Offensive Fireworks Likely in Pro Bowl
H O N O L U L U, Feb. 4, 2001 -- 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.
Faulk is also sitting out the game because of injury, as is St.Louis teammate Isaac Bruce, chosen to start opposite Moss at widereceiver. However, the NFC seems in good hands with Cris Carter,Terrell Owens, Joe Horn and Torrey Holt.
Among the AFC wideouts are Jacksonville's Jimmy Smith, whocaught three scoring passes in last year's game — two from Manning.Smith is joined by Marvin Harrison, Eric Moulds and Rod Smith.
‘Everybody's Going To Play Hard’
Among the AFC starters is 35-year-old Miami defensive end TraceArmstrong, a first-time Pro Bowl player, who said winning isimportant, no matter what people might think.
"Heck, yeah it is," he said. "You want to win, you want toplay well. You don't want to look bad. The guys have been talkingabout wanting to win since the first night. There's a line that'sprobably not going to be crossed in the game, but everybody's goingto play hard."
Armstrong realizes it will be tough on the defenses because ofthe rules. Among them are standard 4-3 defenses; a ban onlinebackers blitzing in most situations, and a minimum of passcoverages allowed.
"There'll definitely be some scoring," he said.
The NFC won 29-24 three years ago; the AFC prevailed 26-23 theyear before that.
Among the NFC starters is guard Randall McDaniel, who will beplaying in his 12th Pro Bowl, breaking the record he shared withReggie White. McDaniel will also be making his 12th straight start— 11 as a member of the Vikings and now as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
"I never planned on doing it," he said. "It's a great honor,I wouldn't miss this game for the world."
The NFC has a 16-14 lead in the series since the Pro Bowl wentto its present format in 1971. This will be the 22nd time Hawaiihas hosted the game, and every one has been a sellout at AlohaStadium, which has a capacity of slightly over 50,000.