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Peterson leads NFC to Pro Bowl victory

Feb 11, 2008 - 3:43 AM HONOLULU (Ticker) -- Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson put an exclamation point on a standout rookie campaign on Sunday.

Peterson rushed for 129 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the NFC to a 42-30 victory over the AFC in the Pro Bowl.

The Offensive Rookie of the Year, Peterson scored in the third quarter to give the NFC its first lead, 28-27. He capped the scoring with a six-yard score in the fourth quarter.

Peterson's performance earned him the MVP award. The last time a rookie won the MVP was in 1995 when Marshall Faulk earned the honors. Faulk is also the only player in Pro Bowl history to rack up more rushing yards (180) than Peterson did on Sunday.

"Being the Pro Bowl MVP is a blessing," Peterson said. "I am loving it and I am definitely going to enjoy it."

Sunday's game was just icing on the cake for Peterson and a reminder to the rest of the league that the Vikings have one of the most explosive weapons in the game. The former Oklahoma Sooner missed almost three games to injury, and still rushed for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns. He set the NFL single-game record with 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers.

"I was just trying to get into the end zone any chance that I got," Peterson said. "I felt that I got stronger as the game went along, and we all came out and played hard on both sides of the ball."

The AFC led early on, opening up a 24-7 advantage in the second quarter. Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh of the Cincinnati Bengals caught a TD pass from Peyton Manning in the first quarter and hauled in a scoring strike from Ben Roethlisberger in the second to give the AFC a 17-point cushion.

"It was a lot of fun, but not as fun as if we won the game," Houshmandzadeh said. "It was my first one, you don't know what to expect coming here, and I had fun. This is the best of the best, you just go out there and have fun."

The NFC cut the lead to 27-21 at the half as Dallas Cowboys teammates Tony Romo and Terrell Owens hooked up for a six-yard TD and Matt Hasselbeck of the Seattle Seahawks threw a 17-yard TD pass to Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley.

Manning completed 11-of-16 passes for 147 yards.

"We were up 27-14 at the half and only scored three points in the second half. So that will get you beat in just about any game that you play in," Manning said. "It's disappointing how the game turned out, but the players enjoyed the week."

Romo was 9-of-16 for 87 yards and a pair of TDs.

"Any time you get a lot of talent around you, it makes your job easier," Romo said. "These guys make us look better than we are. It feels good. Just being out here with these guys is a great experience and a great time."

San Diego corner Antonio Cromartie intercepted two passes for the AFC.

Houshmandzadeh had four catches for 44 yards, including his two TD grabs, and may have been the MVP had the AFC held on to its early lead.

"I had my eye set on MVP when I was told that I made the Pro Bowl," Houshmandzadeh said. "Then it became more if a reality as the game went on. But it didn't happen."