Final, Team Rice 22-21: Jerry Rice’s group didn’t hold the lead for most of four quarters, waiting until it counted to take control of this game. It wasn’t the offensive showing that the Pro Bowl has been in recent years, but the players promised a more competitive effort, and they delivered.
Nick Foles of Team Sanders is the offensive MVP. The Eagles quarterback completed seven passes for 89 yards and one touchdown.
Derrick Johnson of Team Rice is the defensive MVP after making eight tackles.
Fourth quarter, 0:05: Team Rice 22-21: Justin Tucker comes on for a 67-yard field-goal attempt. Tucker’s kick is short, and Team Rice has somehow won this game.
Fourth quarter, 0:41, Team Rice 22-21: And just like that, Team Rice is winning this game. Mike Tolbert charges through a sea of bodies, and the 250-pound fullback does his job to snag the two points.
Fourth quarter, 1:24, Team Sanders 21-14: Team Rice will have one last shot. Alex Smith gets the ball back with just over a minute to play at the 40-yard line.
On second-and-10, Alshon Jeffery makes the grab, which sets up DeMarco Murray’s touchdown reception on the next play. Jerry Rice is going for the win here.
Fourth quarter, 2:17, Team Sanders 21-14: Team Rice pulls off the fake-punt conversion after Mike Tolbert breaks through a couple of tackles. Alex Smith then keeps the drive alive on fourth-and-8 by throwing a 16-yard pass.
The drive doesn’t end like they drew it up, though. Brent Grimes of the Miami Dolphins comes up with the interception, and Team Sanders will look to run out the clock and put this one away.
Fourth quarter, 4:42, Team Sanders 21-14: Nick Foles just gave his team the lead. Throwing off his back foot, Foles finds Jordan Cameron in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, and this back-and-forth game rolls on.
Fourth quarter, 6:05, 14-14: Deion Sanders just said he isn’t afraid to bring Andrew Luck back into the game to break this tie. Nick Foles is the current QB for Team Sanders.
Foles might be the hero, though. The Eagles quarterback just hit Antonio Brown with a 39-yard reception.
Fourth quarter, 7:44, 14-14: Team Sanders’ defense puts a stop to Alex Smith’s impressive drive, and Stephen Gostkowski will come on to try a 52-yard field goal.
The New England Patriots kicker’s attempt is off the mark, however, as his kick hits off the uprights. This game is still tied.
End of the third quarter: Alex Smith had his time to shine for Team Rice, but he unfortunately has nothing to show for it.
The highlight of the quarter definitely goes to J.J. Watt’s creative, and fitting, dance that he busted out after his sack. His surfboard moves certainly are a much more pleasant sight than the bloody hand he showed off in last year’s Pro Bowl.
Third quarter, 8:04, 14-14: After putting together a nice drive, including a 34-yard completion to Tony Gonzalez, Team Rice is forced to punt. Team Sanders will take over from the 11-yard line.
Eddie Lacy of the Green Bay Packers gets his first rush of the day and goes for an 8-yard gain.
Third quarter, 11:44, 14-14: Team Sanders opts to go for it on fourth down, but Team Rice stands tall and keeps them off the board. Philip Rivers and Co. take over from their own 4-yard line.
Third quarter, 13:13, 14-14: After a halftime performance by Fallout Boy, it’s time to start the second half. Rain has begun to fall at Aloha Stadium, and that might have attributed to LeSean McCoy’s fumble shortly after play resumed.
Team Sanders and Cam Newton now take the field. Some of that first-half effort appears to have gone away as Alfred Morris charges ahead, pretty easily, to set up first-and-goal from the 5-yard line.
Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders aren’t pleased with the effort they are seeing from their respective teams, so they’re doing everything they can to pump them back up on the sidelines.
End of the first half, 14-14: Justin Tucker attempts a 66-yard field goal, but it’s unsurprisingly short. Antonio Cromartie is waiting for the ball in the end zone, but he doesn’t make it out very far. The teams enter halftime knotted up at 14 in a game that’s delivering on its promise to be more competitive and more entertaining. Who would have thought?
Second quarter, 0:36, 14-14: After two turnovers on two possessions, Philip Rivers has redeemed himself. Josh Gordon hauls in a pass in the corner of the end zone, and we once again have a tie ballgame.
Second quarter, 2:38, Team Sanders 14-7: Alfred Morris coughs up the ball during his rush up the middle on third-and-20. Derrick Johnson laid another hard hit, and Team Rice gets the ball back at the 42-yard line.
Second quarter, 4:14, Team Sanders 14-7: This drive doesn’t go any better for Philip Rivers. Patrick Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals just intercepted Rivers’ pass down the sideline. That’s two picks for Rivers during his short time on the field. Team Sanders takes over at the 47-yard line.
Second quarter, 5:45, Team Sanders 14-7: Cam Newton looks like he’ll be stuffed at the goal line, but the Panthers QB uses all of his 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame to push himself over the line and regain the lead for Team Sanders.
Second quarter, 7:32, 7-7: Joe Haden just ripped the ball out of DeSean Jackson’s hands, and now Philip Rivers will take over for Team Rice.
J.J. Watt puts pressure on Rivers on the QB’s first pass of the game, and Dontari Poe snags the ball out of mid-air. Team Sanders ball — again.
Second quarter, 9:05, 7-7: T.J. Ward just sent Josh Gordon flying into the air. The wide receiver does a somersault over his teammate, and it’s official: The Cleveland Browns are not messing around tonight.
Drew Brees completes an 18-yard pass to LeSean McCoy after the big hit before finding Saints teammate Jimmy Graham for a touchdown. That’s certainly a familiar scene, and it’s all tied up at 7.
Second quarter, 12:57, Team Sanders 7-0: Cam Newton takes over for Andrew Luck, and Team Sanders but goes three-and-out on his first drive.
In non-football news, J.J. Watt just revealed in a sideline interview that in addition to being a huge hockey fan, the tough guy also is a big curling fan.
Drew Brees will remain the starter for Team Rice.
End of the first quarter, Team Sanders 7-0: Possession changes after each quarter, so Drew Brees is forced to charge down the field, and his team burns two timeouts in the process.
It’s all for naught, though, as Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry intercepts a pass in the end zone to preserve his team’s lead. Team Sanders will take over at the 25-yard line to begin the second quarter.
First quarter, 1:56, Team Sanders 7-0: The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here: the first teammate-on-teammate hit. Derrick Johnson just reminded Jamaal Charles how lucky he is that they’re both Kansas City Chiefs with a massive hit behind the line of scrimmage. Team Sanders faces a third-and-20 now.
First quarter, 3:24, Team Sanders 7-0: We have our first interception of the day. Andrew Luck’s pass is batted into the air by Robert Quinn, and Vontaze Burfict makes a diving play for the pick.
Drew Brees can’t take advantage of the turnover, however. After facing immense pressure (again), Team Rice goes for it on fourth-and-goal, but Brees tosses an incomplete pass into the end zone that’s almost picked off.
First quarter, 9:13, Team Sanders 7-0: There’s no such thing as intentional grounding in the Pro Bowl, and that’s good news for Drew Brees. Team Sanders is pressuring the Saints QB hard, and he can’t get any offense going early. So far, St. Louis Rams punter Johnny Hekker has been the MVP of Team Rice.
First quarter, 10:05, Team Sanders 7-0: Andrew Luck goes deep, and DeSean Jackson makes an unbelievable catch to give Team Sanders the lead. Jackson shows off his vertical and rips the ball from two Team Rice defenders to haul in the pass. Luck is 4-for-4 on that drive.
First quarter, 13:23: Drew Brees goes three-and-out to start the game. After a sack and an almost-sack, Team Sanders has shown it’s bringing the pressure.
First quarter, 15:00: Team Sanders wins the toss but defers. Drew Brees is the starting quarterback for Team Rice. Andrew Luck gets the nod for Mr. Sanders’ squad.
7:38 p.m. ET: We are just minutes away from the Pro Bowl finally starting, but before that, Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders must trash talk one last time. Rice is promising a more competitive effort in 2014, so you can yell at him if that plan doesn’t pan out.
7:05 p.m. ET: It remains to be seen if the new format will generate more excitement in what’s usually a lackluster game, but the draft certainly has created some interesting scenarios. While players from the AFC are pumped to line up alongside players from the NFC, and vice versa, we also might get to see some teammates hitting teammates. We can’t promise Robert Mathis will lay the smackdown on Andrew Luck, but the possibility remains. Dontari Poe might try to go after Alex Smith, while Josh Gordon could feel the hurt of T.J. Ward.
The NFL also has implemented some new rules for this year’s game:
1. All four quarters will include a two-minute warning. Possession will change after each quarter.
2. If the offense doesn’t gain any yards within the final two minutes of each quarter, the game clock will stop, like with a dead ball.
3. 35-second and 25-second play clocks will be used instead of the normal 40- and 25-second clocks.
4. The game clock will start on the referee’s signal after an incomplete pass, except when inside the last two minutes of the first half or the last five minutes of the second.
5. The game clock will not stop if the quarterback is sacked.
6. There will be no kickoffs. Teams will start with the ball at their own 25-yard line after scoring plays.
4:25 p.m. ET: The game you’ve been waiting for all year … is still a week away, but we’re just hours away from kickoff (or coin flip) of the Pro Bowl. Check out the full rosters for both squads below.
Team Rice
Coach: Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers
QB Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
QB Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
QB Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
WR Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns
WR Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears
WR Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
TE Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints
TE Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons
RB LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles
RB DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys
RB Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
FB Mike Tolbert, Carolina Panthers
OT Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns
OT Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
OT Jordan Gross, Carolina Panthers
G Jahri Evans, New Orleans Saints
G Ben Grubbs, New Orleans Saints
G Evan Mathis, Philadelphia Eagles
C Ryan Kalil, Carolina Panthers
C Nick Mangold, New York Jets
DE Robert Quinn, St. Louis Rams
DE Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints
DE Cameron Wake, Miami Dolphins
DT Jason Hatcher, Dallas Cowboys
DT Marcell Dareus, Buffalo Bills
DT Kyle Williams, Buffalo Bills
OLB Justin Houston, Kansas City Chiefs
OLB Robert Mathis, Indianapolis Colts
OLB John Abraham, Arizona Cardinals
ILB Vontaze Burfict, Cincinnati Bengals
ILB Derrick Johnson, Kansas Chiefs
CB Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns
CB Brandon Flowers, Kansas Chiefs
CB Antonio Cromartie, New York Jets
CB Alterraun Verner, Tennessee Titans
S Eric Reid, San Francisco 49ers
S Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills
S Antrel Rolle, New York Giants
ST Justin Bethel, Arizona Cardinals
PR Dexter McCluster, Kansas City Chiefs
K Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots
P Johnny Hekker, St. Louis Rams
LS Matt Overton, Indianapolis Colts
Team Sanders
Coach: Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts
QB Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
QB Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
QB Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles
WR A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
WR Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
WR Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
WR DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles
TE Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
TE Jordan Cameron, Cleveland Browns
RB Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
RB Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers
RB Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins
FB Marcel Reece, Oakland Raiders
OT Trent Williams, Washington Redskins
OT Duane Brown, Houston Texans
OT Branden Albert, Kansas City Chiefs
G Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
G Logan Mankins, New England Patriots
G Kyle Long, Chicago Bears
C Mike Pouncey, Miami Dolphins
C Alex Mack, Cleveland Browns
DE J.J. Watt, Houston Texans
DE Greg Hardy, Carolina Panthers
DE Mario Williams, Buffalo Bills
DT Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions
DT Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DT Dontari Poe, Kansas City Chiefs
OLB Brian Orakpo, Washington Redskins
OLB Tamba Hali, Kansas City Chiefs
OLB Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens
ILB Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers
ILB Paul Posluszny, Jacksonville Jaguars
CB Patrick Peterson, Arizona Cardinals
CB Darrelle Revis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
CB Brent Grimes, Miami Dolphins
CB Tim Jennings, Chicago Bears
S Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs
S Eric Weddle, San Diego Chargers
S T.J. Ward, Cleveland Browns
ST Matthew Slater, New England Patriots
PR Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings
K Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
P Brandon Fields, Miami Dolphins
LS J.J. Jansen, Carolina Panthers
8 a.m. ET: It’s a whole new ballgame this year — or at least the NFL hopes it will be.
This year’s NFL Pro Bowl is spicing up some aspects of the annual game in hopes of creating more excitement for the fans. For the first time ever, players aren’t split up by AFC or NFC affiliation. Instead, they were selected by Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders as part of a two-day fantasy-style draft.
Rice and Sanders also received some help from the captains they picked before the draft got underway. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn provided input for Team Rice, while Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles and Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt gave their two cents for Team Sanders.
Now the rosters are set, and it’s time to see some of the best players in the game shine in sunny Hawaii. There’s usually no shortage of offensive dominance in the Pro Bowl, and this year’s matchup looks to be no different. Cam Newton, Nick Foles and Andrew Luck will be under center for Team Sanders. Drew Brees, Alex Smith and Philip Rivers will man the quarterback position for Team Rice.
Although some of the biggest names in the game will sit this one out — Tom Brady, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson — along with players on the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, there is still plenty of star power at Aloha Stadium.
The squads will square off at 7:30 p.m., so keep it here on NESN.com, and we’ll update you on all the happenings.
