Jan 26, 2013, Honolulu, HI, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) poses with the most valuable player trophy after the 2013 Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium. The NFC defeated the AFC 62-25. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The pillow fight… I mean half-assed hungover game after All-Stars party for a week in Honolulu… Actually the Pro Bowl was played tonight and those who watched saw the NFC defeat the AFC 62-35. In fairness to the players effort, it was a fairly decent game with a good effort put forth for the fans. A total of 7 Vikings made the trip, but none played as well our own tight end Kyle Rudolph who had five catches for 122 yards and a touchdown taking home the Most Valuable Player award. Yes, he was a substitute for Tony Gonzalez at the tight end positions, but who cares? And lets also forget about the fact that the AFC was mostly playing man coverage and Rudolph spent the game feasting on linebackers who were too slow and inexperienced to cover him.
Perhaps the most interesting tidbit was after the game Rudolph was interviewed by ABC’s Michelle Tafoya and was asked on the quarterback play comparing Christian Ponder to the quarterbacks of this game to which he responded, “It was incredible. To play with the guys like Drew Brees, Eli Manning and Russell Wilson; before the game Drew was grabbing me and telling me little adjustments to do on certain routes. To play with those guys is a dream come true and an awesome feeling.” Rudolph then went on to talk about how “awesome” it was to spend time with Peyton Manning over the week. Quite interesting. In no way should that be taken as a shot at Ponder, but it may shed light that Ponder is nowhere close to being considered a top shelf quarterback amongst his teammates and gives Vikings fans a sample of his potential if utilized on a loaded offense.
Jon Merckle may be followed on Twitter @thevikingpig