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Sports Watch
HEY, a Pro Bowl that finally meant more than just the NFL's superstars playing cameo roles. NFC coaches take offense
to AFC's tough defenseSure, it was a fun-in-the-sun game to end the football season. And for Hawaii's fans, the Pro Bowl's always a happening event.
But when Carolina Panthers' quarterback Steve Beuerlein rifled a 25-yard touchdown pass to Minnesota's Randy Moss -- on fourth down yet -- with the National Conference 65 seconds away from victory over the American Conference, it also sent a message.
"It was a statement from our coaching staff to their coaching staff," Beuerlein said.
The decision to go for a touchdown that gave the NFC a Pro Bowl record 51-31 victory was called from the bench to rub it in a little, according to Beuerlein.
"They (the AFC coaches) can look at the score and think about it for the next couple of months. They were blitzing the entire second half, which was against the rules. It was ridiculous," he said.
"I guarantee you're going to get a different story from Tom Coughlin (AFC's coach from Jacksonville), but that's the way he is."
NFC coach Tony Dungy of Tampa Bay concurred with Beuerlein.
"Either we had the wrong rule book or something. We had a set of rules and the game wasn't played that way. We had an understanding and they didn't," Dungy said.
"I was concerned with the safety of the players. Our quarterbacks were taking hits that weren't necessary. You don't work on taking up blitzes during Pro Bowl week."
DUNGY and his Buccaneer staff thought they had to make a point. And they did.
"It wouldn't have happened in a regular-season game," Dungy said.
Interestingly, with the TD reception Moss set his second Pro Bowl record of the day with his ninth catch. He wound up with 212 yards.
The in-your-face TD catch also earned Moss the game's MVP honors after an earlier vote went to Tampa Bay's Mike Alstott, who set a Pro Bowl record of three rushing touchdowns.
Talk about irony.
Add one more: Dungy, whose Tampa Bay team is noted more for its defense and offensive firepower, coached the team which scored the most points in the Pro Bowl.
Dungy had to smile when it was pointed out to him.
"The talent level is unbelievable. When you have great players, it makes it easier," he said.
"I guess that's what Pro Bowls are all about. It's a game for the players to make plays."
Moss turned out to be the NFC's ultimate weapon yesterday.
"Randy is phenomenal in a game like this where you can't double cover. There's really no way you can stop him," Dungy said.
Beuerlein, Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams and Washington's Brad Johnson were sure glad they had the opportunity to throw to the Vikings' big-play receiver. While dodging AFC blitzers, that is.
"He's unbelievable. He's fun to play with instead of against," said Johnson, his former teammate at Minnesota.
"Obviously, it's nice to toss it up to him like that," said Warner, who connected with Moss on 48- and 46-yard completions to set up two scores in directing the NFC's first three series before sitting out the rest of the game.
"We had a lot of fun," Moss said.
So did the fans, who saw the most entertaining of the 21 consecutive Pro Bowls at Aloha Stadium.