PRO BOWL 2008
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
The NFC's Darren Sharper intercepted this pass intended for the AFC's Kassim Osgood yesterday in the fourth quarter of the Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium. At left is Marcus Trufant.
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Keys to victory
» The NFL puts on a great show as the NFC triumphs with a 42-30 comeback
» MVP Peterson and Owens lead the comeback from 17 points down as the offenses go wild
Adrian Peterson seemed to get stronger as the day wore on. The Minnesota Vikings' rookie running back led the NFC to a 42-30 victory in the Pro Bowl as a sellout crowd of 50,044 watched yesterday at Aloha Stadium.
Peterson rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns to become the first rookie to win the all-star game's MVP award since Marshall Faulk, the only other, did it in 1995. It is also the only 100-yard rushing performance in the Pro Bowl since Faulk did so that year.
"Sean Taylor is the real MVP," said Peterson, referring to the Redskins safety who was killed in his home in November, but was still voted in as an NFC starter. The NFC lined up for its first defensive play with just 10 players in honor of Taylor, and the three Redskins in the game wore Taylor's No. 21 jersey.
Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens helped the NFC come back from a 24-7 deficit. He caught eight passes for 101 yards and two second-half touchdowns.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Rookie Adrian Peterson of the Vikings (28) was named the game's Most Valuable Player after rushing for 129 yards and two touchdowns to help the NFC to a comeback win. Vikings teammate Darren Sharper, top right, contributed an interception.
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The Colts' Peyton Manning was on target for the AFC, starting the game and completing 11 of 16 passes for 147 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown to T.J. Houshmandzadeh, one of two scoring grabs for the Bengals' first-time Pro Bowl player.
Tampa Bay's Jeff Garcia led the NFC quarterbacks with 8-for-10 passing for 117 yards. It included a 6-yard TD pass to his old 49ers teammate, Owens, that gave the NFC the lead for good, 35-30, with 12:29 left in the game.
The AFC's Antonio Cromartie of the Chargers tied a Pro Bowl record with two interceptions, and Indianapolis safety Antoine Bethea had a game-high nine tackles.
Devin Hester of the Bears returned five kickoffs for 165 yards, barely out-dueling the Browns' Josh Cribbs, who returned six for 159.
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Cleveland's Braylon Edwards, left, beat Seattle's Marcus Trufant for a 31-yard reception to set up a first-quarter touchdown for the AFC.
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NFC 42, AFC 30
At Aloha Stadium
| AFC |
17 |
10 |
3 |
0 |
-- |
30
|
| NFC |
7 |
14 |
7 |
14 |
-- |
42 |
First Quarter
|
| AFC |
10:59 |
Neal 1 run (Bironas kick) |
7-0
|
| NFC |
7:08 |
Fitzgerald 6 pass from Romo (Folk kick) |
7-7
|
| AFC |
2:42 |
Houshmandzadeh 16 pass from Manning (Bironas kick) |
14-7
|
| AFC |
0:48 |
FG Bironas 33 |
17-7 |
Second Quarter
|
| AFC |
12:08 |
Houshmandzadeh 1 pass from Roethlisberger (Bironas kick) |
24-7
|
| NFC |
7:58 |
Owens 6 pass from Romo (Folk kick) |
24-14
|
| AFC |
3:30 |
FG Bironas 48 |
27-14
|
| NFC |
0:28 |
Cooley 17 pass from Masselbeck (Folk kick) |
27-21 |
Third Quarter
|
| NFC |
9:49 |
Peterson 17 run (Folk kick) |
27-28
|
| AFC |
6:58 |
FG Bironas 28 |
30-28 |
Fourth Quarter
|
| NFC |
12:29 |
Owens 6 pass from Garcia (Folk kick) |
30-35
|
| NFC |
2:43 |
Peterson 6 run (Folk kick) |
30-42 |
Attendance: 50,044.
Officials -- Referee: William Carollo; Umpire: Scott Dawson; Linesman: George Hayward; Line judge: Darryll Lewis; Back judge: Kirk Dornan; Field judge: Steve Zimmer; Side judge: Mike Weatherford.
Team Statistics
|
AFC |
NFC
|
| FIRST DOWNS |
24 |
28
|
| Rushing |
4 |
9
|
| Passing |
15 |
19
|
| Penalty |
5 |
0
|
| THIRD DOWN EFF |
4-12 |
5-9
|
| FOURTH DOWN EFF |
2-3 |
3-3
|
| TOTAL NET YARDS |
326 |
458
|
| Total Plays |
63 |
61
|
| Avg Gain |
5.2 |
7.5
|
| NET YARDS RUSHING |
45 |
169
|
| Rushes |
10 |
24
|
| Avg per rush |
4.5 |
7.0
|
| NET YARDS PASSING |
281 |
289
|
| Sacked-Yds lost |
X |
X
|
| Gross-Yds passing |
292 |
293
|
| Completed-Att. |
26-51 |
25-36
|
| Had Intercepted |
1 |
2
|
| Yards-Pass Play |
5.3 |
7.8
|
| KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB |
7-4-1 |
7-1-0
|
| PUNTS-Avg. |
1-55 |
0
|
| Punts blocked |
0 |
0
|
| FGs-PATs blocked |
0 |
0
|
| TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE |
77 |
0
|
| Punt Returns |
0-0 |
0-0
|
| Kickoff Returns |
7-169 |
6-199
|
| Interceptions |
2-77 |
1-0
|
| PENALTIES-Yds |
2-10 |
8-56
|
| FUMBLES-Lost |
2-0 |
2-1
|
| TIME OF POSSESSION |
27:44 |
32:16 |
Individual Statistics
RUSHING
|
| AFC |
No |
Yds |
Avg |
Lg |
TD
|
| Roethlisberger |
1 |
18 |
18.0 |
18 |
0
|
| Taylor |
3 |
15 |
5.0 |
11 |
0
|
| McGahee |
2 |
6 |
3.0 |
3 |
0
|
| Addai |
1 |
5 |
5.0 |
5 |
0
|
| Neal |
2 |
1 |
0.5 |
1 |
1
|
| Manning |
1 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| Total |
10 |
45 |
4.5 |
18 |
1
|
| NFC |
No |
Yds |
Avg |
Lg |
TD
|
| Peterson |
16 |
129 |
8.1 |
39 |
2
|
| Barber |
6 |
37 |
6.2 |
15 |
0
|
| Westbrook |
1 |
4 |
4.0 |
4 |
0
|
| Garcia |
1 |
-1 |
-1.0 |
-1 |
0
|
| Total |
24 |
169 |
7.0 |
39 |
2 |
|
PASSING
|
| AFC |
Att |
Cmp |
Yds |
TD |
Long |
Int
|
| Anderson |
26 |
10 |
103 |
0 |
18 |
1
|
| Manning |
16 |
11 |
147 |
1 |
31 |
0
|
| Roethlisberger |
9 |
5 |
42 |
1 |
16 |
0
|
| Total |
51 |
26 |
292 |
2 |
31 |
1
|
| NFC |
Att |
Cmp |
Yds |
TD |
Long |
Int
|
| Romo |
16 |
9 |
87 |
2 |
34 |
1
|
| Garcia |
10 |
8 |
117 |
1 |
27 |
1
|
| Hasselbeck |
9 |
7 |
78 |
1 |
17 |
0
|
| Total |
36 |
25 |
293 |
4 |
34 |
2 |
|
RECEIVING
|
| AFC |
No |
Yds |
Lg |
TD
|
| Wayne |
5 |
55 |
17 |
0
|
| Gonzalez |
4 |
79 |
29 |
0
|
| Houshmandzadeh |
4 |
44 |
16 |
2
|
| Addai |
3 |
16 |
12 |
0
|
| Neal |
3 |
8 |
5 |
0
|
| Edwards |
2 |
40 |
31 |
0
|
| Johnson |
2 |
30 |
18 |
0
|
| McGahee |
2 |
9 |
7 |
0
|
| Winslow |
1 |
11 |
11 |
0
|
| Totals |
26 |
292 |
31 |
2
|
| NFC |
No |
Yds |
Lg |
TD
|
| Owens |
8 |
101 |
34 |
2
|
| Cooley |
3 |
41 |
17 |
1
|
| Witten |
3 |
38 |
24 |
0
|
| Fitzgerald |
3 |
25 |
11 |
1
|
| Driver |
2 |
31 |
16 |
0
|
| Holt |
2 |
29 |
17 |
0
|
| Westbrook |
2 |
8 |
8 |
0
|
| Richardson |
1 |
11 |
11 |
0
|
| Peterson |
1 |
9 |
9 |
0
|
| Totals |
29 |
266 |
19 |
1 |
