It's official yall. The 2007-2008 NFL season is OVA!! The past few Sundays have been great for me as a Giants fan; excellent postseason play, surprise victories over strong opponents and of course, becoming the SUPER BOWL 42 CHAMPIONS!! The last few months haven’t been so great for fans of other teams, but the final game of the season helps to change all that. The Pro Bowl is like a godsend; the leagues best players, including a lot of your favorites, all get together to form two Megatron teams. These are the lineups any true fan would have if coaching staffs, contract disputes and free agency had were nonexistent. The Pro Bowl cast is THE ultimate fantasy team.
The players who are chosen are voted in by the fans, other NFL players and coaches. The biggest names come together to play…well, together. That’s really what makes the Pro Bowl so great. Usually on opposite sides of the field and wins, the game brings the players together as friends and teammates instead of just opponents. These guys have mutual respect for each other, and you usually don’t find too many hard hits and injuries in this kind of environment. While it's mostly fun and games, but both sides still want to win. There's this notion out there that there are some games that "don't really count" but this one definitely does. Not only are there bragging rights for the conference that wins, but each member of the winning team get $40,000 while the losing team gets half that.
The Pro Bowl, for the 22nd consecutive year, was held at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game just ended, with the NFC takin it to the AFC in a 42-30 action-packed win. Both teams scored on their opening possessions, but the ACF dominated the first half, leading 27-21 going into the 3rd. It’s no surprise that Peyton Manning was at the reins for the AFC’s first score. Manning looked strong in Norv Turner’s offensive system, completing 11 of 16 passes for 147 yards, including a TD strike to Bengals receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh.
There were several players on the AFC side who had strong showings. Houshmandzadeh caught 4 passes for 44 yards and 2 touchdowns, both in the first half. Tony Gonzales, who always seems to get open, caught 4 balls for 79 yards. I’m a huge Braylon Edwards fan. I followed him while he was at Michigan and had a few opportunities to see him live. He had a strong first half, with 2 receptions for 40 yards, but was quiet in the second. The Pro Bowl tends to be a show for QBs and WRs, where the passing game gets more attention than the running game. That was definitely the case with the AFC. Running backs Fred Taylor, Willis McGahee and Joseph Addai combined for a dismal 26 yards. Chargers FB Lorenzo Neal, in his 15th season and very first Pro Bowl appearance, scored the AFC’s only rushing TD, the first score of the game, but rushed for only 1 yard on 2 attempts. By the way, Tom Brady and Randy Moss were both voted in as starters, but declined to play in the game after they lost the Super Bowl. Teeheehee!!
The NFC was the complete opposite. You may remember him as the young man won Rookie of the Year Award, and was one of the most productive running backs in 2007. Yes, I am talking about ADRIAN PETERSON!! He played a great game and showed the same power running he did during the regular season. Peterson had 129 yards on 16 carries, averaging over 8 yards per rush. And did I mention his 2 touchdowns? His stellar performance won him MVP honors which included a trophy by Tiffany and a red 2008 Cadillac CTS. Like the AFC, though, there wasn't much more to the ground game than Peterson.
Marion Barber picked up 37 yards, but Brian Westbrook barely saw the ball, rushing once for 4 yards. Tony Romo, starting in place of Green Bay’s Brett Favre, played a solid game. Romo threw 2 touchdowns, including one to his fellow Cowboy, Terrell Owens. There was talk during the game about T.O. being the MVP of the game. And by "there was talk" I mean T.O. said he should be the MVP. He made a solid case with 8 receptions, 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. Say what you want about T.O., but I’m a fan. I love that he talks shit, tells fans to get their popcorn ready, then cries, literally, for his QB Romo. He's the TOtal package!! Owens led the league in dropped balls and actually dropped a few during this game. He rebounded well and held his own. Chris Cooley of the Washington Redskins had 3 catches for 41 yards, and caught a touchdown pass from Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck. All three players from the Redskins, Cooley, Chris Samuels and Ethan Albright, wore the number 21 instead of their regular jersey numbers in honor of their slain teammate, Sean Taylor. It was beautiful to see. The jersies are going to be sold online at NFL Auction, with the proceeds going to the Sean Taylor Memorial Trust Fund to benefit his young daughter, Jackie.
On defense, it’s no surprise that Antonio Cromartie was phenomenal! Frankly, I think Cromartie should have won the Defensive Player of the Year Award instead of Bob Sanders. Don't get me wrong, I like Bob Sanders just as much as the next guy, and I appreciate what he does on defense in spite of his size, but he was NOT the best on D. I'm sorry. And during the Pro Bowl, Cromartie proved why he should have won. Cromartie led the league in interceptions during the regular season with 10, and had 2 key picks during the Pro Bowl. A Romo pass skipped off the fingertips of Chris Cooley and into the waiting arms of Cromatie. And during the 3rd quarter, Jeff Garcia’s throw to Torri Holt went off his hands and guess who was there to scoop it? CROMARTIE!! Did I mention he also holds NFL record for returning a missed field goal 109 yards!?! The man is unstoppable, and in only his second year in the league there's much more to come.
There were a few surprises as well. On their first drive of the game, facing 4th & 8, the NFC lined up in punt formation with punter Andy Lee on the field. Seconds later, Lee threw a pass to Tony Richardson who picked up 11 yards and the first down, extended the drive which later led to an NFC touchdown.
I really enjoyed the way FOX covered the game. The QBs were mic’ed up, allowing viewers to hear the convos during practice, and the plays that were called throughout the game. The announcers also gave us some really interesting statistics. Some of the ones I found most fascinating are below:
--> All but 6 NFL teams were represented in the Pro Bowl – Atlanta, Carolina, Detroit, Jacksonville, New Orleans & New York Jets
--> The Dallas Cowboys led the league with 13 players in the game, setting a Pro Bowl record
--> T.O. becomes the 13th player to represent 3 different teams in the Pro Bowl
--> There are 7 different Father/Son pairs that have played in the Pro-Bowl, 3 of them in this game; Archie/Peyton Manning, Kellen Sr./Kellen Winslow and Mosi/Lofa Tatupu
--> Over 84 million fans cast votes on NFL.com and via wireless phones
--> Rule Changes in the Pro Bowl; Offense – Intentional grounding legal; Defense – No Blitzing
--> TJ Houshmandzadeh brought 35 people with him to the Pro Bowl, Fred Taylor – 38, Asante Samuel 15
--> Mascots and cheerleaders from each team were present
The NFL Network (a channel I don't have, but desperately need in my life) followed I watched tons of videos on NFL.com where several big name players wore mics. Rookie Patrick Willis, voted Defensive Rookie of the Year, let us follow him through practice. There was also a really funny clip with Peyton Manning hating on Rich Eisen, an NFL Network anchor, for singing karaoke the night before and waking up sleeping children.
Shout out to the NFC for beating the AFC, a conference which was more dominant during the regular season but lackluster in the post. This win means another victory for the only Giant that was voted into the Pro Bowl, my Nigerian brotha, OSI UMENYIORA! Something tells me that this time next year, there will be SEVERAL GMEN reppin NY!
The players who are chosen are voted in by the fans, other NFL players and coaches. The biggest names come together to play…well, together. That’s really what makes the Pro Bowl so great. Usually on opposite sides of the field and wins, the game brings the players together as friends and teammates instead of just opponents. These guys have mutual respect for each other, and you usually don’t find too many hard hits and injuries in this kind of environment. While it's mostly fun and games, but both sides still want to win. There's this notion out there that there are some games that "don't really count" but this one definitely does. Not only are there bragging rights for the conference that wins, but each member of the winning team get $40,000 while the losing team gets half that.
The Pro Bowl, for the 22nd consecutive year, was held at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game just ended, with the NFC takin it to the AFC in a 42-30 action-packed win. Both teams scored on their opening possessions, but the ACF dominated the first half, leading 27-21 going into the 3rd. It’s no surprise that Peyton Manning was at the reins for the AFC’s first score. Manning looked strong in Norv Turner’s offensive system, completing 11 of 16 passes for 147 yards, including a TD strike to Bengals receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh.
There were several players on the AFC side who had strong showings. Houshmandzadeh caught 4 passes for 44 yards and 2 touchdowns, both in the first half. Tony Gonzales, who always seems to get open, caught 4 balls for 79 yards. I’m a huge Braylon Edwards fan. I followed him while he was at Michigan and had a few opportunities to see him live. He had a strong first half, with 2 receptions for 40 yards, but was quiet in the second. The Pro Bowl tends to be a show for QBs and WRs, where the passing game gets more attention than the running game. That was definitely the case with the AFC. Running backs Fred Taylor, Willis McGahee and Joseph Addai combined for a dismal 26 yards. Chargers FB Lorenzo Neal, in his 15th season and very first Pro Bowl appearance, scored the AFC’s only rushing TD, the first score of the game, but rushed for only 1 yard on 2 attempts. By the way, Tom Brady and Randy Moss were both voted in as starters, but declined to play in the game after they lost the Super Bowl. Teeheehee!!
The NFC was the complete opposite. You may remember him as the young man won Rookie of the Year Award, and was one of the most productive running backs in 2007. Yes, I am talking about ADRIAN PETERSON!! He played a great game and showed the same power running he did during the regular season. Peterson had 129 yards on 16 carries, averaging over 8 yards per rush. And did I mention his 2 touchdowns? His stellar performance won him MVP honors which included a trophy by Tiffany and a red 2008 Cadillac CTS. Like the AFC, though, there wasn't much more to the ground game than Peterson.Marion Barber picked up 37 yards, but Brian Westbrook barely saw the ball, rushing once for 4 yards. Tony Romo, starting in place of Green Bay’s Brett Favre, played a solid game. Romo threw 2 touchdowns, including one to his fellow Cowboy, Terrell Owens. There was talk during the game about T.O. being the MVP of the game. And by "there was talk" I mean T.O. said he should be the MVP. He made a solid case with 8 receptions, 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. Say what you want about T.O., but I’m a fan. I love that he talks shit, tells fans to get their popcorn ready, then cries, literally, for his QB Romo. He's the TOtal package!! Owens led the league in dropped balls and actually dropped a few during this game. He rebounded well and held his own. Chris Cooley of the Washington Redskins had 3 catches for 41 yards, and caught a touchdown pass from Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck. All three players from the Redskins, Cooley, Chris Samuels and Ethan Albright, wore the number 21 instead of their regular jersey numbers in honor of their slain teammate, Sean Taylor. It was beautiful to see. The jersies are going to be sold online at NFL Auction, with the proceeds going to the Sean Taylor Memorial Trust Fund to benefit his young daughter, Jackie.
On defense, it’s no surprise that Antonio Cromartie was phenomenal! Frankly, I think Cromartie should have won the Defensive Player of the Year Award instead of Bob Sanders. Don't get me wrong, I like Bob Sanders just as much as the next guy, and I appreciate what he does on defense in spite of his size, but he was NOT the best on D. I'm sorry. And during the Pro Bowl, Cromartie proved why he should have won. Cromartie led the league in interceptions during the regular season with 10, and had 2 key picks during the Pro Bowl. A Romo pass skipped off the fingertips of Chris Cooley and into the waiting arms of Cromatie. And during the 3rd quarter, Jeff Garcia’s throw to Torri Holt went off his hands and guess who was there to scoop it? CROMARTIE!! Did I mention he also holds NFL record for returning a missed field goal 109 yards!?! The man is unstoppable, and in only his second year in the league there's much more to come.There were a few surprises as well. On their first drive of the game, facing 4th & 8, the NFC lined up in punt formation with punter Andy Lee on the field. Seconds later, Lee threw a pass to Tony Richardson who picked up 11 yards and the first down, extended the drive which later led to an NFC touchdown.
I really enjoyed the way FOX covered the game. The QBs were mic’ed up, allowing viewers to hear the convos during practice, and the plays that were called throughout the game. The announcers also gave us some really interesting statistics. Some of the ones I found most fascinating are below:
--> All but 6 NFL teams were represented in the Pro Bowl – Atlanta, Carolina, Detroit, Jacksonville, New Orleans & New York Jets
--> The Dallas Cowboys led the league with 13 players in the game, setting a Pro Bowl record
--> T.O. becomes the 13th player to represent 3 different teams in the Pro Bowl
--> There are 7 different Father/Son pairs that have played in the Pro-Bowl, 3 of them in this game; Archie/Peyton Manning, Kellen Sr./Kellen Winslow and Mosi/Lofa Tatupu
--> Over 84 million fans cast votes on NFL.com and via wireless phones
--> Rule Changes in the Pro Bowl; Offense – Intentional grounding legal; Defense – No Blitzing
--> TJ Houshmandzadeh brought 35 people with him to the Pro Bowl, Fred Taylor – 38, Asante Samuel 15
--> Mascots and cheerleaders from each team were present
The NFL Network (a channel I don't have, but desperately need in my life) followed I watched tons of videos on NFL.com where several big name players wore mics. Rookie Patrick Willis, voted Defensive Rookie of the Year, let us follow him through practice. There was also a really funny clip with Peyton Manning hating on Rich Eisen, an NFL Network anchor, for singing karaoke the night before and waking up sleeping children.
Shout out to the NFC for beating the AFC, a conference which was more dominant during the regular season but lackluster in the post. This win means another victory for the only Giant that was voted into the Pro Bowl, my Nigerian brotha, OSI UMENYIORA! Something tells me that this time next year, there will be SEVERAL GMEN reppin NY!
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