Putting “Giants linebacker’’ and “Pro Bowl’’ in the same sentence is not common practice. Watching the Giants play this season, there was no reason to believe there would be a connection this year but, lo and behold, Olivier Vernon on Thursday was named to the NFC Pro Bowl team as a replacement for the Bears’ Khalil Mack, who is injured and unable to participate.
Vernon, moved this season from defensive end to linebacker in coordinator James Bettcher’s 3-4 front, put in a season that frustrated the vast majority of Giants fans. He missed the first five games with a high ankle sprain and started the last 11 games.