, but he was voted a starter.

Got robbed: While "robbed" might be too harsh of a word, the Buffalo Bills' defensive tackle Kyle Williams did have a campaign that was worthy of the Pro Bowl in a vacuum. But there was no way he was going to make the AFC roster ahead of Patriots star Vince Wilfork or Baltimore Ravens behemoth Haloti Ngata. Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour got the third spot. Williams has been dominant when it comes to getting into the backfield, but stopping the run is the primary responsibility for a nose tackle, and the Bills have the NFL's worst run defense. Williams still has the chance to go as an alternate. Jets guard Brandon Moore is another player who deserved recognition but couldn't crack a talented group. Jets kickoff returner Brad Smith has a 28.6-yard average and two touchdowns, but he couldn't beat out Tennessee Titans return ace Marc Mariani, who has scored kickoff and punt return touchdowns. He's the only player to do that so far this season.

Click here for the complete Pro Bowl list.

PITTSBURGH -- There's a faint line between counterfeits and contenders.

For the past two weeks, the New York Jets appeared to be posers. No team had a better record at the end of November. Then a pair of unsettling defeats and a sideline controversy knocked the Jets catawampus.

Faster than you could say "Rich Kotite," the Jets went from cruising along to crisis time.

"People thought we were falling off and we were frauds," Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis said. "In the end, we just put it behind us amid everything that was going on."

The Jets returned to the contender ranks Sunday with a gritty 22-17 triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers at snow-blown Heinz Field. The Jets are all but in the playoffs with their 10th victory and two games left.

So much went well for the Jets (10-4), their performance practically was a mind-eraser of the past two weeks.

Beleaguered offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer called an effective game against the NFL's fourth-rated defense. The Jets' struggling ground attack frequently came through. Tormented quarterback Mark Sanchez was sharp and efficient, leading the Jets to their first offensive touchdown in 12 quarters. Their scandalous special teams produced a touchdown on the first play. Their defense denied Ben Roethlisberger on the final drive.

"You guys get tired of [hearing] it, and I don't care," Jets head coach Rex Ryan said. "This football team is resilient. We had some adversity, obviously, that we were dealing with. But our team responded.

"Same old Jets came down to Pittsburgh and got a win."

Ryan's snarky comment was a swipe at the familiar refrain crestfallen Jets fans have heard and recited over the years. Just when you think they're about to do something special ...

Obviously, these weren't those same old Jets, who never had won a game in the state of Pennsylvania -- let alone at Pittsburgh (10-4) -- in franchise history.

Had the Jets lost in Pittsburgh, however, the mad descent would have gained exponential velocity. The Jets would've taken a three-game skid into next week's game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. They would have been dreading the possibility of needing to beat the Buffalo Bills in the regular-season finale to get into the playoffs.

Athletes aren't supposed to think in those terms. They're trained to compartmentalize -- forget the last result, concentrate on the upcoming game, don't think beyond that.

But they're human beings. The Jets' minds were drifting into dark places.

"It's natural," Ellis said. "We don't want to go down that road."

Instead, the Jets pulled a U-turn.

They were reeling after a pair of appalling defeats to division opponents. The New England Patriots plastered them 45-3 in Week 14. The Miami Dolphins beat them 10-6 at the Meadowlands in Week 15 -- the Jets' third game without a touchdown in their new $1.6 billion stadium.

Then there was the spectacle created by strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi's sideline scandal. The Jets were visited by NFL officials for the third time this season, perhaps a league-leading stat, because Alosi formed a cordon and tripped Dolphins gunner Nolan Carroll. But how much did special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff know? And when did he know it?

"There were so many reasons," said Jets outside linebacker Jason Taylor, "why we needed to get back to winning."

Brad Smith gave the Jets a jolt when he returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. That certainly helped ease the tension.

In retrospect, maybe the Alosi headlines took some of the pressure off Sanchez and Schottenheimer.

Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery marveled at the offense Sunday. He said he and right guard Brandon Moore at one point locked eyes in the huddle, amazed at the calls Schottenheimer was making and the personnel packages he was inserting. There was a palpable rhythm to the offense, Cotchery noted.

"It was the 'Six and Schotty Show,' " Cotchery said. Sanchez wears No. 6.

Sanchez completed 19 of his 29 attempts for 170 yards -- modest numbers. But he ran a bootleg into the end zone from 7 yards out and oversaw an offense that didn't commit a turnover.

Sanchez connected with Braylon Edwards eight times for 100 yards, including a 38-yard strike up the right sideline to set up a Nick Folk field goal in the second quarter.

LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene combined for 89 yards on 23 carries, which was enough to keep the Steelers' top-rated run defense honest. The Steelers had allowed a measly 60.1 rushing yards a game entering Sunday.

Sanchez completed six of his seven play-action passes for 84 yards.

"That's about as gutsy a performance as you'll find," Ryan said of Sanchez. "He was absolutely outstanding. I knew he would respond. He's tougher than nails."

The Jets boarded their charter flight back to New Jersey in a much better mood than they've gone home the past two weeks. Their burden has eased considerably. That prized ticket to the AFC tournament is within their reach.

The Jets, for this week, are contenders again.

"It was damn near a must win for us," Ellis said. "It's great to pull this game out.

"But who knows what happens next?"

Last weekend, Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder said something unbelievable.

What else is new, right?

Crowder made a surprising claim that sent Cameron Wake to the Internet. Wake logged onto NFL.com and clicked on the stats page.

"I actually checked," Wake said, "and there my picture was."

Wake saw his own face staring back at him. The photo accompanies the list of sacks leaders. He didn't know he was on top until Crowder informed him.

All at once, Wake's long, bizarre football journey reached another milestone in just his second NFL season.

The undrafted player who couldn't get invited to training camp as a rookie, who spent two years working as a mortgage agent and a fitness trainer, who underwent a name change along the way, who went to play in the Canadian Football League and then who, once making it to the NFL, got ripped by a star teammate for not being good enough, leads the league with 14 sacks.

"It just ... It's hard to explain in words what it means," said Wake, "coming from a guy literally sitting on the couch and watching games on Sunday and believing in the deepest part of your heart 'I can play this game and need an opportunity.'

"I thank the stars and my angels every day the Miami Dolphins gave that opportunity. Every time I step on that field I treat it as a blessing."

He has been an impact outside linebacker all season. Wake recorded sacks on two of the New York Jets' final three plays to close out a 10-6 victory Sunday at the Meadowlands. He forced a fumble on the first sack, but Jets guard Brandon Moore recovered.

Wake's certainly headed for his first Pro Bowl and will be considered for the NFL's defensive player of the year.

"He might actually be the best option for defensive player of the year," Scouts Inc. analyst Matt Williamson said. "Some of the other top guys like Trent Cole and Clay Matthews have slowed down, but Wake continues to get better."

Wake will have a great opportunity to pad his sack total Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. He collects a majority of his sacks from the offense's right, and that side of the Bills' line has been caved in.

"He is very, very quick, and he's relentless," Bills head coach Chan Gailey said. "He has a good feel for it. He understands when he has leverage on a tackle, whether it's underneath the leverage or outside leverage. He's able to take advantage of it."

Wake turns 29 years old next month. That means he's entering his prime, but in many ways he's still in the developmental stage because of his strange but inspiring path to the NFL.

He went by the name Derek Wake when he was a linebacker and a captain at Penn State, aka Linebacker U.

But he wasn't much of a pro prospect despite raw athleticism. Nobody drafted him in 2005. The New York Giants signed Wake as a rookie free agent to play 4-3 stack linebacker. After one set of organized team activities in shorts, the Giants cut him.

Bill Sheridan, the Giants' linebackers coach at the time, can laugh (a little) about their gross misjudgment. Sheridan is Wake's position coach with the Dolphins now.

"I bet we never got to see him do one pass rush in that entire OTA," Sheridan said of Wake's brief look with the Giants. "We were trying to teach him how to play linebacker and pass drop. He never had a chance to demonstrate any of this.

"Obviously in hindsight that was very foolish on our part because we let him go."

You know who looks really foolish these days? Joey Porter.

Porter went on a media rampage the week before the Super Bowl 10 months ago, ripping into the Dolphins' organization for daring to give Wake some situational snaps last year ahead of him and Jason Taylor.

The Dolphins had no choice but to dump the inflammatory Porter. He eventually signed with the Arizona Cardinals and is tied for 38th in the NFL with five sacks. Taylor is tied for 55th with four sacks.

"If I got a dollar for all the naysayers and doubters that I've encountered in the last two, three years, I'd be a very, very wealthy man," Wake said. "I've had people that claim to be close to you, claim to be your friends, your family, coaches, teammates, everybody at some point all along the line has had something to say.

"But at the end of the day I had to stick to my goal, stick to my dream. I didn't really care if Joey Porter or anybody else said I couldn't do it. It was about me and going out there and saying 'I believe I can' and going out there and showing everybody I can."

The Dolphins certainly feel vindicated in their decision to catapult Porter from the roster.

They took a gamble with the swap. Wake was an unproven NFL commodity, while Porter led the Dolphins in sacks the previous two seasons. In 2008, Porter topped the AFC with 17.5 sacks.

"When you make a move like that and you move out veteran players and you put a guy into the lineup that obviously hasn't played a lot," Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano said, "from a coaching standpoint, it's always good to see him validate your convictions.

"We were just convinced the more than Cameron would play the better he would get. We just felt getting a young player in there with that kind of energy and athleticism was the right thing to do."

Wake arrived in Miami as a project, but an intriguing one. He was a superstar pass-rusher in two Canadian Football League seasons with the BC Lions, amassing 39 sacks and earning its defensive player of the year award both times. The Dolphins outbid the Bills, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos for his services, giving him a five-year deal that was the richest in CFL-to-NFL history.

"Ability-wise, there aren't going to be too many guys in the league more blessed than Cam," Sheridan said. "But he can be a more dominant player on a down-in, down-out basis."

Wake's run-stopping and pass-coverage skills remain, as Sparano said, "a work in progress." But Sparano also said Wake's development in those areas "has been really remarkable."

That's why Wake can't be considered a situational player. He is an every-down player on the NFL's fifth-ranked defense.

"He is exceptional," Williamson said. "His run defense was a big problem before this season, but he has corrected that. And he is a stud pass-rusher. He turns speed into power very effectively, has a nice array of moves and is very quick and agile while also consistently hustling to the whistle. He's a real handful."

On a weekly basis, the NFL is discovering just that.

Even if he wasn't aware how great his sack numbers were until Crowder told him, Wake is showing how -- all along -- he knew more about himself than a lot of others assumed.

He can do this.

"It's been a crazy road, a long road," Wake said. "I just enjoy playing football and living the dream."