Super Bowl combatants send honorees to Hawaii

Feb 7, 2007, 17:35 GMT

- The Indianapolis Colts will be well-represented in Honolulu on Saturday, when five members of the reigning world champions suit up for the AFC squad in its annual Pro Bowl battle versus the rival NFC. Quarterback Peyton Manning, wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, center Jeff Saturday, and tackle Tarik Glenn were all part of the Colts' 27-19 victory over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI last Sunday, and will be seeking another winning effort, albeit under less pressure-packed circumstances.

Saturday and Wayne will be among the players making their initial Pro Bowl appearance.

The NFC Champion Bears will also send some team members to Aloha Stadium, though several Chicago players begged off the All-Star game due to various ailments (possibly including bruised egos). Guard Ruben Brown, kicker Robbie Gould, return man Devin Hester, and special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo will all be in uniform for the NFC, though center Olin Kreutz (undisclosed), defensive tackle Tommie Harris (hamstring), and linebackers Brian Urlacher (foot), and Lance Briggs (undisclosed) will all be absent.

New England head coach Bill Belichick and New Orleans head man Sean Payton will guide the AFC and NFC squads, respectively, after watching their teams fall in the championship round of the postseason.

SERIES HISTORY

The all-time Pro Bowl series, which dates back to the 1970 season, is knotted, 18-18. Since the 1979 campaign, when the game was first played in Honolulu, the AFC holds a slim 14-13 advantage. From 1961-69, prior to the AFL-NFL merger, the leagues held separate All-Star games after the season. From 1951-60, the NFL played its own Pro Bowl following the year, and from 1938-42, the NFL champion competed against an assembled group of league all-stars.

The NFC was a 23-17 winner in last year's contest, with Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks intercepting a Trent Green pass and returning it 59 yards for a touchdown en route to Player of the Game honors. The previous year, the AFC took a 38-27 decision in what was its fourth Pro Bowl win in five seasons. The AFC has won seven of the last 10 contests in the series.

Belichick and Payton will be meeting for the first time as head coaches.

NFC OFFENSE VS. AFC DEFENSE

Taking the starting reins for the NFC will be Saints quarterback Drew Brees (4418 passing yards, 26 TD, 11 INT), who will be making his second Pro Bowl appearance, and first in a New Orleans uniform. Brees, who will be succeeded in the lineup by the Rams' Marc Bulger (4301 passing yards, 23 TD, 8 INT) and Cowboys' Tony Romo (2903 passing yards, 19 TD, 13 INT), played for the AFC team as a member of the Chargers following the 2004 campaign. Romo, meanwhile, will be appearing on a field for the first time since a playoff loss to the Seahawks that was best-remembered for his botched field goal hold. Among the running backs featured for the NFC will be the Giants' Tiki Barber (1662 rushing yards, 5 TD), who will shuffle off to retirement after making his third and final Pro Bowl appearance. The 49ers' Frank Gore (1695 rushing yards, 8 TD) will be the backfield starter for the NFC. At wideout, Steve Smith (83 receptions, 8 TD) and Donald Driver (92 receptions, 8 TD) will open the game as Brees' primary targets.

Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and pass rushing phenom Jason Taylor (60 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 2 INT) will try to introduce himself to Brees and Gore early in Sunday's game, as he seeks to cap off an outstanding season on a high note. Also trying to apply pressure will be 2006 NFL sack leader and outside linebacker Shawne Merriman (62 tackles, 17 sacks, 1 INT), who drew criticism from his Pro Bowl teammate Taylor in the wake of a four-game NFL steroid suspension earlier this year. At linebacker, the Ravens' Adalius Thomas (83 tackles, 11 sacks, 1 INT), Terrell Suggs (64 tackles, 9.5 sacks) and Bart Scott (103 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 2 INT) are three of Baltimore's five defensive players that will grace Aloha Stadium with their presence. In the secondary, the Broncos' Champ Bailey (85 tackles, 10 INT; four career Pro Bowl INTs) needs one interception to establish the Pro Bowl career record in that category, which he currently shares with NFL legends Deion Sanders and Everson Walls.

AFC OFFENSE VS. NFC DEFENSE

Manning (4397 passing yards, 31 TD, 9 INT), who will be making the seventh Pro Bowl appearance of his nine-year NFL career, will be looking to extend his career records for Pro Bowl TD passes (12), yards (1131), and completions (79). Manning can also help his teammate Harrison (95 receptions, 12 TD) ascend the top of several All-Star receiving lists. Harrison, who will be making his eighth consecutive appearance in Hawaii, needs one TD to break a tie with the Jaguars' Jimmy Smith for most Pro Bowl touchdowns scored (5). Harrison (462) is also just 33 yards behind Jerry Rice for the No. 1 spot on the Pro Bowl receiving yards list, and his 30 catches are just seven back of Rice for that record. Manning will be succeeded by quarterbacks Carson Palmer (4035 passing yards, 28 TD, 13 INT) and Vince Young (2199 passing yards, 12 TD, 13 INT) in the lineup, while Harrison will begin on the sideline behind starters Chad Johnson (87 receptions, 7 TD) and Andre Johnson (103 receptions, 5 TD). At running back, reigning NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson (1815 rushing yards, 28 TD) and Chiefs standout Larry Johnson (1789 rushing yards, 17 TD) will both see time.

Brooks (121 tackles, 3 INT) has a chance to make history on Saturday, when he will attempt to become the first defender to win back-to-back Player of the Game honors in Pro Bowl history. The veteran linebacker, who will appear in a reserve role behind the Seahawks' Julian Peterson (89 tackles, 10 sacks, 1 INT) and Lofa Tatupu (122 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT) along with the Cowboys' Demarcus Ware (71 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 1 INT), earned his 10th Pro Bowl citation this season. Seeking to apply pressure on Manning and the quarterbacks will be starting ends Julius Peppers (57 tackles, 13 INT) of the Panthers and Will Smith (49 tackles, 10.5 sacks) of the Saints. Smith, who will be making his first Pro Bowl appearance is one of three New Orleans players that was named to the NFC team. The secondary will be led by Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde' Barber (98 tackles, 3 INT), who will be playing alongside his brother Tiki on the Pro Bowl squad for a third straight season.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The NFC special teams are littered with Bears, as Gould (32-36 FG), Hester (12.8 punt return avg., 3 TD, 26.4 kickoff return avg. 2 TD), and Ayanbadejo (25 tackles) all earned their first career Pro Bowl selections in 2006. Hester electrified the NFL world with seven returns for touchdowns (regular season and playoffs) during his rookie season. The Cowboys' Mat McBriar (48.2 avg.), another first-time Pro Bowl selection, will do the punting for the NFC.

The AFC special teams will be led by kickoff return man Justin Miller (28.3 avg.), who had two touchdowns during the regular season and was the only member of the Jets to earn a Pro Bowl citation this season. Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding (26-29 FG) and Bills punter Brian Moorman (43.6 avg.) are other featured members of the AFC special teams unit.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

Since the Pro Bowl is essentially an exhibition, picking a winner and loser is a difficult tasks. Due to the lack of defense played, it often devolves into a glorified game of two-hand touch. Expect that style to favor Peyton Manning, who will also have the luxury of facing the weaker of the two defenses on Sunday.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: AFC 42, NFC 38

© 2007 The Sports Network