Pro Bowl Preview: The Helmets Don't Match, You Guys!

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