One Game to Go

2011 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl
Sunday, January 30, 2011

The Pro Bowl is over, the final activities of the weekend are being finished up in Hawaii, and full attention is now on Arlington.

Though focus has shifted, I would like to provide a quick recap of the Pro Bowl. I only watched the final quarter of the game, so most of this is based on stats from nfl.com and from references to earlier parts of the game by the announcers.

The NFC was forcing turnovers all game and they took advantage of that to take a 42-7 halftime lead. In fact, it was 42-0 until a touchdown run by Jamaal Charles with about two minutes left in the first half finally put the AFC on the board.

Philip Rivers took the AFC on a bit of a comeback, helping his team take a 21-3 third quarter advantage, but they still trailed 45-28 and there was no scoring through the first half of the fourth quarter.

As I said, I didn’t watch must of the game, and I haven’t watched much of past Pro Bowls either, but it was very interesting watching the tackling and how much it seemed the players were trying to make sure that their tackles wouldn’t run the risk of injuring the other players. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it definitely made the game even less interesting than I had expected.

It did, however, make it worth watching (for me at least) when NFC Coach Mike Smith allowed FOX reporter Jay Glazier call a play. It had been designed to go to Lions WR Calvin Johnson, but with Johnson on the sideline, Saint QB Drew Brees found Cowboys TE Jason Witten for a big gain.

After the NFC took a 20-point lead late in the 4th quarter, Rivers was taken out and Chiefs QB Matt Cassel was put in the game. He threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown but came back and led the AFC on a touchdown drive.

The New England Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick, coached the AFC team.

The NFC won the game, taking the all-time lead 21-20.

Tomorrow begins Super Bowl week, so keep an eye on my Super Bowl preview posts coming out throughout this week.

Final Score: NFC – 55, AFC – 41