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Bengals QB leads AFC to victory

The Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. — Andy Dalton completed 10 of 12 passes for 100 yards and engineered two scoring drives to help lead the AFC to a 20-13 victory over the NFC in the Pro Bowl on Sunday night.

The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce late in the first half and then guided the offense down the field to set up Justin Tucker’s 38-yard field to put the AFC ahead 17-7 midway through the third quarter.

In an NFL all-star game that lacked spectacular play on either side, the AFC put together just enough scoring drives and then held on to preserve a win.

It marked the return to the AFC vs. NFC matchup after the NFL used a format the last three years in which teams were drafted among the Pro Bowl players by designated captains.

The NFC had a chance to tie or take the lead in the waning moments, but Kirk Cousins pass to Jimmy Graham went off the Seattle tight end’s hands and was intercepted at the AFC 2-yard line by Buffalo linebacker Lorenzo Alexander, who lateralled the ball to Denver’s Aqib Talib on the return that ended at the NFC 12 to end the threat.

This was the first time the Pro Bowl was played in Orlando, and the ending certainly didn’t disappoint the 60,834 fans who packed Camping World Stadium.

New Orleans’ Drew Brees completed 10 of 19 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown to lead the NFC. Kansas City’s Alex Smith, the starter for the AFC, completed six of eight passes for 74 yards and one touchdown.

In a first half defined by big plays and key interceptions, the AFC was able to come up with one more play to take a 14-7 lead into halftime.

The NFC should have had 17 points in the first half, but a decision to not a kick a chip-shot field goal and an interception in the end zone denied the squad of points during the first two quarters.

Dalton’s scoring strike to Kelce put the AFC ahead 14-7 with 1:40 remaining in the second quarter. The touchdown was set up by a 36-yard punt return by the Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill to the NFC 38.

Brees had a 47-yard pass to Doug Baldwin earlier in the second quarter that had tied the game at 7, making up for being intercepted by Buffalo’s Stephon Gilmore in the back of the end zone a possession earlier.

Smith put the AFC on the board first when he found Tennessee’s Delanie Walker for a 26-yard touchdown strike early in the second quarter.

Jets hire Greene as LB coach

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets hired Hall of Famer Kevin Greene as their outside linebackers coach.

Greene, who played linebacker for 15 NFL seasons and twice led the league in sacks, stepped away from coaching in 2014 to spend more time with his family. He previously spent five seasons as Green Bay’s outside linebackers coach from 2009-13 after beginning his coaching career as an intern with Pittsburgh in 2008.

Greene was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and the 1996 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He had 160 sacks, ranking him third on the career list, while playing for the Rams, Steelers, Panthers and the 49ers. Greene was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last summer.

49ers pick analyst as GM

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers made a surprise hire to fill their general manager void Sunday, hiring former NFL safety and Fox television analyst John Lynch to replace Trent Baalke.

Lynch comes into the job with no front-office experience, having gone straight from the playing field to the broadcast booth. But after a lengthy search that included interviews with nine other publicly identified candidates, team CEO Jed York settled on Lynch.

ESPN first reported the deal, saying Lynch had gotten a six-year contract.

After playing for former Niners coach Bill Walsh in college at Stanford, Lynch went on to have a stellar 15-year career with Tampa Bay and Denver that included three All-Pro selections and one Super Bowl title with the Buccaneers. He’s a finalist this year for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Since retiring in 2008, Lynch has been an analyst at Fox.

Now he will be tasked to rebuild a once-proud franchise that has fallen from NFC champions in 2012 to a 2-14 record this past season that matched the worst in franchise history. That led to the firing of Baalke and coach Chip Kelly as York set to overhaul the operation after the struggles the past few years.

Elsewhere:

n Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is turning to another first-time general manager to get his franchise back on track. Eight days after firing Ryan Grigson and conducting a week of interviews, Irsay hired former Kansas City Chiefs executive Chris Ballard. Ballard has never previously served as a team’s top decision-maker, but he comes with a long history as a scout and front-office executive. He was hired by the Chiefs in 2013 as the director of player personnel and was promoted to director of football operations under current GM John Dorsey. Last season, the Chiefs earned the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs and they’ve been a consistent playoff contender despite not having a Pro Bowl quarterback.

n Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones is trying to prove to those who will determine his future that he’s making up for his latest mistakes in a career marked by legal troubles.

His team, the NFL and a prosecutor all have decisions to make about Jones’ discipline. He’s getting treatment for alcohol and anger issues while accused of scuffling with a hotel security guard and police and spitting on a jail nurse.

One factor to consider is Cincinnati police video that shows Jones swearing at police after his recent arrest. The video prompted apologies from the team and Jones, whose attorney says the player is getting professional care.

Charges include assault, disorderly conduct and obstructing official business.

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