Anything goes at the Pro Bowl these days, and Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks had an extra fun moment near the end of Sunday’s game at Aloha Stadium.
Bennett, a menacing defensive end, took a direct snap — on offense — started running to his right, lifted his arm halfway up as if to fake a pass, hit a gaping hole, bounced off a superficial arm tackle and kept on motoring for a 53-yard touchdown. Hold everything. The officials actually blew a whistle on that attempted tackle and the play was called back.
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TEAM IRVIN • Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
New York Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had three interceptions for all of the 2015 NFL season. He nearly matched those picks in an afternoon of play Sunday with a pair of snares for victorious Team Irvin.
The two-time Pro Bowler out of Tennessee State picked off Oakland’s Derek Carr in the second quarter and returned it 13 yards. Unfortunately for Rodgers-Cromartie, he fumbled it and it was recovered by Team Rice.
Then, in the third quarter, he picked off Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor and ran it back 32 yards.
—Brian McInnis, Star-Advertiser
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That type of play may never happen again for the 6-foot-4, 274-pound Bennett, who added the Pro Bowl’s Defensive MVP award to a list of accomplishments that also includes a Super Bowl XLVIII championship.
Defensively, Bennett had a sack, a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup that led to an interception by Jurrell Casey of the Tennessee Titans in Team Irvin’s 49-27 victory over Team Rice.
“I was like ‘OK really, OK really, oh, oh, really? I guess they’re gonna let me score,’ ” Bennett said when he saw the opening and bolted toward the end zone.
Asked if he ever thought he would take a snap as a wildcat quarterback, he said, “Only in my dreams. It wasn’t in the game plan, but I knew Coach (Green Bay assistant Winston Moss, who was filling in for Packers head coach Mike McCarthy) was going to give me the ball. I kept asking him when he was going to give me the ball and he finally gave me the ball.”
Seattle made its mark in the postseason for the third year in a row. Two years ago, the Seahawks triumphed over Denver in the Super Bowl before losing to New England in the big game last year.
This year, aside from Bennett’s defensive MVP, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was the choice for the Pro Bowl’s offensive MVP. He threw three touchdown passes, one each to Todd Gurley of the St. Louis Rams and Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman of the Atlanta Falcons, and also completed a 2-point conversion pass to A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Russell Wilson is one of the elite players in the NFL,” Bennett said about his Seattle teammate. “It’s so great to be able to come out with all these guys and win. It was fun.”
Wilson went 8-for-12 for 164 yards with a long of 61 yards to Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins to set up his first TD pass to Jones for a 7-all tie. He didn’t throw an interception and he also had high praise for Bennett.
“Michael Bennett is one of the best D-linemen in the game,” he said. “And (it wasn’t a surprise) to see him make those plays that he’s been doing all year. To see two Seahawks win MVP, it’s a cool thing.
“To be at the Pro Bowl is a special thing … to be able to see all those amazing players. They’re the best players in the world.”
One of those best players in the world is another Seattle player — Bobby Wagner. With nine solo tackles and one assisted stop, the 6-foot, 240-pound linebacker was in the running for defensive MVP. The Seahawks’ Richard Sherman and Tyler Lockett also represented the Pacific Northwest in style. Sherman had two tackles and a pass breakup and looked a bit out of his league on offense with a 22-yard loss on an end-around. Lockett returned a punt 24 yards.
