NFC capitalizes on AFC mistakes

By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer

The NFC could have easily given up. It was down by 25 points in the second half and, after all, it was the Pro Bowl.

The NFC defense, which yielded a Pro Bowl record 626 yards, had its good moments, too. Here, defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila of Green Bay sacks Kansas City quarterback Trent Green in the third quarter. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

The NFC turned five second-half turnovers into 35 points and St. Louis quarterback Marc Bulger led the comeback with a Pro Bowl record four touchdown passes.

"I knew when we were down we were going to be throwing the ball a lot," Bulger said, "and that's what I'm accustomed to at St. Louis so it wasn't like I had to come into a different mode."

Bulger, who was given the Dan McGuire MVP award, finished 12 of 21 for 152 yards.

The victory by the NFC snapped the AFC's Pro Bowl winning streak at three games.

"We really should have (won the game) and we got to the point where we're fumbling snaps and fumbling the ball and turning the ball over time after time," AFC coach Tony Dungy said. "When you're up by that much you feel you should win it."

The AFC appeared on its way to an easy win when it took a 38-13 lead four minutes into the second half following a 22-yard run by Baltimore's Jamal Lewis.

Then the AFC suddenly couldn't maintain possession of the ball, and the comeback was on.

AFC quarterback Trent Green of Kansas City fumbled a snap and the ball was recovered by the NFC's Leonard Little of St. Louis and advanced to the AFC 28.

Bulger later hooked up with Rams teammate Torry Holt to draw the NFC to 38-20 with 8:08 left in the third.

On the AFC's next possession, Green completed a pass to Tennessee's Derrick Mason, but Detroit's Dre' Bly caused a fumble and the ball was recovered by Chicago's Jerry Azumah, who returned the ball 36 yards to the NFC 7.

Bulger completed a 2-yard pass to Tampa Bay's Keenan McCardell three plays later to make it 38-27 with 5:47 left in the third.

Later, the AFC tried a trick play and it backfired. Indianapolis receiver Marvin Harrison threw a pass off a reverse. The ball was intended for Pittsburgh's Hines Ward, but it was intercepted by Washington's Champ Bailey at the NFC 12.

Bulger hit Seattle running back Shaun Alexander on a 5-yard scoring pass with 5:43 left in the fourth to make it 45-40.

The NFC took its first lead when Bly intercepted Manning and returned the ball 32 yards for a touchdown to make it 48-45 with 4:50 remaining.

"My man Dre' Bly he made the game for us — two caused fumbles, pick, touchdown," said NFC defensive end Michael Strahan of the New York Giants.

The NFC appeared to put the game away when Minnesota's Corey Chavous intercepted Manning and returned the ball to the AFC 2, and Alexander scored on the next play to put the NFC up 55-45 with 3:32 remaining.

"I like the fourth quarter; that's when I feel I want to make a play," Chavous said. "I felt like I had to do one for the team after giving one up early (by missing a block on an AFC blocked punt return for a TD)."

But the game went down to the wire as Manning hit Ward on a 10-yard touchdown pass to make it 55-52 with 1:54 remaining.

On the NFC's ensuing possession, Miami's Brock Marion intercepted Bulger in the end zone and returned the ball to the AFC 22 with 1:15 left.

Manning drove the AFC into field-goal range in the final minute. A sack by Kris Jenkins of Carolina put the ball at the 33 and Manning was forced to spike the ball with four seconds left.

"We got a lot of push and he couldn't see, we're big guys," Jenkins said. "Once he pulled the ball down I got my hands on him."

Indianapolis' Mike Vanderjagt came in on third down but missed a 51-yard field-goal attempt as time expired.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8041.