2011 Pro Bowl: Wes Welker, Jerod Mayo Lead Patriots In Pro Bowl

Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker had five catches for 34 yards and Pats linebacker Jerod Mayo totaled seven tackles (four solo) in the 2011 Pro Bowl, but it wasn’t enough to save the AFC, which was blown away by the NFC, 55-41.

Rookie safety Devin McCourty had four tackles and fellow safety Brandon Meriweather totaled three tackles (two solo). Lineman Matt Light and Logan Mankins each had one tackle, and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork had an assisted tackle.

Tom Brady, who was voted in as the starting quarterback for the AFC, did not play in the 2011 Pro Bowl. Brady recently had foot surgery to repair a chronic stress fracture.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick served as the AFC’s head coach, but he couldn’t spur the AFC onto victory. In fact, Belichick’s team trailed 42-0 before finally scoring a touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in the first half.

2011 Pro Bowl: DeAngelo Hall Leads NFC Past AFC, 55-41

DeAngelo Hall had six tackles, an interception and returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown to lead the NFC past the AFC, 55-41, in the 41st annual NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday night in Honolulu.

Hall, who was named the MVP of the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl, also had a pass deflection in the victory for the NFC, which has now won 21 of 41 games against the AFC.

The NFC took a commanding 42-0 lead with 4:32 left in the second quarter. Jamaal Charles (10 carries, 72 yards) put the AFC on the board an eight-yard touchdown run with 1:54 remaining in the first half.

Three touchdowns in the third quarter for the AFC brought the game within reach entering the fourth quarter, but the NFC scored 10 points in the final quarter to seal the victory.

Matt Ryan threw for 118 yards and tossed two touchdowns and an interception while Drew Brees threw for 68 yards and Michael Vick threw for 59 yards.

Phillip Rivers completed 17-of-26 passes for two touchdowns and an interceptions to lead the AFC. Matt Cassel threw for 95 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while Peyton Manning threw for 12 yards and also tossed an interception.

Adrian Peterson rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries for the NFC. Roddy White had five receptions for 69 yards and Tony Gonzales had Three catches for 42 yards and a touchdown.

Reggie Wayne had five catches for 86 yards and Dwayne Bowe had four receptions for 54 yards to pace the AFC.

2011 Pro Bowl: Time, Announcers, Rosters And More For NFL's All-Star Event

The 2011 NFL Pro Bowl, the last bit of professional football you get before the Super Bowl, is set for a 7:00 p.m. EST kickoff of FOX. Here's everything you need to know for the NFL's All-Star event (remember, no blitzing!).  

Teams: The best from the AFC against the best from the NFC. SB Nation has the full lineup of starters, which includes the Patriots' OG Logan Mankins, DT Vince Wilfork, CB Devin McCourty (R) and S Brandon Meriweather. 

Date/Time: Sunday, January 30, 2011 - 7 p.m. EST (FOX)

Odds: It's a pick 'em at Bodog, with both sides -110 on the moneyline (c'mon, you're not betting on the Pro Bowl, are you?)

Announcers: Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Terry Bradshaw, with Tony Siragusa and Jay Glazer roaming the sidelines (odds Glazer is wearing an Affliction shirt: 2/1). 

Location: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii (back in the 50th state after a one-year flirtation with the game at the same site as the Super Bowl; Sun Life Stadium in Miami in 2010). 

New England Patriots: The Patriots have seven players on the AFC side: starters OG Logan Mankins, DT Vince Wilfork, CB Devin McCourty (R) and S Brandon Meriweather; reserves WR Wes Welker, OT Matt Light and LB Jerod Mayo. Tom Brady was originally selected as the starting quarterback for the AFC but the stress fracture in his foot and subsequent surgery forced him to miss the trip to Hawaii (San Diego's Philip Rivers will start in his place).

Coaching Staffs: With the Pro Bowl now being played before the Super Bowl -- a format introduced in 2010 -- a rule was implemented that the coaching staffs will come from the teams that lose in the Divisional Round with the best regular-season record. In this case, Mike Smith and the Atlanta Falcons staff will lead the NFC, with Bill Belichick and the Patriots coaching the AFC. 

Weather Forecast: High of 80, but mostly cloudy with a 60 percent chance of showers in the afternoon. 

Series history: The AFC and NFC are split, each side with 20 wins, following the AFC's 41-34 win a year ago. The NFC has won three of the past five meetings, while the AFC has taken nine of the last 14 games. 

Rules: The Pro Bowl adds a handful of rules to add some level of safety to the game, including (but not limited to): 

• No motion or shifting by the offense
• Defense must run a 4-3 at all times
• No press coverage except inside the 5 yard line
• No blitzing
• Not allowed to rush a punt, PAT or FG attempt

Uniforms:  

2011 NFL Pro Bowl: AFC-NFC Scheduled For Sunday Showdown

Friday is picture day at the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl, as evidenced by this picture: 

Current temperature in Honolulu, Hawaii: 76 degrees, and sunny. 

The 2011 AFC Pro Bowl roster features seven New England Patriots: WR Wes Welker, OT Matt Light, OG Logan Mankins, DT Vince Wilfork, LB Jerod Mayo, CB Devin McCourty and safety Brandon Meriweather. Tom Brady was originally selected as the starting quarterback for the AFC but the stress fracture in his foot and subsequent surgery will keep him from making the trip to Hawaii (San Diego's Philip Rivers will start in his place). 

Although the Pro Bowl is generally a light-hearted, friendly game, it hasn't stopped Brandon Meriweather and New York Jets CB Darrelle Revis from exchanging words during Thursday's practice. 

"He's ripping me because they won (the AFC divisional round game), but that's the only bragging rights he has," Meriweather said, when I asked what all the yapping was about. "We still beat him by 50 points."

"Whatever, I remind him every time I see him, of that," Meriweather said with a smile. "I told him, they might as well have lost to us, if they were going to do that (not get to Super Bowl)."

The 2011 Pro Bowl is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast on Fox. 

2011 Pro Bowl: Patriots Well-Represented In Honolulu

The best of the AFC and NFC will meet for the 41st time this Sunday at the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl--a match that will break a 20-20 tie between the two conferences.

While the Pro Bowl will be making its return to Honolulu's Aloha Stadium, for the second straight year the annual all-star game will be filling in the two-week gap between the conference championship games, and the Super Bowl.

Though the Pro Bowl has a reputation of fielding second-rate players as the league's stars bow out for injuries real or imagined, this year's rosters are filled with talent. Phillip Rivers will fill in for Tom Brady (who underwent foot surgery earlier in the week) as the AFC's starting quarterback, while the resurgent Mike Vick will head the NFC team over backups Drew Brees and Matt Ryan.

Altogether, 18 of the 26 players named to the Associated Press' 2011 NFL All-Pro team are currently set to play in Sunday's Pro Bowl. Tom Brady, Jake Long, Ed Reed, Patrick Willis, and Ndamukong Suh will miss the game due to injuries, while Clay Matthews, James Harrison, and Troy Polamalu have more pressing matters to attend to.

The Patriots will be especially well represented this year, despite Tom Brady's injury. Logan Mankins, Vince Wilfork, and Brandon Meriweather will all start, while Wes Welker, Jerod Mayo, Devin McCourty, and Matt Light will join them as backups. Bill Belichick will even get in on the action as the man with the dubious honor of coaching the AFC Pro Bowl team--the position going to the coach eliminated in the divisional round with the best record in the regular season.