The NFL decided not to run the standard tackle football game this year. Instead, it went with several skill-based competitions. Still, the event wasn’t 100 percent unfamiliar. After all, it did end with a game of flag football, which is when players have to remove a flag rather than tackle someone into the ground.
Regardless, it was a busy NFL Pro Bowl week in Las Vegas when Eli Manning’s NFC defeated Peyton Manning’s AFC. The players competed in dodgeball matches, skills challenges, and long-drive competitions. The game was divided into three parts, with the first two contributing 6 points to the team’s total. The creative skills challenges were valued at 3 points each. Before the game’s final part, each team’s total scores were added to act as the starting score. Peyton Manning’s AFC went into the final with a 21 – 15 lead over NFC. However, Eli Manning’s clever play and the players’ determination saw the team overcome the six-point deficit and win 35 – 33.
The NFC team won the first half 13 – 6 and the second half 7 – 6 to outscore the AFC by eight points. After becoming the NFL Pro Bowl 2023 champions, each NFC player was given $84,000, while each AFC team member was given $42,000 for participating in the competition. The teams in this year’s Pro Bowl displayed sheer will and passion for the love of the game.