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NFC outguns AFC 55-52 in wild, wacky Pro Bowl
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NFL.com wire reports
HONOLULU (Feb. 8, 2004) -- When
Mike Vanderjagt 's 51-yard kick wandered, wobbled and finally dropped outside the uprights, even the officials waving their arms looked a bit shocked.
After the incredible offensive feats in the highest-scoring
Pro Bowl, a miss by the NFL's most automatic kicker was the last surprise in a game that was anything but a Hawaiian vacation.
MVP Marc Bulger threw a Pro Bowl-record four TD passes, and Detroit's
Dre' Bly returned an interception 32 yards for the go-ahead score with 4:50 to play during the NFC's rally from an 18-point deficit in the final 13 minutes of a
55-52 victory over the AFC.
It wasn't over until Vanderjagt, who didn't miss a field goal or an extra point all season, was barely wide right on a 51-yard field goal attempt as time expired. A week after New England won the Super Bowl on Adam Vinatieri's field goal with 4 seconds left, the NFC got just its second victory in eight Pro Bowls on a miss.
"It's going to be tough to match, if I make it back in the future," Bulger said. "We have all kinds of playmakers out here. I knew Dre' Bly was going to make a play. They made plays when they had to, and for me to win the MVP is special. The quarterback is a reflection of the team, and everyone deserves it."
Shaun Alexander had three touchdowns for the NFC, which scored 28 straight points in the fourth to set the scoring record for a single team.
"I think the Pro Bowl is supposed to be offensive, like NBA All-Star games are," said Alexander, who signed autographs with Bulger at an event earlier in the week. "We were talking about one of us needing to win the MVP. They picked the wrong guy, but it's still cool."
The 25th straight sellout crowd at Aloha Stadium loved this thriller. Defense always takes a back seat in this game, but never to this degree.
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