For some players in the NFL, the Christmas Season will extend way past Dec. 25th. Today at 8:00 PM CT, the NFL will announce the “official” 2014 Pro Bowl rosters, handing out invitations to Hawaii for the top players at each position. While some fans will not care too much about this announcement, with their teams still fighting to get into the playoffs, fans of teams who are on the outside looking in will count these nominates as a mini-Super Bowl. For the St. Louis Rams, who haven’t seen golden horns in Hawaii since Steven Jackson back in 2010, the excitement is that much greater, with a handful of players likely to get the nod…

One of those players will likely be newly-acquired offensive tackle, Jake Long. Long is currently ranked as the No.6 overall tackle in the NFL this season, ranking No.1 overall as a run blocker. When the St. Louis Rams “switched” their offensive philosophy to ground-and-pound after Week 4, Jake Long led the pack, helping pave the way for Zac Stacy to nearly reach 1,000 yards with this season, despite missing the opening quarter of the year. Sadly, Long will not be able to participate in the Pro Bowl this season, after tearing his ACL and MCL against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday. However, regardless of whether or not he takes the trip, Long truly has earned the honor of being called a “Pro Bowler” this season!

The other player that will undoubtedly get an invitation to the Pro Bowl is defensive end, Robert Quinn. The third-year star is currently graded as the second-best player in the NFL this season, according to Pro Football Focus, easily sitting atop the 4-3 defensive ends. Quinn also holds the lead in the race for the first annual Deacon Jones award, given to the player with the most sacks at the end of the season. His 18 sacks, 21 hits on the quarterbacks, 50 hurries, and 42 defensive stops have not only earned him a likely spot in the Pro Bowl, but have made him the likely front-runner in the race for Defensive Player of the Year this season. If the cards fall in his favor, Robert Quinn could be the first player ever to 1) be invited to the Pro Bowl, 2) win the Deacon Jones award, 3) earn a spot on the AP 1st-team All Pro squad, and 4) be selected as the Defensive Player of the Year. That would certainly be something for Rams fans to savor all offseason…