NFL: Favre, Manning in Pro Bowl

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Brett Favre and Peyton Manning have other plans for visiting Miami in early 2010.

Already Pro Bowl regulars, they were selected to this season's game Tuesday. Favre was among eight Minnesota Vikings who made the NFC team, while Manning was one of six Indianapolis Colts on the AFC squad. It will be Favre's 11th Pro Bowl and Manning's 10th. No other quarterback has been to 10 all-star games.

Naturally, both of them -- and every other player chosen for the Pro Bowl whose team has made the playoffs -- are thinking of appearing in another game in south Florida, the Super Bowl. All six of the quarterbacks made the playoffs and, of course, would prefer to be playing in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 in Miami. The Pro Bowl has been moved to the previous Sunday at Dolphin Stadium, and no Super Bowl participants will play in the all-star game.

As Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco said on Twitter after discovering the AFC North champions have nobody going to the Pro Bowl:

"Just been informed myself nor any of my teammates made the Pro Bowl-bengal fans we wouldn't be able to play in it anyway! SUPER BOWL BABY!!!"

Favre will be a backup to New Orleans' Drew Brees , the NFL's top-rated passer. The other NFC quarterback will be Aaron Rodgers , who replaced Favre in Green Bay last year.

Tennessee running back Chris Johnson , the league's leading rusher, also made the AFC team, along with NFL receptions leader Wes Welker of New England. Manning will be backed up at quarterback by New England's Tom Brady and San Diego's Philip Rivers .

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson , the league's top scorer among non-kickers, will be in the NFC backfield.

Dallas and Philadelphia, which meet for the NFC East title Sunday, had the next most players on the NFC roster with six each, followed by top-seeded New Orleans with five. There were 13 first-timers chosen in the NFC in voting by fans, coaches and players.

San Diego, Denver and Baltimore each had five players chosen for the AFC team. There were eight newcomers in the AFC, while Cincinnati was the only division champion with no Pro Bowlers.

Steelers' Tomlin won't ask for help

Sit Cedric Benson . Play Cedric Benson. Sit Tom Brady. Play Tom Brady.

How much the Bengals' Benson plays against the Jets and the Patriots' Brady plays against the Texans on Sunday might determine not only the winners of those games, but whether the Pittsburgh Steelers make the playoffs.

Regardless, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn't about to lobby another coach to play his best players, even if Pittsburgh's season may be riding on any such decision.

To Tomlin, the Steelers (8-7) put themselves in a position where they need a lot of assistance to make the AFC playoffs, so they shouldn't go begging for help.

To make the playoffs, the Steelers must defeat the Dolphins (7-8) in Miami on Sunday and hope multiple games fall in their favor. Among the scenarios are the AFC East champion Patriots (10-5) beating Houston (8-7) and the AFC North champion Bengals (10-5) beating the Jets (8-7).

However, the Patriots and Bengals may not play their regulars very long, if at all, because they are in the playoffs regardless of the outcome. Also, both teams will play the following weekend, one of them only six days after Sunday's regular season-ending game.

Around the league

Lions » Quarterback Matthew Stafford underwent what the team called minor surgery on his right knee Tuesday. He was placed on injured reserve last week.

Saints » Defensive end Bobby McCray was arrested early Tuesday and charged with driving while intoxicated and other counts, New Orleans police said. This season, playing as a backup, McCray has appeared in all 15 games, and has 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Falcons » Atlanta signed former Baltimore Ravens kicker Steve Hauschka after Matt Bryant suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday's win over Buffalo.

Steelers » Safety Troy Polamalu may not be ready to play Sunday in Miami. Polamalu, out for the last six games and most of a seventh with a left knee injury, began running in a straight line only Monday. He has yet to begun cutting, turning or twisting.