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Tennessee’s Chris Johnson ran for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, proving to be the game-winner in the 40th edition of the Pro Bowl, as the AFC downed the NFC, 41-34 in Miami.
Miami, FL (Sports Network) – Tennessee’s Chris Johnson ran for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, proving to be the game-winner in the 40th edition of the Pro Bowl, as the AFC downed the NFC, 41-34, at Sun Life Stadium.
The 2010 version of the NFL’s annual showcase game was played a week prior to the Super Bowl as opposed to its accustomed time slot the week after. As a result, no members of the Colts or Saints, who will meet in Super Bowl XLIV at the same site next Sunday, were able to participate.
Many of those players were on the sideline to watch Houston’s Matt Schaub get the AFC out to a fast start with touchdown passes to Texans teammate Andre Johnson and Denver’s Brandon Marshall.
Schaub finished with 189 yards on 13-of-17 attempts and took home the MVP award.
San Diego’s Vincent Jackson caught seven passes for 122 yards with a TD from Jacksonville’s David Garrard, who ended with 183 yards on 8-of-14 attempts and handed off to Jaguars teammate Maurice Jones-Drew for a rushing score.
Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay threw for 197 yards and two TDs on 15-of-19 attempts for the NFC, which had won the previous two installments of this contest. DeSean Jackson of Philadelphia caught a pair of touchdowns and had 101 yards on six receptions in defeat.
Chris Johnson’s two-yard score capped a rare lengthy drive that covered 76 yards in 11 plays to put the AFC up 41-34 with 5:59 left in the game.
Pittsburgh’s James Harrison, who had an interception return for a touchdown called back earlier in the game due to a penalty, picked off Dallas’ Tony Romo deep in AFC territory on the ensuing drive, and the AFC ran out the clock to secure the win.
A Schaub-to-Andre Johnson 33-yard hookup opened the scoring just over three minutes into the game.
Philadelphia’s David Akers put the NFC on the board with a 47-yard field goal, and Marshall hauled in a 23-yard score for a 14-3 lead with seven minutes left in the opening stanza.
Rogers then threw a 48-yard bomb to New York’s Steve Smith near the end of the first and hit DeSean Jackson with a screen pass that the speedster turned into a seven-yard touchdown 3:37 into the second.
Dan Carpenter of Miami finished off the first-half scoring with a 30-yard field goal, tying the game, 17-17.
On the second play from scrimmage out of the break, DeSean Jackson took a quick screen from his everyday quarterback, Donovan McNabb, and raced 58 yards for a touchdown.
Vincent Jackson’s 48-yard TD grab just 51 seconds later tied things again.
Shortly after Denver’s Brian Dawkins picked off McNabb on the next possession, Jones-Drew went in from four yards out. Carpenter’s 26-yard field goal with 5:09 left in the third made it a 34-24 contest.
Carolina’s DeAngelo Williams ran for a seven-yard score to cut into the deficit four minutes later, and Akers booted a 39-yard early in the fourth quarter to tie the game.
Game Notes
The all-time series between the AFC and NFC is now tied, 20-20…This year’s version of the Pro Bowl was played outside out Honolulu, Hawaii for the first time in 31 years. The game is slated to return there for the 2010 and 2011 seasons…Baltimore’s Ray Rice led the AFC in rushing with 42 yards on seven carries, while McNabb led the other side with 26 yards on four carries and threw for 78 yards on 3-of-10 throws…Romo ended with 154 yards on 13-of-18 attempts, while Tennessee’s Vince Young had 47 yards on 6-of-12 tosses for the AFC, which outgained its opponent, 517-470.
It’s late January and the best player in the NFL is…Matt Schaub?
Not really, but, Schaub played quite the game Sunday night as his AFC team defeated the NFC 41-34 in the Pro Bowl. Schaub finished the game with a perfect passer rating, 158.3 and was 12 of 16 for 187 yards.
Some people said that Schaub would one day lead a team to victory late in January, and it turns out, they were right. Specifics be damned.
What happens when you put a (very) fast player on the field against a team that really has no interest in playing defense or tackling? You get DeSean Jackson taking a bubble screen for a 58-yard touchdown against the AFC in the Pro Bowl.
My impression of the safeties on that play: "I mean, I guess I could tackle him. He is RIGHT there, after all. I can literally reach out and touch him ... but ... eh, we're already at the 15-yard line. He'll probably score anyways. Might as well just let him go."
The Super Bowl booked five-time Grammy winner Carrie Underwood to sing the National Anthem, an artist so big that she has her own Wiki page just to list all of her awards she. The Pro Bowl, meanwhile, got something named Honor Society, a group known for its "Pinkberry Parkinglot Parties." So, yeah. Oh, and their debut album is called Fashionably Late, because, you know, they're looking good, but they might be like five minutes meeting you at Jamba Juice. So edgy!
With kickoff just MOMENTS away, here's your quick cheat sheet:
Game Threads: From both Big Cat Country and Big Blue View, SB Nation blogs who are on the ground in Miami
When: NOW!
Network: ESPN ("THIS GUY is just having FUN playing FOOTBALL here at the RPO BOWL!")
Stadium: Newly renamed Sun Life Stadium. No more Land Shark.
Winner gets: Respect from his peers. Just kidding -- they get some money
Loser gets: Mocked by his peers (and less money than the winners)
Players skipping the game: 30
Feel the excitement!
Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that two of the running backs who did make the AFC Pro Bowl roster -- Chris Johnson and Ray Rice -- are certainly more deserving of a spot than Jamaal Charles, and a strong argument can be made that Maurice Jones-Drew is also more deserving. And regardless, Charles has shoulder issues that would have prevented him from going anyway.
The man turned 190 carries into 1,120 yards in 2009, good for 5.9 yards per carry. He also performed double duty as the Chiefs' kick returner, and finished 10th in the league in average yards per return. The guy is an absolute delight to watch, as he's among the very fastest running backs in the league. He's the sort of offensive spark plug that the Chiefs haven't seen since circa-2003 Dante Hall. During the season, it seemed as though Arrowhead Pride was singing his praises in every other post.
I do think it's kind of a shame that not a single Kansas City Chief is being represented. Couldn't they have given Chiefs fans a token appearance out of pity? Maybe put Brodie Croyle in at left guard? I would pay money to see that.
Ed Valentine, our Giants blogger from Big Blue View, is on location at the Pro Bowl in Miami. He passes this hilarious bit of schadenfreude along to us:
Don't think I mentioned it yesterday, but I did see one thing during Saturday's walk-through that made me laugh. Dallas QB Tony Romo actually threw an interception to Asante Samuel during the walk-through (how does that happen?), and the surprised Samuel quickly got rid of the ball, like it was a hot potato.
I get the impression that Tony Romo also throws interceptions while brushing his teeth, making spaghetti, riding a bicycle, or doing any number of things. He is always throwing interceptions all the time.
While Viking tackle Bryant McKinnie’s abrupt dismissal from the Pro Bowl for clubbing-and-tweeting-while-possibly-injured is the perfect capstone of players not partcipating in the actual game, there are some less hilarious consequences to his actions, as SB Nation’s Big Blue View explains:
Bryant McKinnie’s disrespect of and dismissal from the Pro Bowl, means Diehl and and Philly’s Jason Peters are the only tackles on the NFC roster.
So Diehl will be playing the entire game. At right tackle, where he lined up during Saturday’s ridiculously silly walk-through. Unless, of course, one of the other linemen volunteers to take a few snaps at a completely unfamiliar position.
Diehl can’t be thrilled about that. Nor, I would imagine, can anyone in the Giants organization.
For continuing coverage of the Pro Bowl, check out SB Nation’s Big Blue View and Big Cat Country, who will be sharing their thoughts and observations from the game in Miami.
As our own Dave Halprin wondered this week: can the Pro Bowl be fixed? It has never been as relevant as, say, baseball's All-Star Game. Our Ravens blog, Baltimore Beatdown, explores why.
With the new version of pro football's version of their All-Star Game, there have been so many additions and deletions that you'll definitely need a program to figure out who some of the guys are on the field today. For the first time, the game is being played the week before the Super Bowl, and in Miami rather than Hawaii no less. While both decisions are not popular with the players, the fans must approve as they will be attending in record numbers, which certainly makes the league happy.
It's nowhere near the incentive for the players to get rewarded with an all-expenses paid trip to South Florida compared to the same to Hawaii. However, many are able to have more friends and fans watch them play.
That is, if they decide to play.
Click through to read the rest.
If we were to name a Mr. Irrelevant out of this year's Pro Bowl rosters, there is no question that it would have to be Jon Condo.
Yes, Jon Condo. I realize that it sounds like a completely made-up name, perhaps from an action movie script written by an earnest 13-year-old, but Jon Condo is real. He is, in fact, the long snapper for the Oakland Raiders, and he is so ding-dang good at long snapping that the AFC has decided to fly him to Miami.
From here forth, I decree that whenever Jon Condo is mentioned on SB Nation, he must be referred to as "Jon Condo, Football Legend." If you ever see him referred to as simply "Jon Condo," please send me an email. The offending parties will be dealt with accordingly.
Players pulling out of the Pro Bowl with dubious injuries is nothing new. It’s how we end up with, let’s say, less than scintillating game rosters.
But Vikings’ left tackle Bryant McKinnie has blazed a new path for Pro Bowl players not participating in the actual game: he has been kicked off the NFC team. SB Nation’s The Daily Norseman explains:
[McKinnie was kicked off after he] had been tweeting about clubbing when he should have been practicing with his NFC counterparts. Not that there’s anything wrong with enjoying oneself after a tough week, but the puzzling part is why McKinnie didn’t provide earlier notice that he was physically unable to play.
McKinnie has taken to tweeting his side of the story, saying that while he certainly was enjoying the night life on South Beach, he was also hurt and had informed the NFC trainer as of much.
While the NFL league office has expressed its displeasure at McKinnie for making the Pro Bowl to appear to be even more farcical than it already is, I think there’s a simpler explanation. McKinnie probably thought he was excused from the game like everyone else playing in the Super Bowl…Oh wait, that’s right. Never mind.
Here are the AFC and NFC Pro Bowl rosters, in entirety. Roll the credits!
AFC
Quarterbacks
Matt Schaub, Houston
Vince Young, Tennessee
David Garrard, Jacksonville
Running backs
Chris Johnson, Tennessee
Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
Ray Rice, Baltimore
Fullback
Le'Ron McClain, Baltimore
Wide receivers
Andre Johnson, Houston
Brandon Marshall, Denver
Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati
Vincent Jackson, San Diego
Tight ends
Antonio Gates, San Diego
Heath Miller, Pittsburgh
Tackles
Ryan Clady, Denver
Joe Thomas, Cleveland
D'Brickashaw Ferguson, New York Jets
Guards
Logan Mankins, New England
Alan Faneca, New York Jets
Kris Dielman, San Diego
Centers
Nick Mangold, New York Jets
Kevin Mawae, Tennessee
Defensive ends
Mario Williams, Houston
Kyle Vanden Bosch, Tennessee
Shaun Ellis, New York Jets
Interior linemen
Haloti Ngata, Baltimore
Vince Wilfork, New England
Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh
Outside linebacker
Elvis Dumervil, Denver
James Harrison, Pittsburgh
LeMarr Woodley, Pittsburgh
Inside/middle linebackers
Ray Lewis, Baltimore
DeMeco Ryans, Houston
Cornerbacks
Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland
Champ Bailey, Denver
Free safeties
Ed Reed, Baltimore
Brandon Meriweather, New England
Strong safeties
Brian Dawkins, Denver
Yeremiah Bell, Miami
Punter
Shane Lechler, Oakland
Placekicker
Dan Carpenter, Miami
Kick returner
Josh Cribbs, Cleveland
Special teamer
Kassim Osgood, San Diego
Long snapper
Jon Condo, Oakland
NFC
Quarterbacks
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia
Tony Romo, Dallas
Running backs
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
Frank Gore, San Francisco
Fullback
Leonard Weaver, Philadelphia
Wide receivers
DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
Miles Austin, Dallas
Steve Smith, New York Giants
Roddy White, Atlanta
Tight ends
Vernon Davis, San Francisco
Jason Witten, Dallas
Tackles
Jason Peters, Philadelphia
David Diehl, New York Giants
Guards
Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota
Leonard Davis, Dallas
Chris Snee, New York Giants
Centers
Shaun O'Hara, New York Giants
Ryan Kalil, Carolina
Defensive ends
Jared Allen, Minnesota
Julius Peppers, Carolina
Trent Cole, Philadelphia
Interior linemen
Darnell Docket, Arizona
Jay Ratliff, Dallas
Justin Smith, San Francisco
Outside linebackers
DeMarcus Ware, Dallas
Brian Orakpo, Washington
Clay Matthews, Green Bay
Inside/middle linebackers
London Fletcher, Washington
Jon Beason, Carolina
Cornerbacks
Asante Samuel, Philadelphia
Terence Newman, Dallas
Mike Jenkins, Dallas
Free safeties
Nick Collins, Green Bay
Antrel Rolle, Arizona
Strong safeties
Adrian Wilson, Arizona
Quintin Mikell, Philadelphia
Punter
Andy Lee, San Francisco
Placekicker
David Akers, Philadelphia
Kick returner
Johnny Knox, Chicago
Special teamer
Heath Farwell, Minnesota
Long snapper
John Darenbos, Philadelphia
Here's the schedule for Sunday's Pro Bowl festivities in Miami:
2:00 P.M. Eastern -- Jared Allen chases floating balloon, ends up in bad part of town
2:30 -- Elvis Dumervil eats a hot dog so big that you would not believe how big it is
3:00 (approx.) -- Our Pro Bowl coverage starts, courtesy of our Giants blogger and Jaguars blogger
4:00 -- Limousine to Sun Life Stadium gets a flat tire. Chris Johnson gets out, installs tow kit, and pulls it along while running. It ends up being faster that way.
5:30 -- Guy in stands is already drunk on wine coolers, yells "MANNING'S A BUM" until physically restrained
7:20 -- Pro Bowl starts
10:20 -- The Pro Bowl ends, the masses shuffle home, you have to go to work tomorrow, you know this, and you let out a long, protracted sigh
12:00 -- Tony Romo arrives, wonders where everybody is, decides to make himself useful by sweeping up confetti
This preview is courtesy of Sports Network.
(Sports Network) - The premise of the 2010 Pro Bowl, to be played on Sunday night at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, is no different than the 2009 version of the exhibition or any of the other 38 installments of the AFC-NFC all-star game. At the same time, the 40th version of the Pro Bowl is something of an experiment on this occasion.
The timing of the game, a week prior to the Super Bowl as opposed to the week after, is the first major alteration. The thought on the part of the league was that the Pro Bowl could be a sort of kickoff for Super Bowl week, as opposed to the veritable afterthought it has been in the past.
The downside, of course, is that no members of the Colts or Saints, who will meet in Super Bowl XLIV at the same site in a week's time, will be available to play. That fact will sap the contest of a total of 14 players from those teams, while the new window undoubtedly impacted the sending of regrets by 21 other players who were named to the Pro Bowl but begged off due to injuries.
Also of note for the 2010 Pro Bowl is the site, which for the first time in 31 years will be somewhere other than Honolulu, HI. Not since the 1978 season has the game been played somewhere other than the 50th state, though the game is slated to return to Hawaii for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
San Diego head coach Norv Turner and Dallas head man Wade Phillips will guide the AFC and NFC squads, respectively, after watching their teams fall in the divisional round of the postseason. This is also a break from tradition, as coaches from the Championship round runners-up had previously guided the two sides.
SERIES HISTORY
The NFC leads the all-time Pro Bowl series, which dates back to the 1970 season, by a 20-19 margin. The NFC has won two in a row in the series since the AFC scored a 31-28 victory following the 2006 campaign.
The NFC was a 30-21 winner in last year's contest, with Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald earning MVP honors after catching five passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns in the triumph.
From 1961-69, prior to the AFL-NFL merger, the leagues held separate All-Star games after the season. From 1951-60, the NFL played its own Pro Bowl following the year, and from 1938-42, the NFL champion competed against an assembled group of league all-stars.
Phillips will be coaching in his first Pro Bowl, while Turner will be presiding over his second. Turner coached the AFC to a 42-30 loss following the 2007 season, when his Chargers lost to the Patriots in the AFC Championship.
Phillips is 1-1 head-to-head against Turner, with the win coming for his Bills against Turner's Redskins in 1999 and the loss coming for his Cowboys against Phillips' Chargers, 20-17, on Dec. 13th in Dallas.
NFC OFFENSE VS. AFC DEFENSE
With the Saints' Drew Brees and Vikings' Brett Favre unavailable to play on Sunday, the NFC offense will be guided by quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers of the Packers, Donovan McNabb (3553 passing yards, 22 TD, 10 INT) of the Eagles, and Tony Romo (4483 passing yards, 26 TD, 9 INT) of the Cowboys. Rodgers, who threw for 4,434 yards and 30 touchdowns against just seven interceptions while leading Green Bay to a playoff berth in 2009, will be making his first appearance in the game. The receiving corps will include the Eagles' DeSean Jackson (63 receptions, 9 TD) and Cowboys' Miles Austin (81 receptions, 11 TD), both of whom are expected to start, with the 49ers' Vernon Davis (78 receptions, 13 TD) getting the start at the tight end spot. The Vikings' Adrian Peterson (1383 rushing yards, 18 TD) is expected to open in the backfield one week after his fumble-laden performance in the NFC Championship. The offensive line will be led by Minnesota guard Steve Hutchinson, who makes his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl appearance.
With would-be starting ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis of the Colts both unavailable due to their Super Bowl commitment, Mario Williams (38 tackles, 9 sacks) of the Texans and Kyle Vanden Bosch (44 tackles, 3 sacks) of the Titans will get the first crack at Rodgers and the AFC quarterbacks. Broncos outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil (41 tackles, 17 sacks), who led the NFL in sacks in 2009, will also be involved. On the back end, a star-studded secondary paced by perhaps the league's top three cornerbacks - the Jets' Darrelle Revis (49 tackles, 6 INT), Raiders' Nnamdi Asomugha (29 tackles, 1 INT) and Broncos' Champ Bailey (61 tackles, 3 INT) - along with starting strong safety Brian Dawkins (95 tackles, 2 INT) of Denver, will focus on slowing the AFC receivers. Bailey makes his ninth Pro Bowl appearance, and Dawkins his eighth. Among those seeking to slow Peterson and the backs are Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (30 tackles, 1.5 sacks) and his teammate, linebacker Ray Lewis (104 tackles, 3 INT). Lewis, who played collegiately at University of Miami, will be playing in his 11th Pro Bowl, and fourth consecutive.
AFC OFFENSE VS. NFC DEFENSE
Just as in the NFC, the AFC team will not be rolling with all of its intended personnel at the quarterback position. With stars like Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, and Tom Brady all unavailable on Sunday, the AFC will go with NFL passing yards leader Matt Schaub (4770 passing yards, 29 TD, 15 INT) of the Texans, with the Titans' Vince Young (1879 passing yards, 10 TD, 7 INT) and Jaguars' David Garrard (3597 passing yards, 15 TD, 10 INT) both backing him. Young will be appearing in his second Pro Bowl game, after making it as a rookie in 2006. Houston's Andre Johnson (101 receptions, 9 TD) and Denver's Brandon Marshall (101 rushing yards, 10 TD) will open at wideout for the AFC, with the Chargers' Antonio Gates (79 receptions, 8 TD) starting at tight end. Among the notable reserve pass-catchers is the Bengals' Chad Ochocinco (72 receptions, 9 TD), who makes his sixth Pro Bowl appearance. A standout AFC backfield will include NFL Offensive Player of the Year Chris Johnson (2006 rushing yards, 50 receptions, 16 TD) of the Titans, along with the diminutive Maurice-Jones Drew (1391 rushing yards, 53 receptions, 16 TD) of the Jaguars and Ray Rice (1339 rushing yards, 78 receptions, 8 TD) of the Ravens. Jets guard Alan Faneca and Titans center Kevin Mawae, who now have 17 Pro Bowl appearances between them, anchor the line.
Though several Vikings begged off the Pro Bowl following last week's heartbreak, end Jared Allen (43 tackles, 14.5 sacks) was not one of them, and leads a ferocious NFC pass rush also including Panthers end Julius Peppers (36 tackles, 10.5 sacks) and Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware (47 tackles, 11 sacks). That group should make things easier for starting cornerbacks Asante Samuel (43 tackles, 9 INT) of the Eagles and Terence Newman (61 tackles 3 INT) of the Cowboys, in addition to safety Nick Collins (47 tackles, 6 INT) of the Packers. Run-stopping will be the domain of the Cardinals' Darnell Dockett (43 tackles, 7 sacks) and 49ers middle linebacker Patrick Willis (113 tackles, 3 INT), among others. Notable among the NFC defensive reserves is Redskins linebacker London Fletcher (142 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT), who will be making his first Pro Bowl appearance at the age of 34.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Back for another year to handle punting chores for the AFC is the Raiders' Shane Lechler (51.1 avg.), who will make his fifth Pro Bowl appearance after leading the league in punting average for the fifth time in his career. The kicker, Pro Bowl newcomer and local favorite Dan Carpenter (25-28 FG), makes his initial appearance in the contest. Browns special teams ace Joshua Cribbs (27.5 kickoff return avg., 3 TD, 11.9 punt return avg., 1 TD) will handle returns for the AFC.
On the NFC side, punter Andy Lee (47.6 avg.) of the 49ers and David Akers (32-37 FG) of the Eagles will make up the kicking battery, with Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson (15.2 punt return avg. 2 TD) and Chicago's Johnny Knox (29.0 kickoff return avg., 1 TD) both available to handle returns. The veteran Akers, who was recently named to the league's All-Decade Team, is a Pro Bowler for the fourth time, and first since 2004.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
Like in any exhibition game, picking a score here is a difficult task, though it would sure seem that the AFC was robbed of more top-notch players by the altered timing of the game than was the NFC. David Garrard and Kyle Vanden Bosch are Pro Bowlers? Well, their uniforms will say they are, but we'll guess that they won't be on the winning side of this talent-depleted Pro Bowl.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: NFC 31, AFC 27
VIDEO: Highlights Of AFC's 41-34 Win Over NFC In Pro Bowl
Feb 01 12:40a by Sean Keeley - 0 comments