|
 The
1997 Pro Bowl saw records
fall and two exceptional
quarterbacking performances.
It was the second overtime
game in the series’ history.
The attendance was 50,031.
The coaches for the game
were Tom Coughlin of
Jacksonville and Dom Capers
of Carolina.
Green Bay’s Brett Favre
played all of the first
quarter and part of the
second. He staked the NFC to
an early 9-0 advantage on
Seattle’s John Kasay’s 20
yard field goal and a
touchdown pass to
Minnesota’s Randall McDaniel
on a 5 yard tackle eligible
play. The conversion attempt
failed. In the 2nd quarter,
the Colts’ Cary Blanchard
kicked a 28 yard field goal
for the AFC. The halftime
score was 9-3, NFC.
In the third quarter,
Detroit’s Barry Sanders, who
had 11 carries for 59 yards
in the game, scored on a 6
yard run to make the score
15-3. Again, the conversion
attempt failed. Curtis
Martin countered with a 3
yard run to bring the AFC to
within five at 15-10. On the
first play of the 4th
quarter, Cincinnati
cornerback Ashley Ambrose
stepped in front of a pass
from Carolina’s Kerry
Collins intended for
Philadelphia’s Irving Fryar
and returned the
interception 54 yards for a
touchdown. It gave the AFC
its first lead of the game
at 16-15. The 2-point
conversion failed. Gus Frerotte of Washington
attempted to engineer the
winning drive with a 53 yard
touchdown strike to
Minnesota’s Cris Carter. Carolina’s Wesley Walls
caught a two point
conversion pass that gave
the NFC a 23-16 advantage
with 4:07 left in
regulation. But,
Jacksonville’s Mark Brunell
connected with Oakland’s Tim
Brown for an 80 yard bomb
down the right sideline to
tie the game at 23-all with
44 seconds left. Frerotte
still drove the NFC into
field goal range with 11
seconds left, only to see
Kasay's 39 yard attempt
tumble just beneath the
upright.
In the overtime, Blanchard
hooked a 41 yarder wide to
the left early, but got a
second chance. Under a heavy
rush from Minnesota's John
Randle, Brunell shook him
off and completed a 43 yard
backbreaking pass to New
England’s Ben Coates to set
up Blanchard's 37-yard field
goal to win the game. The
final score was 26-23.
Brunell, who was 12 for 22
for 236 yards and one
touchdown, was voted player
of the game. Frerotte
connected on 13 of 25 for
193 yards and one touchdown.
Tim Brown set a Pro Bowl
record for receiving yards
with 137 and both teams
combined for a Pro Bowl
record 962 yards.
|
