Cincinnati’s Green already a Pro Bowl vet

After two productive performances in the Pro Bowl, A.J. Green certainly hopes he’ll have a shot at a third.

The Cincinnati Bengals receiver did his part to support the case for keeping the NFL all-star game going by providing most of the AFC’s highlights in Sunday’s game at Aloha Stadium. Green caught seven passes for 119 yards and scored three of the AFC’s four offensive touchdowns in a 62-35 loss.

"The biggest thing was we just came out here and tried to have fun and play hard and try to continue this game because it’s a great game," Green said.

Green has made the Pro Bowl roster in both of his NFL seasons since coming out of Georgia as the fourth pick in the 2011 draft and scored in his debut last year. In two appearances in Hawaii, Green has nine catches for 161 yards and four touchdowns.

Green — whose 11 touchdown catches during the regular season tied him for second in the AFC — caught a 6-yard scoring pass from Peyton Manning 59 seconds into the game.

The AFC had fallen well behind by the time he connected with Indianapolis rookie Andrew Luck for two more scores in the fourth quarter. He caught a 4-yarder from Luck with 11:36 left in the game and ran down a 49-yard throw for the game’s final touchdown.

"He’s a great quarterback and it was an honor playing with him," Green said of Luck. "(The last touchdown) was just a ‘go,’ Andrew threw me a great ball and I just ran right under it."

After the AFC’s practice on Saturday, Green mentioned that developing a rhythm with three relatively unfamiliar quarterbacks is a challenge. The AFC turned the ball over five times and struggled to get much going offensively between Green’s first-quarter touchdown and Joshua Cribbs’ 4-yard scoring reception from Matt Schaub in the third quarter.

Cribbs made the team as a kick returner but also caught three passes for 56 yards on Sunday, including a 39-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

The Browns have a new coaching staff coming in next season, "so I wanted to let them know I can catch," Cribbs said. "I caught a touchdown, caught the ball across the middle, an out route. I’m a valuable target once I get the ball."

Green wouldn’t have gotten a shot at the first touchdown if Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt had snagged a throw in his cameo appearance on offense.

After the AFC recovered a fumble at the NFC 7 to open the game, Watt lined up at wide receiver on third and goal. He couldn’t handle Manning’s throw and Green did on fourth down.

"It came to me, I blew it, but it was cool anyway," said Watt, who also played a down at receiver during the AFC’s practice Friday at the Ihilani Resort.

Back in his natural position, Watt did get a sack later in the game, so "I didn’t come away empty-handed."