The NFL announced two starting Pro Bowl selections for the Chargers on Tuesday: defensive end Joey Bosa, who led AFC defenders in voting, and wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Joey Bosa
Bosa earned his second Pro Bowl nod in four seasons, ranking second in the AFC with 10.5 sacks.
"Physically, he knows he has the ability," Bolts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said of Bosa. "He's constantly working at his craft...Sometimes, if things aren't going quite his way, just the growth that he has had in that aspect, I think, has been tremendous. That's something that he has taken a lot of pride in."
Bradley says that it would be difficult to play without the defensive end, "because he's a guy that impacts the game and elevates everybody around him."
With 60 total tackles, Bosa places third among all defensive ends in the NFL and second among AFC players at his position. The Ohio State product has also contributed 16 tackles for loss, 25 quarterback hits and a forced fumble.
Bradley added that he hadn't thought about Bosa's age until being asked about it Thursday and sees room for growth in the 24-year-old's game.
"He's just got so much ability," Bradley said. "I think, when we tie this whole thing together and get it to where it really looks like where we want it to be, I think he'll be even more effective. I'm sure that there are things that we'll look at on film and see things that he can get better at."
Bradley also praised Bosa's consistency and reliability.
"He really has the consistency that he has played with week-in and week-out," Bradley said. "You know exactly what you're getting from him. As a coach, you say, 'Alright, that's no longer a concern. This is what we need him to do,' and then he can focus on other things. You can have a tendency to kind of under-appreciate there if you don't stop and think about it."
Keenan Allen
Allen will be making his third consecutive trip to Orlando in 2020, having caught 90 passes for 1,046 yards and five touchdowns through Week 15. The former Cal Golden Bear ranks fifth in receptions this season and is tied for sixth in targets.
"He's a very talented player, but the thing that makes him special is that he works at it every day," Chargers offensive coordinator Shane Steichen said of Allen. "He comes to work every day and you can see it with his preparation, how he goes about practice. He practices hard and then it shows up in the games."
Steichen added that Allen is "a very unselfish player (who) blocks like heck."
"Some games you see that he has five catches and other games, he has 12," Steichen said. "That's just the player that he is. He works and he wants to win. He's very detailed in his route-running. He's a heck of a player."
Pro Bowl Alternates
Defensive end Melvin Ingram was named a Pro Bowl alternate Tuesday, while Derek Watt received the same recognition at special teams and was selected as a second alternate at fullback.
