Manning meets
his match
You don't get much higher on the NFL's hierarchy of ability than Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning.
That's why the league's co-MVP found himself running the two-minute drill -- not once but twice -- late in yesterday's Pro Bowl.
Bottom line, he didn't get it done. But he did cut a 10-point NFC lead down to three with 1:38 to go and gave Colts teammate Mike Vanderjagt one last try to tie it with time running out.
"We got it down there, but I got sacked (by Carolina's Kris Jenkins) and that was disappointing," said Manning after his valiant comeback bid failed in the NFC's 55-52 victory over the AFC at Aloha Stadium. "Mike is usually automatic in those situations, but he pushed it off to the right. We had the lead and let it slip away. It was a great game, but it's always more fun to win, though."
With two late-game interceptions, Manning was one of those responsible for letting the lead slip away. Detroit cornerback Dre Bly's pickoff and 32-yard TD return was the biggest blow because it turned a 45-40 lead into a 48-45 deficit, but Minnesota safety Corey Chavous' interception on the next series was also a major hindrance.
"They made some great breaks on the ball and just made good plays," Manning said about his NFC foes on the two critical plays. "They broke on the receivers (first Tennessee's Derrick Mason and then Cincinnati's Chad Johnson) at the right time and got inside."
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The AFC's Tony Gonzalez celebrated with teammate Peyton Manning after Gonzalez caught a touchdown pass from Manning yesterday.
Despite the setbacks, Manning confidently strapped on the helmet and trotted out to the field, ready to try the impossible. After Shaun Alexander's 2-yard TD run put the NFC up 55-45 with 3:32 to go, Manning completed six of eight passes, including a 10-yard TD bullet to Pittsburgh's Hines Ward to finish a 78-yard drive.
On the final drive, which ended on Vanderjagt's 51-yard miss with time running out, Manning completed four of six passes. He also had the presence of mind to get his team to the line of scrimmage and spike the ball with four ticks left.
Overall, Manning completed 22 of 41 passes for 342 yards and three TDs, and he would have been a shoo-in for the game's MVP award without those two game-turning mistakes. He came off the bench for starter Steve McNair of Tennessee late in the first quarter and played the whole second quarter. He also subbed for second-half starter Trent Green of Kansas City early in the fourth.
"The seconds just ran out on us," is how Mason explained it.
But the loss also had something to do with Vanderjagt, who hadn't missed a field goal since the 2002 season. He's made an NFL record 41 in a row, including all 37 this regular season. He also hit three field goals in the postseason, but the playoff and Pro Bowl numbers don't count toward the record.
"It (the final field-goal attempt) didn't go in," said Vanderjagt, who hit a 27-yarder in the first quarter and was short from 52 yards as time ran out in the first half. "All good things have to come to an end, but I'll try to keep the string going next year. I didn't hit either one too well. I wish I made them. It had nothing to do with bad snaps or anything like that.
"Peyton had a tremendous season and nothing's changed. What he did tonight, he does all the time."
Of Vanderjagt's 37 regular-season field goals this year, only one was from 50 yards or more.
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
AFC quarterback Steve McNair handed off to Jamal Lewis in the first quarter yesterday.
AFC coach Tony Dungy of the Colts, who is known for being defense-minded, had a feeling a lot of points would be scored, but he didn't expect his team's five turnovers.
"We wanted to run the ball a little more, but the way the rules are set up, it's easier to pass," he said. "The rules (such as no blitzing) are such that it's tough to play defense, and if you don't turn the ball over, you have a good chance to score with all these highly skilled athletes."
And that's just what the opponents did to win it.
McNair, the league's other co-MVP, was one of those who made things happen for the AFC during his brief time on the field. He threw three passes and his only completion was a 90-yarder to a wide open Johnson on the AFC's first play from scrimmage.
"We planned all week and knew we wanted to go up on top in the first series, because the last Pro Bowls they said (the offense) didn't do squat early," he said. "I took advantage of the little time I was in there. It was surprising to see how open he was, but it didn't surprise me that we got the completion."
Johnson wasn't sulking after the loss.
"There was nothing disappointing about it," he said. "I look at the bright side. We all made it this far and it's a tribute to all the hard work. It's satisfying."
