NFL Revamps 2023 Pro Bowl - Adds Competitive Intrigue
Written by Berson Eliancy
As Eagles and Chiefs players and fans patiently wait for Superbowl Sunday Kickoff on February 12th, the rest of us will be tuned in this Thursday February 2nd, and Sunday, February 5th to watch the Pro Bowl skills competition and Pro Bowl games. This year, the Pro Bowl festivities will take place in Raiders country, Las Vegas Nevada.
The history of the Pro Bowl has brought us memorable highlights and moments from some of the very best in the game. It is an opportunity for coaches and players who usually game plan against each other to come together at the end of the season for a weekend of unity, competition, and fun. In recent years however, fans have called for the NFL to make the event more entertaining due to the lack of action during the actual AFC v NFC Pro Bowl game. In these games, though both teams are playing to win, the lack of effort is very conspicuous. In addition, several high profile players have opted out of the event for this same exact reason. Given these issues, we have seen fandom surrounding the Pro Bowl decline.
The NFL hopes that with the new format this year, they will begin to replenish the reputation surrounding the Pro Bowl and revamp the popularity of the event. The event is a lot more fan-friendly this year as players from the AFC and NFC will compete in a series of skills competitions on Thursday and Sunday, which will ultimately end with a newly incorporated flag football game between players from the AFC and the NFC. Points will be recorded for these competitions and will ultimately be used to determine which conference can be crowned as the winner of the 2023 Pro Bowl Games.
Skills Competition Overview:
Thursday, February 2nd
Dodgeball
➢ 5v5 between the NFC’s defensive squad vs. the AFC’s offensive squad
Lightning Round
➢ 16 players from each conference compete in a three-round elimination skills game. The three rounds of games include a water balloon toss, a punt catching contest, and a game called “Thrill of the Spill” which is very similar to a dunk tank.
Longest Drive
➢ 4 players from each conference compete in driving a golf ball the furthest.
Precision Passing
➢ Quarterbacks representing each conference attempt to hit various targets to accumulate the most points within a time limit.
Best Catch (Round 1)
➢ Receivers selected to the Pro Bowl will have their highlights showcased in various historical venues around Las Vegas. Fans vote for their two favorite receivers to represent both conferences.
Sunday, February 5th
Best Catch (Finale Round)
➢ 2 receivers from each conference will get creative and compete in front of judges to show off their catching ability and win their conference the competition.
Gridiron Gauntlet
➢ 6v6, head to head relay race between the AFC and the NFC.
Move the Chains
➢ 5v5 competition between the AFC and NFC with the objective of who can move a weighted wall the furthest.
Kick Tac-Toe
➢ Special teams personnel (Kickers, Punters, and Long-snappers) will show off their ability by playing tic tac toe with the football as their markers. The first team to complete a connecting line of three squares or hit five squares total will be crowned winner.
7v7 FLAG FOOTBALL
➢ Regular football with a twist. Instead of tackling, players will have two flags on opposite sides of their hips and will only be considered down when a flag gets pulled by the opposing team.
Scoring System:
The Pro Bowl Games skills competition will have cumulative scoring leading up to the Flag football games on Sunday. Scoring for the Pro Bowl Games works in the following way:
The winning conference of each skill competition earns three points towards their team’s overall score, with 24 total points available across the eight skills events.
The winning conference from each of the first two Flag Football games on Sunday, will earn six points for their team, for a total of 12 available points.
Points from the skills competitions and first two flag games will be added together and will be the score at the beginning of the third and final flag game, which will determine the winning conference for the Pro Bowl games.
This new format surely sounds interesting and capable of producing a lot of great highlights forboth fans watching and players participating. Those in attendance will not only get the chance to watch their favorite players having fun competing in a series of childhood games, but they will also be fortunate enough to watch Rae Sremmurd light up Allegiant Stadium with his halftime performance. This could be the first step in the right direction for the NFL as they pivot to revive fandom for the Pro Bowl.