The NFC has typically dominated the AFC since the Pro Bowl format changed from an actual football game to a series of skills challenges in 2023. The trend continued as the 2025 Pro Bowl Games opened on Thursday.
Eli Manning’s NFC squad sports a 14-7 lead over his brother Peyton Manning’s AFC squad through six challenges on Thursday. The NFC got off to a hot start, winning the Passing the Test event and the Satisfying Catches contest, before the AFC closed the gap with a narrow Big Spike victory.
The two conferences traded blows as the evening went on, but the AFC still finds itself in the unenviable position of having ground to make up entering Sunday’s events.
Here are the results and highlights from Thursday’s action:
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Passing the Test: Jared Goff wins for NFC with razor-sharp performance
Goff got the NFC off to a hot start, matching a strong showing from Joe Burrow on the AFC side of the bracket. Goff scored 44 points in the event, which featured quarterbacks from each conference taking aim at targets both moving and stationary to earn points.
The NFC ended up with the top two scores in the contest — Sam Darnold finished with 39 points — and took home three points for its performance.
Satisfying Catches: Justin Jefferson leads NFC to victory despite Ja’Marr Chase‘s strong showing
Chase was able to make three consecutive one-handed catches to start the receiving gauntlet, but things fell apart for the AFC after his strong stuff. Chase wasted some time after failing to make a diving catch while Derek Stingley Jr. struggled to make catches with the mascot hands during his go-round in the event.
Justin Jefferson and the NFC had set the pace with a 1:57 mark in the events combined, so that stood as the winning time from the second Pro Bowl event.
Big Spike: Quinnen Williams powers AFC to first victory
The “Big Spike” competition was exactly what it sounded like. Three players from each conference got a chance to throw down the hardest possible spike they could. Williams emerged as the winner of the event, posting a 982 to cut the NFC’s lead to 6-3.
Dexter Lawrence came close to unseating Williams with a 979, making it one of the closest margins of the evening.
Helmet Harmony: NFC edges AFC in ‘Newlywed Game’ knock-off
If you ever wondered what it would be like to see you favorite NFL players go on “The Newlywed Game” together, you’re in luck. One of the Pro Bowl events this year was all about which teammates knew each other best.
The AFC and NFC traded blows in this one, but ultimately, the Green Bay Packers helped carry their squad to a narrow victory. That made it 9-3 NFC.
Relay Races: NFC beats AFC 2-1 in best-of-three heats
The Relay Race portion of the evening was marred by fumbled exchanges. The first heat was the closest of the bunch, as the AFC’s fumble came just before the final leg, but from there, the teams traded blowouts.
The highlight of the relay races came when the Bosa brothers faced one another to open the second race. Rather than sprint against one another, they decided to speedwalk, with Joey Bosa earning the early edge in the contest.
Dodgeball: AFC takes first matchup, NFC answers with win in second
The evening ended with a dodgeball matchup between the two conferences. The AFC earned an easy win in the first contest, as Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams was left stranded in a 1-on-5 situation as the NFC’s final hope before being eliminated.
The second game saw the NFC flip the script. This time, Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson was the last man standing. Dallas Cowboys guard Tyler Smith caught a toss from the lefty Nelson to end the AFC’s chances of further cutting into their deficit.
The split allowed the NFC to end the night with a 14-7 lead.
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