DVR'd Pro Bowl Liveblog 2010

Does doing something once before now make this a tradition? Eh, whatever.

TUP DVR'd Pro Bowl Liveblog 2010!!!


All of the exciting action... after the jump!
Pregame

First Quarter

Second Quarter


Well, the bad news (good news) is a DVR issue led to me missing the majority of the first half. It's not lost on me that had I purchased a Directv system I could have totally avoided

AFC - 17 | NFC - 17

- Jared Allen is featured in a Save The Children ad. It is making me not want to save the children.
- First real thought: seeing the game played at night makes it feel more significant. Kinda gives it that prime time feel.

- David Garrard can't connect on an end zone deep ball with Vincent Jackson. This is not giving the Pro Bowl a prime time feel.

- Vilma and Sharper are getting interviewed on the sideline. They seem like nice fellas. It's pointed out that Sharper made the Super Bowl in his first season as a Packer, where they lost to Elway's Broncos. Thirteen years later, he's back.

- Has Chad Ochocinco kicked yet? I can't look this up. I wouldn't want to see the results!

- Since I've been watching. NFC: failed 4th and 3. AFC: Failed 4th and 8.

- The NFC offense takes the field. I don't know if I've ever seen a Pro Bowl where it looked like guys cared less. McNabb targets Jason Witten, who totally ducks the route once he sees Brandon Meriweather looming.

- Ray Lewis appears to be mic'd up. He just said "oh, my goodness!" four or five times in a row. Jaws and Gruden seem delighted.

"That guy is an energy source for the Baltimore Ravens," says Gruden.

- Speaking of McNabb, I hope everybody saw this. It was funny.

- Clay Matthews gets his hair fondled on the sidelines.

- The Miami Dolphins kicker misses a 36-yard field goal to close out the half. God, what a suckfest. We're at 17's at halftime. This letting-Ocho-kick thing has got to be gaining some momentum.

Halftime

- Halftime interview with Matt Schaub. Suzy Kolber says Matt has a perfect QB rating with 2 TDs. I'm starting to fill in the blanks from the first half.

"You got credit for your toughness this season, playing all sixteen games through injury. What does a Pro Bowl defense look like?" she asks Schaub.

Wow.

- Chris Berman interviews Peyton Manning and Drew Brees at halftime. As my favorite Pro Bowl player of all-time, I'm really missing P-Mann in this game. As usual, Drew Brees' hair is a disaster. I feel so bad saying anything negative about him. But man!


Manning and Brees are trying to out 'nice' each other, and both are doing a damn good job. I'm skipping the rest of this.

- ESPN goes to commercial, comes back, and the interview continues. Jesus.

Third Quarter

- NFC starts with it. We've got McNabb and Peterson in, among others.

- McNabb hits DeSean Jackson on a 58-yard bubble screen TD. What a blazer.

(Side note: Does anyone else feel guilty about typing fragment sentences to end paragraphs because it makes them feel like Peter King? Uh... me neither.)

AFC - 17 | NFC - 24

- Garrard to Vincent Jackson on a way less cool TD.

AFC - 24 | NFC - 24

- As a usual fan of the AFC, I've found myself rooting for the NFC this year. The Knox effect, perhaps?

- McNabb is picked by Brian Dawkins, who laterals it to Champ Bailey. Bailey gets a decent return. Right as he's about to go down, he laterals it to Revis. Revis gets tackled, and tosses the ball aimlessly behind his head in another attempted lateral. But the refs had already blown the whistle.

The announcers seem disgusted.

- I know everybody hates the half-assedness of this game, but I see nothing but appeal with this style of play. It's insane to watch these freak athletes harness their freak athleticism and play so timidly. Especially when one guy -- usually the guy with the ball -- is actually busting his ass.

- The NFC gets a penalty for illegal defense. Wade Phillips looks bewildered. The AFC's in the red zone.

- Jones-Drew gains a big chunk of yards on a run... which, I believe, is the first one I've seen so far.

- Jones-Drew goes in on the next play, virtually untouched.

- The touchdown music on the stadium's P.A.? Bro Hymn Tribute. I love the Pro Bowl!

- Whoa. Oh-Oh-Oh. Whoa. Oh. Oh-Oh-Oh.

AFC - 31 | NFC - 24

- Michelle Tafyoa: Gotta ask you first, what it's like to be on this field, to be in Miami, when the Vikings came to close and wanted to be here so badly for next week's game?

Jared Allen: It's a bit disappointing, but you learn from it, you get better, and you come out and have a little fun with your friends. It kind if makes it easier to get over.

Tafoya: Does it really?

Allen: No...

God dammit, he's being likable.

- Ochocinco hauls in a long pass from Garrard. Apparently he's promised some sort of TD celebration which (I think?) Roger Goodell said he wouldn't fine.

- Ocho with another reception. AFC's got 1st and goal.

- Ray Rice does nothing. Second down...

- Garrard targets Ocho, but he drops a bad ball on a slant.

- Garrard gets sacked on a failed scramble.

"I was tryin' to get loose!" he tells a defender after the play.

- The lame Dolphins kicker makes a 26-yarder.

AFC - 34 | NFC - 24

- Tony Romo enters the game for the NFC.

- DeSean Jackson reverses field on a quick screen. Romo tries to throw a block but instead, slides aimlessly into no one. He stands up, dusts himself off, and starts laughing.

- Deangelo Williams punches it in.

AFC - 34 | NFC - 31

- We've got a barn burner!

- Vince Young's in at QB for the AFC. He may not deserve to be here, but I'm glad he is.

Fourth Quarter

- Crunch time.

- Ocho drops a deep ball in the end zone. Ugh. Asante Samuel tipped it on defense.

- A few plays later, Ocho gets targeted again, but this time, Samuel picks the pass off. Disappointing.

"Deuce deuce in the building," Samuel says a few moments later.

- The AFC gets called for illegal defense. Wade Phillips looks delighted.

- Mario Williams drops Tony Romo on a semi-hard looking sack. Probably the most physical play I've seen today.

- Akers FG.

AFC - 34 | NFC - 34

- On the sideline, Romo is asked about the added pressure of making the Super Bowl next year due to Dallas hosting the game. This could become thee break out annoying storyline going into next season. I'm annoyed already.

- The discussion in the booth shifts to a Favre "will he come back?" discussion. I take back everything I said about the Dallas storyline.

- I can't believe Schaub started the game for the AFC. Seriously, look at the QBs: Schaub, Vince Young, Garrard. That is pretty terrible.

Who are we missing from the AFC? Rivers? Manning? Brady? Are there any other talented guys I'm missing? Who knows. But I say this game could use an infusion of the Sanchize.

- Chris Johnson does some amazing, speedy shit after catching a screen pass, and I'm really regretting not watching more Titans games this past season.

- A few plays later, Johnson scores a touchdown on a much more boring play.

AFC - 41 | NFC - 34

- 5:59 remaining...

- Vince Young calls Suzy "man" two separate times in a sideline interview.

- ESPN flashes a stat: tonight's game is the most combined passing yards from the AFC/NFC in the history of the Pro Bowl. We're witnessing history before our eyes.

- It's pointed out that both Tony Romo and Miles Austin went undrafted. The announcers praise the Dallas Cowboys scouting department.

...I hate the Bears.

- Romo gets picked by James Harrison with 2:07 left in the game. Uh ohs.

"He just looks like a football player," Gruden says.

I'm gonna miss these guys during the long off-season.

- It appears as if the AFC is legitimately trying to run out the clock via running plays. I dislike their lack of sportsmanship. They're supposed to stupidly pass, fail, and give the NFC another shot to tie this sucker up. Where is the Pro Bowl etiquette?!??

- The AFC picks up a first down on a 4th and 1 to ice the game.

Final: AFC - 41 | NFC - 34
MVP: Matt Schaub

Johnny Knox: 0 receptions (targeted twice), 103 yards on 4 kickoff returns

Well. It's over. Let's go home. Remember how stupid this was when we find out the Pro Bowl outdrew the Lakers-C's game in TV ratings.