Game shows improvement
NFL headquarters liked what it saw from the 2013 Pro Bowl, which likely means a return for the game in 2014.
“I think there is no question that the improvement we sought (from the players) was delivered,” said Ray Anderson, NFL executive vice president of football operations.
The league had challenged the players to put forth a better effort this year or lose the annual all-star game after commissioner Roger Goodell threatened to suspend the game following a lackluster 2012 effort.
Last Monday in Honolulu, Anderson said the league was expecting something approaching the level that earned the players appearances in the Pro Bowl.
“No question all of our people back in New York, including the commissioner, were watching carefully and intently,” Anderson said. “ I think they liked what they saw.”
Special team stars
The special teams selections are often the unknown stars entering the Pro Bowl.
Lorenzo Alexander of the Vikings and Matthew Slater of the Patriots performed as well as many of their more famous teammates Sunday.
Alexander led the NFC with five tackles. Interestingly, none of them came on special teams play. The Redskins linebacker had 50 combined stops during the 2012 season.
Slater, the son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Jackie Slater, had three tackles for the AFC, all on special teams. The most noteworthy was when he tracked down Leon Washington of the Seahawks and kept him out of the end zone on a 92-yard kickoff return.
Vikings kicker Blair Walsh set a Pro Bowl record with eight points-after-touchdown for the NFC. He also kicked two field goals.
Little rain at Pro Bowl
A flash-flood warning was issued for Oahu in the early afternoon, but the 2013 Pro Bowl emerged unscathed.
Kickoff was delayed from 2 p.m. to 2:30 because of the threat of poor weather.
The skies over Aloha Stadium were indeed overcast and gray. However, it didn’t actually start to rain until about 3:30 p.m.
The rain was intermittent and light, and eventually stopped altogether.
Johnson makes big play
Kansas City linebacker Derrick Johnson’s 42-yard interception return earned him a place in the Pro Bowl record book.
Johnson tied the game’s career mark with his second Pro Bowl touchdown.
Johnson joined former New England and New York Jets cornerback Ty Law and Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks with two touchdowns off of interceptions.
“It’s an honor to be here, but being a defensive player you want to get interceptions and if you can get a touchdown off of it, that’s icing on the cake,” said Johnson, who scored on a 60-yard interception return last year.
Johnson had some help in last year’s game, taking a lateral from Eric Weddle and finishing off the 60-yard score.
He went solo on Sunday, snagging Eli Manning’s throw over the middle and returning it 42 yards early in the second quarter.
Rough start for the QBs
While rookie quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson sat out the first half, the experienced signal-callers showed some Pro Bowl jitters early on.
Three of the four quarterbacks to play in the first half turned the ball over on their opening drives.
The game started with NFC quarterback Drew Brees fumbling an exchange with running back Adrian Peterson for a turnover.
Eli Manning took over for Brees to start the second quarter and was intercepted by Kansas City linebacker Derrick Johnson, who returned it 42 yards for a touchdown to give the AFC a 14-10 lead.
Matt Schaub’s opening drive didn’t end any better, as the Houston QB was intercepted at the 1-yard line on a pass tipped by Patrick Peterson that landed in the hands of Atlanta’s William Moore.
Luck made it 4-for-6 when he fumbled the snap from center Chris Myers on his first play of the game in the third quarter.
