The Dallas Cowboys placed a franchise record 11 players on the National Football Conference (NFC) Pro Bowl team that was announced on Tuesday.
Dallas is off to one of the best starts in franchise history with 12 wins and two losses. The Cowboys also had 11 players on the 1993 and 1994 NFC Pro Bowl teams.
Washington Redskins free safety Sean Taylor, who was murdered in a shooting at his home last month, was named to the team posthumously -- the first NFL player to be honored in such a fashion.
A replacement for Taylor will be announced at a later date.
Highlighting the Cowboys' picks were quarterback Tony Romo, wide receiver Terrell Owens and tight end Jason Witten.
The Green Bay Packers, who are tied with the Cowboys for the best record in the NFC, placed four players on the team, including quarterback Brett Favre and wide receiver Donald Driver.
Seven members from the Cowboys' offence were chosen, as tackle Flozell Adams, running back Marion Barber, guard Leonard Davis and center Andre Gurode were also honored.
DEFENDERS
Three of Dallas' defensive players were tabbed: safety Ken Hamlin, cornerback Terence Newman and linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Rookie kicker Nick Folk was the Cowboys' lone special teams player selected.
Owens will be making his sixth Pro Bowl appearance.
Romo has passed for 3,868 yards -- the second-best mark in the NFC -- and has thrown a franchise-record 35 touchdowns.
Owens is the NFC's leading receiver with 76 catches for 1,307 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Favre, who has set a host of NFL records this season, was tabbed as the NFC's starting quarterback and will be making his ninth Pro Bowl appearance.
■ FIVE FALCONS FINED
Roddy White and four other Atlanta Falcons were fined by the NFL for violating uniform regulations with tributes to jailed quarterback Michael Vick during a game last week.
Vick, Atlanta's suspended Pro Bowl quarterback, was sentenced to 23 months in prison on federal dogfighting charges the morning of Dec. 10.
The Falcons played at home against the New Orleans Saints that night and lost 34-14.
'Free Mike Vick'
After scoring a touchdown, White displayed a "Free Mike Vick" T-shirt under his jersey.
He, along with tight end Alge Crumpler and cornerbacks Chris Houston and DeAngelo Hall, were fined US$10,000 each.
Crumpler, Hall and Houston all wore black eye strips with written tributes to Vick, which the league called "displaying an unauthorized personal message."
Wide receiver Joe Horn was fined US$7,500 for pulling up White's jersey to show the black T-shirt with handwritten white lettering.
RSS