For years the media, fans, and even NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell grew tired of the lackluster effort put forth by AFC and NFC participants at the Pro Bowl. Well, the 2014 version was different. Excited coaches, hard hits, big plays, and of course give-a-care effort from players from both teams were the recurring themes of the 2014 Pro Bowl. But it was the team coached by NFL legend Jerry Rice that came out on top 22-21 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Even though some great players from Super Bowl XLVIII participants Denver and Seattle couldn’t play in this game for obvious reasons, the players that were present put on a show that will have NFL purists and casual fans talking for years to come.
Team Sanders (coached by the best cover cornerback in NFL history in Deion Sanders) and Team Rice saw their offenses combine for 669 yards and 6 scores; coupled with some spirited play on the defensive side of the ball led by the likes of Houston Texan defensive end J.J. Watt, Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, and Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Eric Berry all of whom were members of Team Sanders.
Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus collected 2 sacks and Kansas City linebacker Derrick Johnson led the Team Rice defense with 8 tackles and he was also named Defensive MVP of the game. Those two were everywhere today and were instrumental in Team Rice coming up victorious.
Team Sanders got on the board first when Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson (3 catches for 40 yards) put forth a marvelous effort to secure a 36 yard touchdown pass from Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (5 of 7 for 80 yards, 1 touchdown pass and 1 interception). On the play, Luck threw his pass into the end zone where Jackson had to get away from double coverage and then he had to snatch Luck’s pass from Tennessee Titan cornerback Alterraun Verner to gain possession of the ball. All that effort by Jackson gave Team Sanders the lead at 7-0 with 10:10 left in the first quarter.
Tight end Jimmy Graham (5 catches for 51 yards and 1 score) of Team Rice put his team on the board with a right corner of the end zone 8 yard touchdown pass from his quarterback Drew Brees (9 of 19 for 81 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception). Graham made that catch over an outsized and late reacting [cornerback] Brent Grimes of the Miami Dolphins. It was now 7-7 with 9:05 left in the second quarter.
Team Sanders had their next scoring drive set up when Watt hit quarterback Philip Rivers, which in turn forced an interception that ended up in the hands of Kansas City Chief defensive tackle Dontari Poe who thundered down the right sideline 42 yards to the RICE 7 yard line. That theft set up a Cam Newton 1 yard touchdown sneak, in which the quarterback was pulled into the end zone rather forcefully by Chicago Bear left guard Kyle Long. Newton’s score gave Team Sanders a 14-7 lead with 5:42 left in the second quarter.
Cleveland Browns and Team Rice receiver Josh Gordon (6 catches for 66 yards and 1 score) who was one of the biggest reasons for fans to watch this game, tied the game up at 14-14 (that is of course after Stephen Gostkowski’s successful extra point) with a left corner of the end zone 10 yard touchdown pass from Rivers with 36 seconds left in the first half.
But Team Sanders wasn’t finished yet, as Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown caught a down the right sideline 39 yard pass from Offensive MVP and quarterback Nick Foles versus the trailing Joe Haden (Cleveland Browns), with the receiver being knocked out of bounds at the RICE 13 yard line.
Foles (7 for 10 for 89 yards and 1 touchdown pass) two plays later, threw a right corner of the end zone 12 yard touchdown strike to Cleveland tight end Jordan Cameron to give Team Sanders the lead at 21-14 with 4:41 left in the game.
But it was little used Team Rice/Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (62 yards total offense and 1 score) who made the biggest play of the game. On his game-winning touchdown play, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (9 of 22 for 116 yards, 1 touchdown pass and 1 interception) spotted Murray coming out of the backfield and he threw a well placed pass into the hands of Murray who then ambled 20 yards down the field for the score. With Carolina Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert executing the 2-point conversion run up the middle, it was now 22-21 Team Rice with 41 seconds left in the game.
Near the tail end of the game, Team Sanders placekicker Justin Tucker tried a 67 yard field that fell well short of the goal posts. Game over.
