For all the talk this week that there would be a level of intensity at this year’s Pro Bowl that would do commissioner Roger Goodell proud, you didn’t see it on the first play from scrimmage.

The NFC spotted the AFC a touchdown just 59 seconds into the game after a bad exchange between New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson led to a fumble deep in their own end of the field.

Buffalo’s Jairus Byrd scooped it up after Peterson kicked the football forward a few yards. Byrd returned it 8 yards, then lateraled to AFC teammate Champ Bailey, who fumbled it, then fell on it after going 2 yards. Wow, what a way to get started.

Denver’s Peyton Manning wasn’t razor sharp, even trying to complete a pass to Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt on a simple post route. He dropped it. No matter, on fourth and goal, Manning found Cincinnati’s A.J. Green for a 6-yard scoring play to give the AFC a 7-0 advantage with 14:01 left in the first.

It took the NFC nearly five minutes to draw even as Brees put together a nice eight-play, 81-yard drive that ended with a 36-yard scoring pass from the Saints quarterback to Tampa Bay’s Vincent Jackson, who beat Houston’s Johnathan Joseph on the play. The NFC drew even at 7-7 as the PAT sailed through with 10:09 left in the first.

Then, somewhat surprisingly, the defenses took over, as neither team could find the end zone for the remainder of the opening period. The AFC managed a couple of first downs on its next drive, but had to punt after Manning failed to convert a third-down pass play to former Indianapolis teammate Reggie Wayne.

Both teams traded three and outs, before the NFC put together another good drive that resulted in a field goal in the second quarter.

For those betting the over at around 84 points, they were getting a little nervous that the under might have been the play. But that all changed later in the game. It wasn’t an overly exciting first quarter, but it was much better than last year. There was actually a lot of tackling and blocking going on the opening 15 minutes.