AFC 26 - NFC 23 (OT)
(February 2, 1997)

The 1997 Pro Bowl saw records fall and two exceptional quarterbacking performances. It was the second overtime game in the series’ history. The attendance was 50,031. The coaches for the game were Tom Coughlin of Jacksonville and Dom Capers of Carolina.

Green Bay’s Brett Favre played all of the first quarter and part of the second. He staked the NFC to an early 9-0 advantage on Seattle’s John Kasay’s 20 yard field goal and a touchdown pass to Minnesota’s Randall McDaniel on a 5 yard tackle eligible play. The conversion attempt failed. In the 2nd quarter, the Colts’ Cary Blanchard kicked a 28 yard field goal for the AFC. The halftime score was 9-3, NFC.

In the third quarter, Detroit’s Barry Sanders, who had 11 carries for 59 yards in the game, scored on a 6 yard run to make the score 15-3. Again, the conversion attempt failed. Curtis Martin countered with a 3 yard run to bring the AFC to within five at 15-10. On the first play of the 4th quarter, Cincinnati cornerback Ashley Ambrose stepped in front of a pass from Carolina’s Kerry Collins intended for Philadelphia’s Irving Fryar and returned the interception 54 yards for a touchdown. It gave the AFC its first lead of the game at 16-15. The 2-point conversion failed. Gus Frerotte of Washington attempted to engineer the winning drive with a 53 yard touchdown strike to Minnesota’s Cris Carter. Carolina’s Wesley Walls caught a two point conversion pass that gave the NFC a 23-16 advantage with 4:07 left in regulation. But, Jacksonville’s Mark Brunell connected with Oakland’s Tim Brown for an 80 yard bomb down the right sideline to tie the game at 23-all with 44 seconds left. Frerotte still drove the NFC into field goal range with 11 seconds left, only to see Kasay's 39 yard attempt tumble just beneath the upright.

In the overtime, Blanchard hooked a 41 yarder wide to the left early, but got a second chance. Under a heavy rush from Minnesota's John Randle, Brunell shook him off and completed a 43 yard backbreaking pass to New England’s Ben Coates to set up Blanchard's 37-yard field goal to win the game. The final score was 26-23.

Brunell, who was 12 for 22 for 236 yards and one touchdown, was voted player of the game. Frerotte connected on 13 of 25 for 193 yards and one touchdown. Tim Brown set a Pro Bowl record for receiving yards with 137 and both teams combined for a Pro Bowl record 962 yards.