2005 Pro Bowl

The 2005 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played February 13, 2005 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38 - NFC 27. The most valuable player was Peyton Manning of the Colts. The game holds the record as the latest Pro Bowl played during the calendar year.

Game summary

The game started off slowly. The AFC was forced to punt away its first possession, and the NFC missed a field goal from 43 yards out. Two plays later, the AFC opened up scoring with a 62 yard pass from Peyton Manning to his Indianapolis Colts teammate, Marvin Harrison. The NFC drove back quickly, but Donovan McNabb's pass was intercepted by Joey Porter. Manning then hooked up with Hines Ward for a 41 yard score, and the AFC led 14-0. The NFC came back with a time consuming drive that spanned the end of the first quarter to the beginning of the second, and ended with a 12 yard run by Brian Westbrook to bring the NFC within 7. However, David Akers' attempted onside kick would prove costly, as Ward recovered the kick and returned it 39 yards for a score, the first ever kickoff return for a touchdown in Pro Bowl history. Daunte Culpepper attempted to bring the NFC back, but was intercepted by Takeo Spikes. That interception led to another Manning touchdown, this time a 12 yard pass to Antonio Gates which gave the AFC a comfortable 28-7 lead. The NFC once again came down the field, led by Culpepper, but the drive was not without problems. On the second play, Torry Holt caught a pass but...
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