If Sunday’s Pro Bowl was the last in Hawaii, it went out in fashion as bright as the participating teams’ fluorescent uniforms.

It ended when Team Sanders kicker Justin Tucker’s improbable field-goal attempt from 67 yards proved to be 3 yards too short as time expired, securing Team Rice’s 22-21 victory before 47,270 at Aloha Stadium.

"Right now, I’m riding high," said Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice, namesake and captain of Team Rice. "It’s like everything I touch … if I touch something, I win. … Maybe we should go to Vegas."

Deion Sanders, a Hall of Fame cornerback and captain of Team Sanders, had a similar feeling with a 21-14 lead in the final two minutes. Sanders shared that thought during a live NBC interview that was shown on the stadium scoreboard.

Reminded of Sanders’ projection, Rice said: "You know, you have to wait for time to tick off the clock. I knew my team was going to fight through it and find a way."

Team Rice began its final possession at its 42 with 1:24 left. Alex Smith threw 24 yards to Josh Gordon and then 14 yards to Alshon Jeffery, advancing the ball to the 20.

Smith then hit DeMarco Murray on a crossing route. Murray eluded two defenders before spilling into the end zone, cutting the deficit to 21-20.

"It was a real good play by Alex Smith," Murray said. "It was an angle route. I wanted to score for my teammates."

Rice said the next decision was automatic.

"If we score, we’re going for two points," Rice said. "We didn’t come here for the tie or anything like that."

Mike Tolbert, a 5-foot-9, 245-pound fullback, got the handoff, and plowed his way across the goal line for the go-ahead points.

"It was my number the whole way," Tolbert said. "It was tough, but I had to do it."

Drew Brees, Team Sanders’ player captain, said the offensive linemen made the call. Tolbert credited quarterback Philip Rivers.

"He’s my old teammate (at San Diego)," Tolbert said. "I guess he told them to give me the ball."

Rivers said: "I think a lot of guys were pushing for that. (According to Pro Bowl rules) they can’t blitz. They can’t get up there inside. A lot of guys were calling for it."

Team Sanders had a final shot, but Tucker’s field-goal attempt was caught in the end zone by Team Rice cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who sprinted to the opposite end zone.

"No, no, it wasn’t a touchdown," Cromartie said. "I just wanted to run."

During the on-field celebration, Rice pledged his support of Hawaii as the Pro Bowl site. Next year’s site has not been announced.

"I love it here — the hospitality, the way we’re treated by the fans," Rice said. "I think the fans enjoy the players coming here. I can’t think of any other place."

The all-star game’s relevance has been debated since a lackluster performance two years ago. This year, the format was changed. Rice and Sanders filled their rosters through a draft of players selected to the Pro Bowl. Cornerbacks were allowed to play press coverages. Kickoffs were eliminated. Each quarter was treated as a separate segment, with a two-minute warning, and alternating opening possessions.

Unleashed somewhat, there were nine sacks and eight turnovers.

Linebacker Derrick Johnson flattened Kansas City teammate Jamaal Charles on a first-quarter run.

"If I didn’t hit him pretty hard, he definitely would have made me look bad," Johnson said. "Even though he’s my teammate, I had to give him a little friendly fire."

Charles said: "It was a pretty good hit. At the end of the day, I’m still here, I’m still healthy. We’re going to joke it out. We’re going to play it out, and we’re going to move on. He’s still my teammate. That’s part of the game. Ain’t nobody out here trying to play soft."

To be sure, the playbook — constructed through three practices this week — was emptied.

Team Sanders jumped to a 7-0 lead when Charles took a handoff and pitched back to Andrew Luck, who threw a 36-yard scoring pass to a leaping DeSean Jackson.

"It was a great catch by DeSean," Luck said. "Not much of a throw, but a great catch by DeSean. Jamaal made a nice play, too. They did all the work."

Team Rice tied it on Brees’ 8-yard TD pass to New Orleans teammate Jimmy Graham.

Team Sanders then went ahead on quarterback Cam Newton’s 1-yard sneak. Actually, it came on his second attempt, with the first one negated because of a timeout.

"It was what it was," Newton said. "It was the simplest play in all of football — the quarterback sneak. We gave great effort, and I got in."

Rivers’ 10-yard pass to Gordon tied it at 14 with 36 seconds left before the intermission.

Team Sanders then seized a 21-14 lead on Nick Foles’ 12-yard pass to tight end Jordan Cameron.

"He ran a simple corner route," Foles said. "He got away, and got separation from the defender, and he went up and used his big body to make a play."

Cameron said: "I thought we sealed the deal. But the game’s never over until it’s over."

For tight end Tony Gonzalez, who was playing in his 14th Pro Bowl, this is definitely the end of his playing career.

"What a way to go out," Gonzalez said. "Out here in Hawaii — pina coladas, mai tais, Hawaiian people, Hawaii food. I love coming over here. … I’m thinking of buying a house out here."