The 2023 NFL Pro Bowl has been revamped for the 2022-23 season, with the rebranded Pro Bowl Games bringing together the best the AFC and NFC have to offer in the final day on Sunday.
The festivities kicked off with a skills competition on Thursday night; that will continue starting on Sunday at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT, before culminating with three flag football games later in the day. The games will have cumulative scoring, with the winning conference of each skills competition earning three points and the winning conference from each of the two first flag football games earning six points.
The sums will be added together and will be the starting score of the third and final flag football game; the winning conference of that game will be the winner of the Pro Bowl Games.
How to watch the Pro Bowl:
In the United States, the 2023 NFL Pro Bowl is being broadcast live on ESPN, ABC and Disney XD. It is taking place at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, NV, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders. The final day of the competition airs from 3-6 PM ET on Sunday, Feb. 5.
Who is in the lead?
After Thursday's contests, the AFC is in the lead. Raiders' quarterback Derek Carr was a standout this week, winning the Precision Passing contest in impressive fashion.
31 points from @DerekCarrQB gives the AFC the Precision Passing victory!
📺: 2023 #ProBowlGames on ESPN pic.twitter.com/qmokHzHTY6
— NFL (@NFL) February 3, 2023
The AFC also won the Lightning Round, with the best catch courtesy of Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin. They also grabbed the victory in the Longest Drive contest, thanks to a walk-off 320-yard drive from Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer.
The only event the NFC won was the Dodgeball contest, which was sealed on a great throw from San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle. The Best Catch contest has not yet been revealed; fan votes will determine which players will compete in the Best Catch final on Sunday.
The following events were all completed on Thursday: Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball, Lightning Round, Longest Drive, Precision Passion and Best Catch. These events are still set to take place on Sunday: the Best Catch Finale, Gridiron Gauntlet, Kick Tack Toe, Move the Chains and three seven-on-seven non-contact Flag football games between the league’s best players.
Replacing the traditional tackle football game in 2023 is the introduction of flag football games on Sunday. According to CNN, “by removing tackles and high-impact collisions, players are at a decreased risk of becoming injured. Without fear of injury, players can ideally focus on the competition at hand and compete at a higher tempo.”
Who is coaching the Pro Bowl?
The AFC will be coached by Peyton Manning, with Ray Lewis serving as Defensive Coordinator and Diana Flores taking the helm as Offensive Coordinator.
In the NFC, Peyton's brother Eli Manning will man head coaching duties, with Demarcus Ware as Defensive Coordinator and Vanita Krouch calling the shots as Offensive Coordinator.
Who are the starting QBs?
The AFC Conference will be led by Trevor Lawrence, who is replacing initial starter Patrick Mahomes, who will be unavailable for this Pro Bowl due to Super Bowl commitments. The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback is richly deserving of his first Super Bowl appearance at the 2023 Pro Bowl. He finished the 2022 regular season with 4,113 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a 54.6 QBR.
In the NFC Conference, Jalen Hurts is unavailable due to his own Super Bowl preparation, and will miss out on his first Pro Bowl selection. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins will be taking his place for his fourth Pro Bowl game. It is the the first time he has been chosen as an outright starter, and he'll be passing to a familiar face in superstar wide receiver receiver Justin Jefferson. It's been a career year for Cousins, who put up a stat line of 4,547 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, and a 49.9 QBR in 2022-23.
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