Game’s record book
changed as often as
the scoreIt may take a while to tally up
just how many records were
broken in yesterday’s game
Yesterday's Pro Bowl was a game of mosts, as several all-time records fell in the NFL's All-Star game. It might take a while to tally up all of the records broken or set in the 55-52 shootout.
ESPN announcer Chris Berman found himself caught up in the excitement, as usual.
"We haven't seen anything like that since," Berman began, before adding a dramatic pause, " ... a week ago."
The winning NFC team's 55 points were a record, as was the total of 107 by both teams (both broke the individual record of 51, set by the NFC in 2000). The NFC and AFC scored seven touchdowns each, tying each other for another record. The old mark was six, set three times. The total of 14 touchdowns was also, obviously, a record.
"How can it get more exciting than that?" Berman asked. "I've announced Ivy League basketball games in my days at Brown that were lower scoring than that."
The AFC's seven points-after-touchdowns and the grand total of 12 also go in the Pro Bowl record book.
The two teams combined for the most total yards in Pro Bowl history as well.
MVP Marc Bulger's four touchdown passes is a record. "We pretty much use our own (St. Louis Rams) terminology out there, so that helped out a lot," Bulger said.
He shattered the mark held by Joe Theismann, who acknowledged during the broadcast that records are meant to be broken. But added, "That last touchdown pass was more of a lateral."
Bulger's NFC teammate, Seattle running back Shaun Alexander, took a shovel pass to the end zone for Bulger's fourth scoring strike and tied the game's record for most touchdowns -- three. Alexander's 2-yard run helped tack on the clinching points in putting the NFC up 54-45 (extra point pending, the Rams' Jeff Wilkins would make it for the end total) with 3:32 to play.
Indianapolis' Peyton Manning's 22-for-41 for 342 passing yards were records -- in each category. Manning's Colts teammate, Mike Vanderjagt, booted all seven of the AFC's record PATs, an individual first as well.
AFC receiver Derrick Mason set a record in subbing for a banged up Dante Hall, returning eight kickoffs. His NFC counterpart, Jerry Azumah would have tied the old kickoff return record with seven -- but his grand total of 228 yards broke the Saints' Michael Lewis' record of 217, set last year.
