Offensive Fireworks Likely in Pro Bowl

H O N O L U L U, Feb. 4 -- It's time for some offense.

Dennis Green and Jon Gruden, who watched a pair of dominatingdefenses eliminate their teams from the Super Bowl chase threeweeks ago, look forward to some fireworks today in the Pro Bowl.

The talent on their respective rosters and Pro Bowl rules shouldsee to that.

"There's nothing wrong with having great offenses," saidGreen, the Minnesota Vikings' coach who will guide the NFC. "Thisgame is made for the players to show their skill. It's not as muchscheme as it is the skill of the players. I think it will be awide-open game."

Lots of Offense Last Year

Last year's certainly was, although the star, Minnesota widereceiver Randy Moss, won't play this time because of bruised ribs.Moss had nine catches for 212 yards — both records — as the NFCbeat the AFC 51-31 in the highest-scoring Pro Bowl.

"It runs in cycles," said Gruden, the Oakland Raiders coachwho is mindful of the AFC's 23-10 win two years ago in Green'sother Pro Bowl coaching assignment. "There's often been a lot ofoffense. But I see guys like Ray Lewis, Junior Seau, Rod Woodson,Sam Adams, and I'm not so sure. There's a lot of talentdefensively, too."

Lewis, the NFL defensive player of the year, was the MVP in theBaltimore Ravens' 34-7 Super Bowl victory over the New York Giantslast Sunday in a game where the teams combined for 21 punts and 393total yards.

Two weeks earlier, Lewis led the way as the Ravens shut down theRaiders 16-3 in the AFC title game. Earlier that day, the Giantsbeat the Vikings 41-0 to win the NFC championship.

Quarterbacks Ready

The starting quarterbacks are familiar with the respectivesystems, since Minnesota's Daunte Culpepper calls signals for theNFC and Oakland's Rich Gannon for the AFC. Both had long days inthe conference title games after terrific seasons, when theycombined for over 7,300 passing yards and 61 touchdown throws.

Backing up Culpepper are Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb, secondto Marshall Faulk in the regular-season MVP voting, and SanFrancisco's Jeff Garcia. Indianapolis' Peyton Manning and KansasCity's Elvis Grbac are the reserve AFC quarterbacks.