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Who is doing what at The Pro Bowl Games?
The lineups for the first-ever Pro Bowl Games are set. Coaches Eli and Peyton Manning announced their squads, and assignments, on the NFL Network Wednesday evening.
Here are the lineups for the events, as well as the flag football games, that will take place Thursday and Sunday.
The Pro Bowl Games – Thursday events
The first night of competition takes place on Thursday night, with the following events:
Pro Bowl Dodgeball
Lightning Round
Longest Drive
Precision Passing
Best Catch – First Round
Pro Bowl Dodgeball
This is a three-round event, consisting of four teams with five players each. In the first round, the AFC Offense will face off with the AFC Defense, to determine the AFC representatives. The second round will see the NFC Offense take on the NFC Defense to determine the NFC representatives.
In the final round, the AFC representatives will square off with the NFC representatives to determine the winner.
According to NFL.com, three points will be awarded to the winning conference.
Here are the participants:
AFC Offense
Nick Chubb, Browns
Tyreek Hill, Dolphins
Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals
Josh Jacobs, Raiders
Mark Andrews, Ravens
Dawson Knox, Bills
AFC Defense
Myles Garrett, Browns
Maxx Crosby, Raiders
Sauce Garder, Jets
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers
Roquan Smith, Ravens
Marlon Humphrey, Ravens
NFC Offense
Dalvin Cook, Vikings
CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
Saquon Barkley, Giants
George Kittle, 49ers
Kyle Juszczyk, 49ers
Christian McCaffrey, 49ers
NFC Defense
Demario Davis, Saints
Jaire Alexander, Packers
Trevon Diggs, Cowboys
Micah Parsons, Cowboys
Jalen Ramsey, Rams
Tariq Woolen, Seahawks
Honestly, that NFC Defense squad looks stacked.
Lightning Round
The next event is the lightning round, which sounds like something right out of Nickelodeon. Each conference will designate 16 players to participate in this three-round, elimination challenge, and the remaining player will secure three points for their conference.
In the first round, “Splash Catch,” two-player teams from each conference compete by playing catch with water balloons from increasing distances. Each tandem that completes all their tosses advances to the second round.
The second round is “High Stakes.” In this stage, the players who advanced will try and field punts from a JUGS machine.
The final round is “Thrill of the Spill.” In this event, the remaining players will try and hit targets aimed above the head of a coach from the opposing conference. The first team to hit the target — and dump a bucket of water on an opposing coach — wins the event, and three points for their conference.
Here are the two-person teams.
AFC
Quinnen Williams, Jets
Mitch Morse, Bills
Joel Bitonio, Browns
Pat Surtain II, Broncos
Laremy Tunsil, Texans
Ben Jones, Titans
Jamal Agnew, Jaguars
Justin Hardee, Jets
Bradley Chubb, Dolphins
Rodger Saffold, Bills
Matt Milano, Bills
Jeffrey Simmons, Titans
Wyatt Teller, Browns
Derrick Henry, Titans
Dion Dawkins, Bills
Patrick Ricard, Ravens
Cam Heyward, Steelers
Trey Hendrickson, Bengals
Terron Armstead, Dolphins
Xavien Howard, Dolphins
NFC
Frank Ragnow, Lions
Budda Baker, Cardinals
Chris Lindstrom, Falcons
Brian Burns, Panthers
KaVontae Turpin, Cowboys
Jeremy Reaves, Commanders
Penei Sewell, Lions
Cam Jordan, Saints
Terry McLaurin, Commanders
Fred Warner, 49ers
Tristan Wirfs, Buccaneers
Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys
Talanoa Hufanga, 49ers
Quandre Diggs, Seahawks
Dexter Lawrence, Giants
Zack Martin, Cowboys
Tyler Biadasz, Cowboys
Danielle Hunter, Vikings
Trent Williams, 49ers
Elgton Jenkins, Packers
Longest Drive
From Topgolf to the Pro Bowl. In this event, four players from each conference form a team. Each participant gets three golf swings, working off a tee. The player with the longest drive, that stays in-bounds wins three points for their conference. According to NFL.com, this event is pre-recorded and will air on Thursday night.
Here are the participants from each conference:
AFC
Justin Tucker, Ravens
Jordan Poyer, Bills
C.J. Mosley, Jets
Marlon Humphrey, Ravens
Matt Judon, Patriots
NFC
Jonathan Allen, Commanders
Tress Way, Commanders
Daron Payne, Commanders
T.J. Hockenson, Vikings
Za’Darius Smith, Vikings
In case you are wondering, there is a Topgolf 14.3 miles away from FedEx Field, at National Harbor in Maryland.
Precision Passing
In this competition, the participants will engage in a one-minute accuracy challenge, trying to hit moving targets with their throws. At the end of each one-minute period, each passer will then attempt a longest-throw challenge to earn extra points.
Here are your quarterbacks for Precision Passing:
AFC
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
Tyler Huntley, Ravens
Derek Carr, Raiders
NFC
Kirk Cousins, Vikings
Geno Smith, Seahawks
Jared Goff, Lions
Advantage NFC?
Best Catch – First Round
In the Best Catch competition, two players from each conference will participate in an event designed to showcase their creativity. In the first round, the players will execute their “best catches” at “iconic venues around Las Vegas.”
A fan vote will determine which player advance to the final on Sunday. According to NFL.com, this event is pre-recorded and will air on Thursday night.
AFC
Pat Surtain II, Broncos
Stefon Diggs, Bills
NFC
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions
Justin Jefferson, Vikings
Something tells us the NFC might have the edge here.
The Pro Bowl Games – Sunday events
The Pro Bowl Games conclude on Sunday with four more skills challenges, as well as three different 7-on-7 flag football games. At the end, the winning conference will be determined.
Best Catch – Finale
Gridiron Gauntlet
Move the Chains
Kick Tac Toe
7-on-7 Flag Games
Best Catch – Finale
The two remaining players in Best Catch will compete in front of a panel of celebrity judges to determine a winner. The winner secures three points for their conference.
As noted above, here are the four players vying for a spot in the Best Catch – Finale:
AFC
Pat Surtain II, Broncos
Stefon Diggs, Bills
NFC
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions
Justin Jefferson, Vikings
Gridiron Gauntlet
Players from each conference will participate in this relay-style event aimed to showcase “strength, speed, and agility.” It is a four-stage event, each covering 40 yards in length. Each segment “includes a series of breakaway walls, a section of climbing over walls and under tables, a tire run and a blocking sled carrying a Legend coach across the finish line.”
The winning team secures three points for their conference.
Here are the participants:
AFC
Joel Bitonio, Browns
Myles Garrett, Browns
Nick Chubb, Browns
Cam Heyward, Steelers
Dion Dawkins, Bills
NFC
Penei Sewell, Lions
Brian Burns, Panthers
Saquon Barkley, Giants
Tristan Wirfs, Buccaneers
Cam Jordan, Saints
The team chemistry from the three Cleveland players might give the AFC the edge here.
Move the Chains
Four teams of five players — two teams from each conference — compete in this event, a side-by-side “weighted wall pull that will showcase their strength, speed and ingenuity.” Players have to pull a heavily-weighted wall ten yards as quickly as possible, using first-down chains.
The team that wins the best-of-three playoff secures three points for their conference.
Here are the teams from each conference:
AFC
Team 1
Quinnen Williams, Jets
Trey Hendrickson, Bengals
Laremy Tunsil, Texans
Terron Armstead, Dolphins
Jeffrey Simmons, Titans
Team 2
Maxx Crosby, Raiders
Rodger Saffold, Bills
Ben Jones, Titans
Mitch Morse, Bills
Wyatt Teller, Browns
NFC
Team 1
Jonathan Allen, Commanders
Frank Ragnow, Lions
Chris Lindstrom, Falcons
Trent Williams, 49ers
Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys
Team 2
Dexter Lawrence, Giants
Daron Payne, Commanders
Zack Martin, Cowboys
Elgton Jenkins, Packers
Tyler Biadasz, Cowboys
Honestly, all four of these teams look stacked. NFC Team 1 might have a slight edge with Trent Williams in the mix.
Kick Tac Toe
Let’s get the specialists involved!
In this event, each team’s kicker, punter, and long snapper participate in a large-scale tic-tac-toe competition. The first team to either create a connecting line of three squares, or hit five squares total, wins. According to NFL.com, this event is pre-recorded and will air on Thursday night.
AFC
Justin Tucker, Ravens
AJ Cole, Raiders
Morgan Cox, Titans
NFC
Jason Myers, Seahawks
Tress Way, Commanders
Andrew DePaola, Vikings
Hard to bet against Justin Tucker.
Flag Football Games
Three flag football games will be played, all using a 7-on-7 format. The first two will be factored into the scoring, along with the results of the various skills events, to set the stage for the finale of the weekend, the final flag football game. In these games, the center will snap and kneel.
The winner of the flag football game — incorporating the scoring from the previous events that we will outline in a minute — will be named the champion of The Pro Bowl Games.
Here are the players taking part in the flag football games:
AFC
QB Derek Carr, Raiders
QB Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
QB Tyler Huntley, Ravens
RB Nick Chubb, Browns
RB Josh Jacobs, Raiders
RB Derrick Henry, Titans
WR Davante Adams, Raiders
WR Stefon Diggs, Bills
WR Tyreek Hill, Dolphins
WR Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals
TE Mark Andrews, Ravens
TE Dawson Knox, Bills
FB Patrick Ricard, Ravens
OLB Matt Judon, Patriots
OLB Matt Milano, Bills
OLB Bradley Chubb, Dolphins
ILB C.J. Mosley, Jets
ILB Roquan Smith, Ravens
CB Pat Surtain II, Broncos
CB Sauce Gardner, Jets
CB Xavien Howard, Dolphins
CB Marlon Humphrey, Ravens
FS Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers
SS Derwin James, Chargers
SS Jordan Poyer, Bills
RET SPEC Jamal Agnew, Jaguars
SP TEAM Justin Hardee, Jets
C Ben Jones, Titans
C Mitch Morse, Bills
NFC
QB Kirk Cousins, Vikings
QB Geno Smith, Seahawks
QB Jared Goff, Lions
RB Dalvin Cook, Vikings
RB Saquon Barkley, Giants
RB Christian McCaffrey, 49ers
WR Terry McLaurin, Commanders
WR Justin Jefferson, Vikings
WR CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions
TE T.J. Hockenson, Vikings
TE George Kittle, 49ers
FB Kyle Juszczyk, 49ers
OLB Micah Parsons, Cowboys
OLB Danielle Hunter, Vikings
OLB Za’Darius Smith, Vikings
ILB Demario Davis, Saints
ILB Fred Warner, 49ers
CB Jaire Alexander, Packers
CB Jalen Ramsey, Rams
CB Trevon Diggs, Cowboys
CB Tariq Woolen, Seahawks
FS Quandre Diggs, Seahawks
SS Talanoa Hufanga, 49ers
SS Budda Baker, Cardinals
RET SPEC KaVontae Turpin, Cowboys
SP TEAM Jeremy Reaves, Commanders
C Frank Ragnow, Lions
C Tyler Biadasz, Cowboys
Hard to say either team has the advantage here, although I am looking forward to seeing players try and grab a flag off Tyreek Hill in the open field.
