Pro Bowl MVP 2015: Matthew Stafford, J.J. Watt Win Award Honors

Team Irvin defeated Team Carter 32-28 in a competitive 2015 Pro Bowl on Sunday that had an ample amount of scoring yet appropriate intensity for the second year in a row.

The standout performers who garnered MVP honors were Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford on offense and Houston Texans superstar defensive end J.J. Watt on the other side of the ball.

ESPN West Palm pointed out how prolific Stafford's outing was, which is all the more impressive since the final score didn't reach the ridiculous totals of years past:

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle captured an image of the fancy prize Watt won for his latest gridiron exploits, which included an interception off of Stafford and three pass deflections:

Even before the game was over, ESPN television analyst Jon Gruden felt Watt had the award wrapped up, via SportsCenter:

Watt may not have gotten a sack, but he was getting chipped or double-teamed on almost every snap, as the Pro Bowl rules didn't allow for blitzes.

Such stipulations were no impediment to Watt showing off his skills and value even among most of the NFL's biggest names, adding a fumble recovery to his INT for good measure.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller believes an even bigger accolade is on the horizon for Watt:

Among the highlights for Stafford were a 60-yard connection to his usual teammate Golden Tate and a 48-yard completion to New York Giants stud rookie Odell Beckham Jr., who laid out for another amazing catch.

Stafford also drilled a 10-yard touchdown to Denver Broncos star Emmanuel Sanders into the tightest of windows, showing off the arm that is arguably the strongest in the NFL.

Amid the Lions gunslinger's exemplary performance, The Oakland Press' Paula Pasche noted how long it had been since a Detroit signal-caller had been considered among the league's best:

But for some interesting context, ProFootballTalk.com's Michael David Smith reminded fans before the game that Stafford had dubious, pure-numbers merit to be anointed a Pro Bowler:

That summarizes Stafford's career well to date, as he's won just one playoff game and has been wildly inaccurate at times, yet has put a bunch of sensational throws on tape that so few can make. How Stafford develops and evolves in the next couple of years will truly define where the Lions go as a franchise.

As for Watt, he unsurprisingly exerted a ton of effort in the Pro Bowl, even though the game is an exhibition.

The Texans would love to have a QB like Stafford, but with a dynamic game-changer like Watt on defense, their outlook still appears promising. As long as coach Bill O'Brien can groom a steady starter at the most important position, Houston's future is bright with Watt in the fold for the long haul.