New on SI: Pro Bowlers remember Kobe Bryant as AFC tops NFC again

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Green Bay linebacker Za’Darius Smith hastily organized an homage to Kobe Bryant minutes before the Pro Bowl.

Smith and his NFC teammates learned about Bryant's death while they were in the locker room getting ready for the NFL's all-star game Sunday. Smith suggested the best way to pay tribute the late NBA great was to mimic his fadeaway jumper after big plays.

So they did - repeatedly.

It was one of several ways NFL players remembered Bryant during the celebratory event, which the AFC won 38-33 for its fourth consecutive victory in Orlando.

“I don't even want to talk about it anymore,” Smith said in the locker room hours later. “I don't want to get emotional.”

Detroit cornerback Darius Slay didn't duck his feelings. Slay grew up idolizing Bryant so much that he had a custom Lakers hoodie made to warm up in before NFL games. Slay also got to meet Bryant a few years back.

“It's heart-wrecking," Slay said with tears in his eyes. "There's not any words you can say. I'm in shock. I just imagine him growing old, being part-owner of the Lakers and having a future son I could cheer for next. It's just shocking. Me saying the words ‘Kobe's gone,' that's just crazy."

Bryant died in a helicopter crash early Sunday near Calabasas, California, and the news spread shortly before the game. It put a damper on the NFL game held on the other side of the country.

Players checked cellphones on the sidelines for updates, all of them looking for information and answers.

“It shocked the whole locker room," Philadelphia defensive tackle Fletcher Cox said. “Nobody thought it was true, but it was. It's a sad day for sports."

Smith, Slay and Tampa Bay’s Shaq Barrett got together following a second-quarter sack and delivered their first “Kobe J." Even more NFC teammates performed the routine following a fumble in the third.

Green Bay receiver Davonte Adams pointed to the sky and flashed the No. 24 on his fingers as an ode to Bryant’s jersey after a touchdown catch in the third.

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson led a prayer for Bryant and his family before the game.

The NFL also held a moment of silence for Bryant at the 2-minute warning in the first half, showing the retired NBA star’s picture on the scoreboards while announcing his death at age 41.

Several guys removed their helmets during the break. Others took a knee and prayed. Fans broke the silence by chanting “Ko-be! Ko-be!”

“I felt hurt,” Chicago safety Eddie Jackson said. “It's sad. I don't know how it feels to lose a husband and a child, so I don't understand what the family's going through. It's got to be tough."

Aside from the Bryant tributes, the NFL's annual all-star game went as expected. There were big plays everywhere and few tackles anywhere. The teams combined for 834 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The play of the day was Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt’s 82-yard fumble return in the fourth. Jacksonville's Calais Campbell beat Dallas’ Travis Frederick and sacked Kirk Cousins on a fourth-and-goal play from the 9. Campbell stripped the ball, which Watt scooped up and went untouched the other way to put the AFC ahead 38-27.

The NFC had a chance to rally late and tried to take advantage of a new rule that allows the scoring team to retain possession by facing a fourth-and-15 play from its own 25-yard line. Cousins threw a deep ball that Baltimore safety Earl Thomas intercepted.

Campbell was named the AFC's defensive player of the game. Baltimore's Lamar Jackson was the offensive MVP.

The winners earned $70,000 each. The losers got $35,000 apiece.

Jackson threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception. Houston’s Deshaun Watson threw for 148 yards, with a touchdown and a pick.

Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill hooked up with Jacksonville’s DJ Chark for a 60-yard score in which officials opted not to rule him down after two defenders touched him.

Wilson gave his NFC starting spot to New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who is contemplating retirement. Brees said this week he will take some time before deciding on his future.

Cousins, Brees and Wilson threw TD passes for the NFC, which also allowed Ezekiel Elliott and Adams to attempt throws. Elliott’s was picked off. Adams added two TD receptions.

The NFC’s top highlight was Cox rumbling 61 yards for a score. Minnesota’s Harrison Smith intercepted a pass from Watson at the 3-yard line and returned it to the 39 before lateraling to Cox, who took it the rest of the while.

No one tried to tackle the 310-pound Cox. Denver receiver Courtland Sutton slapped at the ball for the final 20 yards.

“I'm glad nobody did try to stop me,” Cox said. “It was fun. I was looking for somebody to pitch the ball to, though. Guarantee I was. Get this thing out of my hands.”

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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL

New on SI: Wentz, Eagles keep NFC East hopes alive by beating Redskins

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) Carson Wentz fumbled the ball away, but recovered in time to keep alive the Philadelphia Eagles’ hopes of winning the NFC East.

Wentz bounced back from a potentially costly mistake by leading a 75-yard, go-ahead scoring drive and throwing his third touchdown pass of the day to keep Philadelphia's NFC East hopes on track with a 37-27 victory at the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

The Eagles and Cowboys both are 7-7 and face off in Philadelphia next week.

For the second consecutive week, Wentz engineered a late-game scoring drive, this time with the motivation of atoning for his miscue.

“Guys just kept believing,” said Wentz, who fumbled twice and lost one of those in the middle of the fourth quarter. “I didn't lose faith or confidence at all. I just wanted one more chance. I wanted another chance to go down and the defense gave that to us, and we got it done.”

Wentz threw TD passes to running back Miles Sanders, tight end Zach Ertz and receiver Greg Ward and was 30 of 43 for 266 yards. The 4-yard pass from Wentz to Ward with 26 seconds left put Philadelphia up for good and electrified a stadium full of green-clad Eagles fans. His ability to bounce back from some accuracy issues and a turnover kept the Eagles on pace with the Cowboys.

"We knew what was in front of us," coach Doug Pederson said. “We dealt ourselves this situation. I don't think it's going to take much motivation this week.”

Sanders rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown and caught six passes for 50 yards. The Eagles' defense that struggled to stop Washington's Dwayne Haskins most of the afternoon got him to fumble for a touchdown by Nigel Bradham on the game's final play, leading fans in the corner to chant, “We want Dallas!”

Coming off an overtime victory against Eli Manning and the New York Giants, a loss to Washington (3-11) could've had the Eagles facing elimination next week. Allowing an early 75-yard TD pass from Haskins to Terry McLaurin and falling behind 7-3, 14-10, 21-17 and 27-24 made that a distinct possibility.

“We've got to do better,” Pederson said. "We've got to look at the tape, make the corrections and we've got to tighten some areas up.”

The Redskins made things interesting with late field goals of 43 and 53 yards by Dustin Hopkins, but fell into last place with this loss and the Giants' victory against Miami. Haskins was 19 of 28 for 261 yards and two touchdowns.

“We wanted to battle (the Eagles') aggressiveness with quick throws into zone, blitzes and stuff like that,” Haskins said. “They're definitely something we worked on this week that looked good.”

PETERSON TIES PAYTON

Adrian Peterson's 10-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter gave him 110 for his career and tied him with Walter Payton for fourth on the all-time list. Peterson had 16 carries for 66 yards.

SANDERS MAKES HISTORY

Pederson referred to Sanders as “technically a rookie” because so much experience this year has turned the running back into a seasoned pro. But he is a rookie, and as such, set franchise records for the most yards rushing and total yards from scrimmage by a player in his first NFL season.

“This stuff don’t feel real,” Sanders said.

MEYER SIGHTING

Free agent coach Urban Meyer took in the game from Redskins owner Dan Snyder's box and watched parts of it with a familiar face from his college past. Meyer at one point could be seen talking and laughing with injured Redskins quarterback Alex Smith, who he coached at Utah.

Meyer has connections to several Redskins players, including Florida products Jordan Reed and Jon Bostic and, of course, Haskins and McLaurin.

“It was good to see him, good to talk to him,” McLaurin said. “That passes football. It had nothing to do with his coaching status at all.”

INJURIES

Eagles: Played without WR Nelson Agholor (knee), RB Jordan Howard (shoulder), RT Lane Johnson (ankle) and DE Derek Barnett (ankle), and put WR Alshon Jeffrey (foot) on injured reserve.

Redskins: Rookie CB Jimmy Moreland left in the third quarter with a foot injury. ... CB Aaron Colvin was injured early in the fourth and CB Fabian Moreau left with a hamstring injury in the final minutes.

UP NEXT

Eagles host the Cowboys in what could be the deciding game for who wins the division.

Redskins host the New York Giants in either another Eli Manning swan song game or a showdown between Haskins and Daniel Jones.

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Follow AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL

Trump Administration Adds Six More Countries to Travel Ban

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