Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict ended up on the winning team Sunday in his first Pro Bowl when his early interception helped Team Rice to a 22-21 victory in Honolulu.
The other Bengal in the game, wide receiver A.J. Green, didn't score for the first time in three Pro Bowls and finished with one catch for seven yards for Team Sanders. It came early, just four minutes into the game on a ball from Colts quarterback Andrew Luck as Green got pushed out of bounds coming across the middle.
Burfict also made his big play early when he intercepted Luck at the Sanders 27 midway through the first quarter on a diving catch off Rams defensive end Robert Quinn's tipped pass. But Team Rice didn't get any points out of it when quarterback Drew Brees couldn't hook up with his New Orleans teammate, tight end Jimmy Graham, on the back line of the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 3.
Kansas City linebacker Derrick Johnson's nine tackles led the Rice defense and he was named the game's defensive MVP. Burfict had the second-most tackles for his club with five, along with one tackle for a loss. In a Pro Bowl that finally turned defensive, Philadelphia's Nick Foles, the only quarterback of the six not to throw an interception, was named MVP after his touchdown pass to Browns tight end Jordan Cameron gave Team Sanders a 21-14 lead with five minutes left.
But Team Rice won it with 41 seconds left when Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray had a 20-yard catch and run TD from Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith and Panthers running back Mike Tolbert banged in for a two-point conversion. Baltimore's Justin Tucker missed a 67-yard field goal on the last play of the game.
