The Pro Bowl. The game when the best (but not the best of the best-see a later article!) gear up for a meaningless exhibition game that is meant to please the fans.
In the first quarter, Larry Fitzgerald caught 2 Aaron Rodgers passes for touchdowns. 14-0 NFC. But Big Ben Roethlisberger found AJ Green to cut the score to 14-7, followed by a 74 yarder from Ben to Brandon Marshall to tie the game at 14.
In the second quarter, Jimmy Graham caught teammate Drew Brees' pass for 2 yards. 21-14 NFC. Brandon Marshall and Philip Rivers connected for a 29 yarder, and the game was tied once again at 21. Brees then hit Greg Jennings for an 11-yard pass to make the score 28-21. On the last play of the half, Rivers hit teammate Antonio Gates for a 27 yard touchdown.
The third quarter started out with a bang, litterally. Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski boomed a 37-yard field goal to give the AFC a slim 31-28 lead. Cam Newton came in to play quarterback, and hit Steve Smith (Panthers teammate) with a 55 yard touchdown. 35-31 NFC. But Brandon Marshall again caught a 47 yarder from Andy Dalton. 38-35.
The fourth quarter was the blowout. Vonta Leach ran in 1 yard for a touchdown, followed by a 3-yard touchdown pass by Andy Dalton to Brandon Marshall. 52-35 AFC. But they weren't done yet! Derrick Johnson intercepted Dalton and returned it for 60 yards. 59-35 AFC. The NFC tried in vain to come back when Cam Newton threw a 36-yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald, but ended up losing 59-41.
I'll admit it, sometimes the players didn't seem to try as hard as they could have, and the defenses were both awful, but in the end, it was a memorable and historic Pro Bowl.
And as of now, that's really all that counts.
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