GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Peyton Manning threw three touchdown passes yesterday en route to earning the Pro Bowl Player of the Game award.

Manning finds reason
to smile

Peyton Manning had another reason to feel good yesterday.

The NFL's Most Valuable Player threw three first-half touchdown passes and was named the Pro Bowl's Player of the Game in the AFC's 38-27 victory over the NFC at Aloha Stadium.

For the dynamic Indianapolis quarterback, it was an uplifting epilogue to a remarkable season that was cut short by a disappointing loss to New England in the AFC divisional playoffs.

Yesterday's victory and the spoils that came with it (trophy, Cadillac and $35,000 winner's paycheck) put a huge smile on his face in the locker room after the game.

That smile didn't appear after last year's Pro Bowl, when Manning threw for three TDs, but had two interceptions that proved costly as the AFC blew an 18-point fourth-quarter lead.

"The AFC took care of business today," said Manning, who started his day off right by being one of the few players to step out of the AFC's midfield pregame lineup to shake hands with Dan Marino and Steve Young as they were being introduced to the crowd as 2005 NFL Hall of Fame inductees.

"I hope somebody got a picture of me talking with Dan and Steve. I wasn't posing or anything, but they were two great quarterbacks. Dan was my favorite quarterback after my dad (Archie Manning of the New Orleans Saints) retired."

Unless there is a sudden downturn in his performance in upcoming seasons, Manning will follow Marino and Young into the Hall.

"Playing quarterback is the hardest job in sports," Manning said. "To play in all those games and to make all those throws and to be so consistent and so successful every game. That's what I try to do and those two guys played like that. It was an honor to be standing out there with them.

"This year has been so special. I didn't see it coming -- 49 TDs (to break Marino's previous record of 48)," the seven-year veteran added, with his beaming smile showing no signs of dying.

Manning's TD strikes went to Colts teammate Marvin Harrison for 62 yards, Pittsburgh's Hines Ward for 41 yards and San Diego's Antonio Gates for 12.

"Early in the game, both sides had a case of the drops," Manning said. "On our second possession, Marvin did a little skinny post. It was a timing throw that sure is easier to throw to someone you're used to throwing it to.

"After that, we used a play-action fake and Hines was able to find the post. On the last one, to Antonio Gates, there was an adjustment by me. I had to throw it to his back shoulder and he made a great catch and did a good job getting into the end zone."

There was no shortage of players and coaches who have a full appreciation of what Manning can do.

"Peyton was awesome in the first quarter. That's why he's Peyton Manning," NFC head coach Jim Mora of Atlanta said.

AFC head coach Bill Cowher of Pittsburgh said, "He's an incredible guy who loves the game of football. He's one of the fiercest competitors I've been around."

"It was great to win and great to catch a TD ball from such a great quarterback," Ward said.

Manning, a veteran of five Pro Bowls, added to his record for most career touchdown passes in the All-Star game. He came into the game with eight and now has 11. Oakland's Rich Gannon is next with seven TDs in four Pro Bowls.

Manning leaves Hawaii with at least two problems to figure out -- how to supplant New England in the AFC and what to do with the Cadillac.

"I've got to try to find a way to get it back to Indianapolis," he said. "Pretty soon, I hope to have it at my house and in my garage. The trophy is nice, but the first thing I was asking after the game is where the keys were."