AFC gets win in Pro Bowl’s return
LAS VEGAS (AP) — From Darius Leonard's rambling pick-6 on the opening drive to Mac Jones' blissfully enthusiastic Griddy dance at the 2-minute warning, the Pro Bowl's Vegas debut was a messy, chaotic show.
And Justin Herbert, Maxx Crosby and the AFC stars all won big.
Herbert hit Mark Andrews with two touchdown passes, leading the AFC to a 41-35 victory over the NFC on Sunday in the return of the Pro Bowl.
"I think it's a great opportunity to come out here and play some of the best football players this game has to offer," Herbert said. "What an opportunity to learn more about their game, understand them, get to know them and just have some fun."
Jones passed for 112 yards and threw a touchdown pass, and the New England rookie also did a memorable rendition of the Griddy in the first Las Vegas edition of the NFL's annual All-Star game, back from a one-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Herbert won the offensive MVP award after passing for 98 yards and finding the Baltimore tight end for two TDs in the first half of the Los Angeles Chargers star's first Pro Bowl appearance. Andrews had five catches for 82 yards.
Crosby, from the hometown Raiders, won the defensive MVP award with two sacks, three batted passes and three tackles for loss in a pleasingly sloppy game featuring seven interceptions, with at least one thrown by each of the six quarterbacks.
"I didn't want to injure or hurt anybody, but I still wanted to have some fun and work on my game," Crosby said. "No matter what it is, we're still in full pads and want to have a little bit of fun."
The AFC has won five consecutive Pro Bowls since the league returned to a conference format in the 2016-17 season. Its players took home $80,000 apiece from Vegas, while the NFC got $40,000.
Kyler Murray passed for 160 yards and three touchdowns for the NFC. The Arizona star made it close when he hit Minnesota's Dalvin Cook for a TD with 2:36 to play, trimming the AFC's lead to six points.