As the Kansas City Chiefs are gearing up to become the NFL’s first-ever three-peat Super Bowl champions, Eli Manning had a three-peat of his own. For the third consecutive year coaching the NFC, Manning was able to best his older brother Peyton Manning as the NFC took down the AFC in the Pro Bowl Games. In an accumulated score that was made up of various competitions and, most notably, a flag football showdown, the NFC bested the AFC 76-63.
While a skills competition kicked things off on Thursday, Sunday’s action proved to be quite the spectacle and a rather dominant showing by the NFC. The conference not only won the flag football game en route to its overall victory, but it also beat the AFC in a tug-of-war challenge, and relay race. The AFC wasn’t shut out, however, winning the Punt Perfect challenge in sudden death overtime while also winning the Madden NFL 25 head-to-head.
For the day, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who threw for three touchdowns in the win, was the Offensive MVP for the NFC while Minnesota Viking corner Byron Murphy won Defensive MVP after he logged a pick six to help push the NFC over the top.
For more on how these Pro Bowl Games unfolded, check out our takeaways below.
LSU receivers dominate
It was a good day to be an LSU Tiger as every which way one turned you could find a former LSU wide receiver making plays. Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. all made their presence felt by getting into the end zone at one point or another during the flag football portion of the competition.
Chase was arguably the most dominant of the bunch, leading the game with three receiving touchdowns to go along with five catches and 101 yards receiving. His final score was a 45-yard strike from Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson as the AFC looked to claw back in the game.
Nabers wasn’t too shabby in this game, either, catching two touchdowns on the day. He also had a ridiculous reception to get the NFC to the goal line, hauling in a 50-50 ball in traffic.
Punt Perfect goes into sudden death
Maybe the most heart-pumping moment of the day came during the Punt Perfect competition that went into sudden death overtime. That’s where Jaguars punter Logan Cooke was able to net his punt into the bucket, and watched as Lions punter Jack Fox couldn’t answer, giving the AFC the win.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba pays homage to Terrell Owens
After taking a pass from Jared Goff to the house for a touchdown, Seahawks Pro Bowl receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba paid tribute to Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens by taking a marker out of his belt, signing the football he just scored with and chucking it into the crowd for a lucky fan.
While JSN was fantastic as a receiver in this flag football game, he did moonlight as a quarterback in the fourth quarter. Let’s just say that he’s better catching the football than he is throwing it as he tossed an inconsequential pick six to Minkah Fitzpatrick.
KaVontae Turpin a pass-rushing specialist
While Turpin got to the Pro Bowl for his return skills, the Dallas Cowboys receiver was a problem as a pass rusher during the flag football period of the day. Turpin used his blazing speed on blitzes to disrupt whomever the AFC had at quarterback and helped force a couple of turnovers, which gave him a legitimate argument as the Defensive MVP for the NFC.
Photo finish in The Great Football Race
It was a frantic finish in The Great Football Race, which was a relay that was made up of five stages, including two players needing to flip a tire and then players pushing a 15-yard sled with either Eli or Peyton Manning aboard. Both conferences zipped through the course, and it came down to mere inches but the NFC came out on top by a hair.
NFC sweeps the tug-of-war challenge
One of the more entertaining aspects of these Pro Bowl Games was the tug-of-war challenge between the AFC and NFC. It included offensive and defensive linemen taking part in a tug of war, with the losing side falling into the foam pit. While it was a best-of-three competition, the NFC continued its dominance with a two-game sweep of the AFC, seeing the likes of Dion Dawkins and Jeffery Simmons falling into the foam abyss.
Foam pit was a favorite among players
It’s safe to say that the foam pit was a major hit for players, who incorporated that area of the field into their touchdown celebrations. After seemingly every score, a gaggle of players rocketed toward the foam pit, with some even doing flips into it like they were at the local pool during the summertime.
Even the Indianapolis Colts mascot Blue was able to get in on the fun!
It no doubt had some fans holding their breath hoping that their star players didn’t get injured while jumping into the pit, but they all seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.
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