This year’s NFL Pro Bowl resembled an NBA All Star Game – very little focus on defense, and some really exciting offense. The score started to look like an NBA game as well, as the AFC won 59-41 in a shootout that bordered on the ridiculous. The game had plenty of outrageous numbers, and a few interesting side stories.
Given the number of passing records that fell this year, the numbers in this Pro Bowl should have been expected. SIX different quarterbacks threw for two touchdowns and at least 100 yards. The teams combined for 12 TD passes with over 1100 total yards of offense and over 950 yards of passing.
Brandon Marshall landed the MVP award with an unbelievable night – he caught 6 passes for 177 yards and 4 TDs. He spread the joy around as he caught TDs from 3 different quarterbacks – one from Ben Roethlisberger (77 yards), one from Philip Rivers (29 yards) and two from Andy Dalton (47 yards and 3 yards).
Marshall’s number outshined Larry Fitzgerald who had what would have been a monster game on any other stage. Fitzgerald caught 6 passes for 111 yards and 3 TDs for the NFC team. The NFC spread the ball around effectively as they had three 100 yards receivers. In addition to Fitzgerald, Tony Gonzalez caught 7 for 121 yards, and Steve Smith caught 5 for 119. Marshall was the only 100-yard receiver on the AFC squad.
Among the amusing sub-plots:
San Francisco punter Andy Lee faked a punt on fourth-and-3 in the second quarter and completed an 8-yard first down pass to division-rival cornerback and kick returner Patrick Peterson of the Cardinals. Peterson added 123 return yards on 4 kickoff returns, as he continued his exceptional rookie season on special teams.
Since the punter Lee had the opportunity to pass the ball, Drew Brees decided to take a swing at kicking the ball and attempted to drop kick an extra point in the fourth quarter, but his attempt wasn’t nearly as successful. The miss prevented the combined score from exceeding 100 points.
At one point, Steelers’ wide receiver Antonio Brown took a shot at playing defense, and tried to cover Larry Fitzgerald.
Ravens Ray Lewis (playing for the AFC) and 49ers Patrick Willis (playing for the NFC) – two of the greatest linebackers in the game who both wear number 52 – were seen at mid-field swapping their Pro Bowl jerseys at the end of the game, in an exchange that would make soccer fans proud.
Clearly, the game wasn’t taken too seriously, and there was a bit more of a relaxed All Star Game feel to the night, which may help to rejuvenate interest in the Pro Bowl. While the NFL has been the most successful of the major American sports, the Pro Bowl has generally drawn less attention than the All Star games in the other major sports. Perhaps the tide is turning in favor the NFL here as well.
