Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan led Team Irivin to a 32-28 comeback win over Team Carter in the 2015 Pro Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
With teams captained by Hall of Fame wide receivers Cris Carter and Michael Irvin, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was the game's offensive MVP while Texans defensive end J.J. Watt took home defensive MVP honors.
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"It was a blast," Stafford said after the game. "When you've got a bunch of talent, let them go do their thing. I figured I'd just throw it up to them and they made some great plays."
Stafford's 316 passing yards are the second-most in Pro Bowl history. He completed 15 of 25 pass attempts with a pair of touchdowns and an interception. Ryan finished 11-of-16 for 106 and two second-half touchdowns to Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders and Saints tight end Jimmy Graham.
Watt was credited with just one tackle, but he had three deflected passes, an interception of Stafford just before halftime and then recovered a fumble on Team Irvin's first offensive series of the second half.
The league switched to an unconferenced format last year, the first year the Pro Bowl also handed out both an offensive and defensive MVP award. Prior to that, the last time a defensive player was the MVP was Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks in 2006. Watt may have been the most dominant player on the field Sunday night.
"It was fun and a chance to put on a show for the fans," Watt said. "The people of Arizona have treated us well all week. We really appreciate that and wanted to put on a good show."
A late drive by Team Carter faltered when Andy Dalton's fourth-and-10 pass to Panthers tight end Greg Olsen was incomplete. Dalton, the Bengals quarterback, was a late addition to the Pro Bowl and struggled mightily. He was 9-of-20 for just 69 yards and was sacked once.
Graham scored on a 6-yard pass from Stafford in the second quarter to put Team Irvin up 16-13. While his celebratory dunk over the goal post was banned during the regular season, there was no penalty when he did it on Sunday.
"The league called down and told me not to hang on it, so I didn’t," Graham said during an in-game interview. Graham finished with three catches for 30 yards and a pair of scores. The leading receivers were Lions receiver Golden Tate and Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Antonio Brown, who both finished with 98 yards.
Not everybody had a good night. Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri was not a fan of the Pro Bowl's new rules. The goal posts were narrowed from 18 feet to 14 feet and extra points were pushed back from the 2-yard line to the 15. Vinatieri missed a pair of extra points and a 38-yard field goal late in the third quarter.
"Don’t change it unless it needs to be changed," Vinatieri said before the game . "The league has never been more successful. The fan base has never been greater. But the deciding powers are way above me."
Including the 10 players not in the game because of the Super Bowl, there were 24 players initially selected to the game who did not play in it. That made room for newcomers and, of the 88 players who played on Sunday, 33 or them were first-time Pro Bowlers.