AFC: Pro Bowl Weekend, but all eyes on Super Bowl
While the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens prepare for their showdown on February 3 in Super Bowl XLVII, the Pro Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii takes center stage on the calendar of NFL football fans.
The Pro Bowl gives the league the chance to showcase its top players. While each player at the game would say he would rather be preparing to play in the Super Bowl, a season ending trip to the Pro Bowl and Hawaii to play with his fellow top peers in the league, is not all that bad of a consolation.
The level of intensity at this game will not be high, but for the fans enjoyment the score will most likely be very high. That makes the game unique, but a fans favorite.
The AFC will have a strong squad representing them this season when the face off against the NFC at Aloha Stadium at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Offensively the AFC will be led by Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub and Andrew Luck at quarterback. Arian Foster and Jamaal Charles will anchor the running attack. The most attention will be focused on the wide receivers corps with A.J Green of Cincinnati leading the pack alongside Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson and Wes Welker.
On defense, the AFC will have the league’s top sacker in J.J. Watt from Houston, Denver’s Von Miller at linebacker and Champ Bailey in the secondary.
Clearly, the AFC has the stronger team and it may just be that the last team with the ball will win. The NFC strongest weapon will be running back Adrian Peterson of Minnesota, but the AFC has incredible talent at quarterback, running back and wide receiver and will be favored to win. With the mindset in this game on throwing the ball, having a talented back like Peterson is actually a disadvantage to the NFC.
The strong wide receiving corps for the AFC all have different roles with their own team’s offenses and give the three AFC quarterbacks a number of different passing options.
The game will be an opportunity for A.J. Green to showcase his talents at wide receiver and he should be the odds on favorite to win the MVP award. During the regular season, Green caught 97 passes for more than 1,350 yards. He also caught 11 touchdown passes. If Green is not the winner of the MVP look for it to go to one of the three quarterbacks on the AFC side.
This game however, in the minds of NFL fans, will be overshadowed by the approaching Super Bowl. All eyes will quickly turn back to the Super Bowl after the three hours of football are over in Honolulu. The AFC should come out on top in that game and for many will be the team to walk home with the Vince Lombardi Trophy on February 3.
