NFL: Johnson, Mannings on Pro Bowl list

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Associated Press
NEW YORK ó Peyton and Eli Manning were voted to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday, the first time quarterback-playing brothers have been chosen for the same all-star game.
Peyton Manning will make his ninth appearance in 11 seasons and will start for the AFC. It will be the first appearance for Eli Manning.
The AFC roster contains 17 first-time all-stars and the NFC roster has 14. Titans running back Chris Johnson, an East Carolina product, was the only rookie to make the Pro Bowl.
Johnson joins Earl Campbell as the only rookie running backs in this franchise’s 49-year history to be named to the Pro Bowl. Johnson ranks second in the AFC in both rushing and yards from scrimmage.
“He’s definitely deserving,” said left tackle Michael Roos, who was also named to the Pro Bowl. “Obviously, he;s coming out of the draft and everybody’s questioning, trying to figure out who this kid was. For him to be able to make it shows just how good a player he really is.”
The Giants also landed the oldest Pro Bowler ever, 44-year-old kicker John Carney, who was signed at the start of the season as a short-term fill-in for the injured Lawrence Tynes.
The New York Jets led all teams with seven Pro Bowlers, including quarterback Brett Favre, who will be in his 10th Pro Bowl but his first representing the AFC. There will be six each from the Giants, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans in the game scheduled for Feb. 8.
“If we were the Dallas Cowboys, it would easily be 12 of us going to the Pro Bowl,” said one of Tennessee’s Pro Bowlers, safety Chris Hope.
The starting quarterback for the NFC will be Kurt Warner. He and the 39-year-old Favre, who leads the NFL in interceptions with 17, are far from the oldest Pro Bowlers this year.
Those honors go to Carney and 42-year-old Giants punter Jeff Feagles. Carney is two years older than another former Pro Bowl kicker, Jan Stenerud, who was 42 when he made it in 1984.
Among those who missed out were Miami quarterback Chad Pennington and Atlanta’s John Abraham.
Four teams had no representatives: Cincinnati, Jacksonville, St. Louis and Detroit.
TITANS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ó Tennessee cornerback Cortland Finnegan is going to his first Pro Bowl. He just doesn’t know how he’ll get to Hawaii.
He’s afraid of flying.
Finnegan says he’s thinking of taking a tranquilizer or something to help him through the flight. He says he’s really scared and actually has thought of traveling to Hawaii on a cruise ship.
EAGLES
PHILADELPHIA ó The Philadelphia Eagles don’t have to worry about head-to-head or division records, strength of schedule, net points in conference games or any of those confusing tiebreakers.
Thanks to that ugly tie against lowly Cincinnati last month, it’s much easier to figure out the Eagles’ playoff chances. A 10-5-1 record beats 10-6 but loses to 11-5.
The Eagles (8-5-1) have to win their last two games ó at Washington and home against Dallas ó to reach 10 wins. That still won’t be good enough to earn them one of the two NFC wild-card spots unless Tampa Bay or Atlanta, both 9-5, lose one more game.
Patriots
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. ó Tom Brady says he lives and dies with every New England win and loss while he sits out rehabbing his injured left knee.
The quarterback, wearing a bright red sweater, made a surprise appearance Tuesday night at the Patriots’ annual Salvation Army Holiday Party for about 200 children.
Brady said after another charity appearance last month he’s doing well in his recovery from an Oct. 6 operation to repair torn ligaments and follow-up surgery to treat a postoperative infection. He’s been rehabilitating at Gillette Stadium.
Colts
INDIANAPOLIS ó The Colts could get Bob Sanders (knee) and Joseph Addai (shoulder) back in the lineup Thursday. Then again, maybe not.
Coach Tony Dungy told reporters he thought both would play against Jacksonville and both were listed as full participants in Tuesday’s practice.
After practice, team president Bill Polian offered a different assessment.
“Joseph is questionable, and Bob, I think, is, too,” Polian told NFL Network. “I would say Bob’s chances are probably 51-49 of playing.”
Jaguars
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ó Jerry Porter made nearly $1 million a catch this season before going on injured reserve.
Porter finished with 11 receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown, far below expectations when the franchise signed him to a six-year, $30 million contract in March that included $10 million guaranteed. He missed all of training camp, the preseason and the first three games because of a hamstring injury.
BRONCOS
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. ó Matt Prater hasn’t lost his sense of humor ó and coach Mike Shanahan hasn’t lost his faith in his slumping kicker.
Prater is a 5-for-5 beyond 50 yards but just 4-for-10 on attempts between 40 and 49.
“Maybe I should ask next time if we go out for a 48, ‘Do you mind if we back it up three yards?’ ” Prater cracked Monday, one day after missing a 47-yarder in a loss at Carolina.
Chiefs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. ó The end of Carl Peterson’s 20-year tenure as general manager of the Chiefs was planned.
Peterson and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt already had set up his departure ó at least everything except the timing.
“This has been in discussion with Carl and Clark for a while,” Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said Tuesday. “I was always informed that Carl was going to step down some time at the end of the season or before the end of the season and just felt that at this point in time it was best for the football team.”
Edwards and Peterson had a few disagreements in their three years together, the biggest being the direction of the franchise: Edwards reportedly wanted to rebuild the team through the draft from the start, Peterson wanted to wait. The Chiefs finally went in Edwards’ direction this past offseason.
Browns
BEREA, Ohio ó Tight end Steve Heiden has torn ligaments in his right knee and will miss the rest of the season.
VICK
NORFOLK, Va. ó Former NFL star Michael Vick could be out of federal prison and in a Virginia halfway house by Jan. 20, one of his attorneys told a federal bankruptcy judge Tuesday.
Vick is scheduled to be released from federal custody around July 20.
Last month, Vick pleaded guilty to a state dogfighting charge, avoiding more prison time. The case’s resolution also cleared the way for his early release from prison and possible transition into a halfway house.
His long-distance absence has complicated his bankruptcy proceedings in Virginia, said Michael Blumenthal, one of Vick’s bankruptcy attorneys. Conversely, the bankruptcy case might complicate plans for Vick’s transfer.
NBC RATINGS
NEW YORK ó The Dallas Cowboys’ victory over the New York Giants drew the most viewers ever for a “Sunday Night Football” game.The game on NBC attracted 23.1 million viewers.