Manning boys earn Pro Bowl nods

NEW YORK -- 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.

The Indianapolis Colts' Peyton will make his ninth appearance in 11 seasons and will start for the AFC. It will be the first appearance for Eli, who was the MVP for the New York Giants in last February's Super Bowl. He will be on the NFC team.

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 fill-in for the injured Lawrence Tynes. He has made 27 of 29 field goals -- the two he missed were blocked -- and has kept the now-recovered Tynes inactive for all but two games.

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, to be played Feb. 8 in Honolulu.

The Titans have the NFL's best record at 12-2 and won their first 10 games before losing to the Jets.

"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. "A lot of people say it's a small market or we haven't been around long enough to gain the recognition like the other teams.

"Where a team like the Dallas Cowboys has a great season, they send half their team," Hope said. "We have the best record in the league. Only a few of us get recognized and only a few of us get to go. It's just a blessing to be one of the ones to have the opportunity."

On the other hand, Pittsburgh had only three: linebackers James Farrior and James Harrison and safety Troy Polamalu. The Steelers (11-3) are just a game behind the Titans and can take the lead for home-field advantage in the AFC with a win in Tennessee on Sunday.