Herbert, Crosby send AFC to win in Pro Bowl’s return

LAS VEGAS — Justin Herbert hit Mark Andrews with two touchdown passes, leading the AFC to a 41-35 victory over the NFC on Sunday in the return of the Pro Bowl.

New England rookie Mac Jones passed for 112 yards, threw a touchdown pass and did a memorable rendition of the Griddy dance in the Las Vegas debut of the NFL’s annual All-Star game, which came back from a one-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Herbert won the offensive MVP award after passing for 98 yards and finding the Baltimore tight end for two TDs in the first half of the Los Angeles Chargers star’s first Pro Bowl appearance.

Maxx Crosby of the hometown Las Vegas Raiders won the defensive MVP award with two sacks and three tackles for loss.

Kyler Murray passed for 160 yards and three touchdowns for the NFC. The Arizona star made it close when he hit Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook for a TD with 2:36 to play, trimming the AFC’s lead to six points.

Jones then got stopped on a scramble at the 2-minute warning, but kept running 55 more yards to the end zone and celebrated alone with the Griddy, pioneered by Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson. After learning his celebration was premature, Jones hit Pittsburgh’s Najee Harris for a first down on the next play to allow the AFC to run out the clock.

The AFC players took home $80,000 apiece, while the NFC got $40,000.

The Pro Bowl moved to Las Vegas for the first time after a four-year run in Orlando, and a less-than-capacity crowd at Allegiant Stadium mostly cheered for the Raiders and booed their AFC West rivals. Otherwise there was a decidedly mellow vibe on the field from the moment Indianapolis’ Darius Leonard returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession.

Both teams treated the Pro Bowl with all the seriousness it deserves: Tackling to the ground was rare while both teams effectively played two-hand touch, and neither defense put up more than a perfunctory pass rush.