Super Bowl warmup: Scoreboard gets workout as AFC beats NFC 41-34 in Pro Bowl

more images

Manning, Brees watch as AFC beats NFC 41-34

MIAMI — Peyton Manning and Drew Brees watched from the sideline, awaiting a bigger stage in another week. The Pro Bowl had plenty of offense without them.

In its new role as a warmup to the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl nearly overheated the scoreboard, with the AFC outscoring the NFC 41-34 Sunday night.

Now comes the main attraction. Pro Bowl players from the two Super Bowl teams attended the all-star game as spectators, and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints were to arrive Monday in South Florida.

The Colts and Saints play for the NFL title Sunday, and while it may be another high-scoring game, the defense is sure to be much more aggressive. Long gains were the rule for the Pro Bowl, and hard hitting was the exception.

“It’s a no-defense game,” NFC coach Wade Phillips said. “So you are going to have a lot of scoring. But that is what we wanted to see.”

Seven Colts and seven Saints were among the crowd of 70,697 that was the largest for a Pro Bowl since 1959 in Los Angeles. Manning and Brees shook hands at halftime.

“I’m excited tonight, knowing I have a real game next week,” Manning said.

The NFL sought to transform the Pro Bowl into more of a “real game” by playing it before the Super Bowl for the first time. In a one-year experiment, the league also moved the game from Honolulu, its home since 1980.

The stadium was half empty by the third quarter, perhaps partly because of steady light rain and temperatures in the 60s. It was sunny and 82 in Honolulu at game time.

Did the weather dampen the players’ enthusiasm for Miami?

“It’s beautiful. It’s paradise,” NFC receiver Steve Smith said. “Too bad it’s not Hawaii.”

Despite the rain, uniforms remained mostly spotless, with players rarely falling to the ground.

“It’s different. It was like seven on seven,” rookie linebacker Brian Orakpo said. “Everybody came out here trying not to get hurt and give the fans a good show.”

Matt Schaub of the Houston Texans threw for 189 yards and two AFC scores, and was chosen the most valuable player. He started the game and returned to lead a 76-yard drive for the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“It’s a game you watch growing up as a kid and wonder if you could ever be in,” Schaub said. “To actually be a part of it is incredible.”

Aaron Rodgers also threw two touchdown passes, and NFC teammate DeSean Jackson had two scoring catches.

Nearly 40 percent of the players originally selected for the game didn’t play. One of the AFC replacements, David Garrard, threw for 183 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown to Vincent Jackson.

“It’s so awesome,” Garrard said. “One of my goals coming into the game was to just be relevant and show all the people who said, ‘What is he doing in there? The Pro Bowl has dropped off a few pegs,’ that I do belong.”

Vincent Jackson made seven catches for 122 yards. Chad Ochocinco had a 40-yard reception but didn’t do any kicking after practicing placements and punts for the AFC during the week.

“That’s OK. It was fun anyway,” Ochocinco said.

DeSean Jackson scored on a 7-yard pass from Rodgers and a 58-yard pass from Donovan McNabb, his regular quarterback with the Eagles.

“I’m just out here having a great time,” Jackson said. “And at the same time I’m trying to put out a little effort.”

There were plenty of other big plays. Joshua Cribbs caught a punt at the goal line and returned it 65 yards. A penalty negated LaMarr Woodley’s 64-yard interception return for a touchdown.

“I slowed up to get a little camera time,” Woodley said.

The AFC totaled 517 yards and the NFC 470. The AFC netted 418 passing and the NFC 417.

“You don’t really compete until the fourth quarter, but it’s just fun,” AFC cornerback Darrelle Revis said. “You want to stay healthy and don’t want guys to get hurt.”