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Three members of the New Orleans Saints 2010 team have been named to the NFC Pro Bowl squad. QB Drew Brees, G Jahri Evans and G Carl Nicks were voted by a combination of fan, player and coaches balloting. The Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. Teams that earn a berth into the Super Bowl will not be sending players to play in the contest.

Brees has been selected to appear in his fifth Pro Bowl, his fourth as a Saint. The only Saints quarterback to be selected to the all-star game more than twice, Brees is the eighth player in franchise history to be selected at least four times. He’s led the Saints to an 11-4 record and their second straight playoff berth. Of the 11 wins, Brees has led the Saints to victory from a deficit or tie in the fourth quarter for five of them. He’s completed 426-of-620 passes (68.7%) for 4,424 yards with 32 touchdowns, 21 interceptions and a 92.2 passer rating.

Brees is currently ranked first in the NFL in completions and with 15 more in the season finale vs. Tampa Bay on Sunday, he would break the NFL record of 440 he previously set in 2007. He’s ranked second in completion percentage, yardage and touchdown passes.

Evans has been named to the squad for the second consecutive year and was selected as a starter. He’s started all 79 games on the Saints offensive line, since being selected in the NFL Draft out of Bloomsburg in 2006, the second-longest streak by a Saint to start a career. During this time, the Saints offense has been ranked first in yards per game three of the last four years. During this period, the line has surrendered only 95 sacks, the second-fewest in the NFL. Evans is the only guard in franchise history to be named to the all-star game twice.

Nicks is a three-year NFL veteran, who was chosen by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft out of Nebraska. Nicks has opened every contest since the fourth of his rookie year and has combined with Evans for one of the NFL’s top interior combinations.

In 2010, Evans and Nicks have blocked for an offense that is ranked sixth in the NFL in yardage, second in passing yards per game. The line has surrendered only 23 sacks, the fourth-lowest total in the NFL. This is the first time that a Saints guard tandem has been selected to the Pro Bowl the same year.

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