HONOLULU — The NFC has been known as the inferior conference in the NFL for several years, and understandably so.

Check out the past six Super Bowl results: AFC 5, NFC 1.

The tally would have been the same in the Pro Bowl had the AFC prevailed Sunday. But Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks and his fellow defenders made sure that didn't happen, forcing six of the game's 10 turnovers in a sloppy 23-17 NFC victory.

Brooks, playing in his ninth straight Pro Bowl, came up with the biggest play, returning an interception 59 yards for a touchdown. He was honored as the game's outstanding player, and received a new car for his efforts.

"I stand real humble," Brooks said. "I've been here a few times, and I don't have many wins. It was just important for me to get the win. Obviously, this award is a reflection of the NFC defense. We went out there and played a fine game."

AFC quarterbacks threw four interceptions — three by the usually accurate Peyton Manning. It was the fourth pick, thrown by Trent Green, that Brooks returned for his TD with 5:01 left in the third quarter, giving the NFC a 17-10 lead.

The AFC tied it with 12:47 to play on a 1-yard sneak by Green, capping a 68-yard drive after Champ Bailey recovered a fumble by Santana Moss.

Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck then guided the NFC on a time-consuming 59-yard, 13-play drive that Neil Rackers capped with a 22-yard field goal, making it 20-17 with 6:29 left. Coach John Fox was booed for opting for the kick on fourth-and-2, but the decision paid off.

Steve McNair mishandled two snaps from center after that, and the NFC recovered both. Jeremiah Trotter fell on the second at the AFC 18, setting up a 20-yard field goal by Rackers with 1:10 remaining to complete the scoring.

The AFC reached the NFC 49 before McNair threw three incompletions and was sacked by Michael Strahan on the final play.

"That was fun — a little sloppy at times, but some of the most exciting plays I've seen all year," said Hasselbeck, who completed 10 of 17 passes for 85 yards. "Coach Fox promised, by the end of the week, `We'll put a smile on your face.' All the Seattle guys were smiling."

The Seahawks lost to Pittsburgh 21-10 a week earlier in the Super Bowl.

"It all goes to the players because there isn't a lot of scheming," Fox said. "They went out and made plays."

It was the lowest-scoring Pro Bowl since the AFC's 23-10 victory in 1999. The teams averaged a combined 73.7 points in the past six Pro Bowls, including the NFC's 55-52 victory two years ago and the AFC's 38-27 triumph last year.

That didn't surprise Hasselbeck.

"We all had a feeling it might go that way, the lack of preparation we put into it," he said.

The series that went to its present format in 1971 is tied 18-18. NFC players earned $40,000 each while the AFC players collected $20,000. Fox and members of his coaching staff earned $15,000 apiece; AFC coach Mike Shanahan and his staff received $10,000 each.

Shanahan knew why his team lost.

"It's hard to win when you have six turnovers," he said.

It was 10-10 following an ugly first half. A steady rain that began falling at kickoff time and didn't stop until late in the second quarter may have contributed.

"The first half was a little different because of the rain," Shanahan said. "It was coming down pretty good and the balls were slick."

Manning threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Chris Chambers in the first quarter to cap a 45-yard AFC drive following John Lynch's 40-yard interception return. Chambers landed with one foot inbounds after a leaping catch, but field judge Scott Steenson ruled DeAngelo Hall pushed Chambers out.

Hall said he told the officials that the Pro Bowl needs instant replay.

"I told Chris Chambers he got a free gift," Hall said. "He owes me one."

Rackers kicked a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter for the NFC's first points before Shayne Graham connected from 31 yards.

Vick threw a 14-yard TD pass to Atlanta teammate Alge Crumpler with 2 seconds left in the half. The TD came three plays after Roy Williams intercepted a pass by Manning and ran 11 yards before handing off to Hall, who dashed another 57 yards to the AFC 20.

Manning, in his sixth Pro Bowl and the MVP last year, completed 13 of 26 passes for 139 yards before sitting out the second half. He holds career Pro Bowl records of 12 touchdown passes, 134 attempts, 81 completions and 1,131 yards. His eight interceptions are tied for the most.

Shaun Alexander, the NFL's Most Valuable Player, dressed for the game, but didn't play because of a sprained right foot. He was injured in Seattle's Super Bowl loss.

An announced crowd of 51,190 attended, marking the 27th straight sellout at Aloha Stadium for the Pro Bowl, moved permanently to Hawaii in 1980.

AP-ES-02-13-06 0323EST