It's Pro Bowl Time! (Photo courtesy of ESPN).
Welcome to the lowdown on the Pro Bowl! If you haven’t caught my breakdown of the Thursday events of the 2024 Pro Bowl, you can see the article here.
Flag football is the crowning event of the Pro Bowl. We would do a rundown on each of the Sunday skills competitions, but we want there to be an element of surprise (for you and me). So we’ll just get into the coaching and player lineup for the second annual Pro Bowl flag football game.
Head Coaches
We saw the return head coaches, Peyton (AFC) and Eli Manning (NFC), working with their teams on Thursday. While Peyton Manning had his players sweating it out at what was supposed to be a mostly fun event, Eli was more hands-off and supportive heading into the big game. Peyton’s reputation as a hard-nosed teammate lives on. You can tell who’s team I would want to be on.
AFC Coaching Roster
With Peyton Manning at the helm, the AFC continues on with an intimidating lineup.
Wes Welker, the current NFL coach, is the OC for the AFC Pro Bowl team. Welker is the most vanilla choice the AFC made, besides that little drug scandal in 2014.
As DC, the AFC recruited Ray Lewis. I will just say this… make sure he keeps his stabby predilections to a minimum.
Not that Peyton is necessarily the man to do that with his multiple scandals that have his closet full of skeletons.
AFC Pro Bowl Lineup
We will see some of Thursday’s contenders back in action at the flag football game.
Offense
Quarterbacks Gardner Minshew, CJ Stroud, and Tua Tagovailoa will be on the gridiron. If Peyton’s practice video with his focus on Tua is any indication, we will likely see the Miami Dolphin as the starter on Sunday.
James Cook, Derrick Henry, and Raheem Mostert will represent the AFC running backs.
Alec Ingold has a key role as the only fullback on the AFC roster.
The AFC’s A-1 QBs will have excellent wide receivers to target on Sunday as well. This lineup includes Keenan Allen, Marvin Mims Jr., Ja’Marr Chase, Stefon Diggs, and Tyreek Hill.
David Njoku is leaving his diving board and swimming pool from Thursday’s “Best Catch” segment to be a tight end on the gridiron. He will be joined by Evan Engram.
Balls will not go unsnapped with centers Ryan Kelly and Tyler Linderbaum on the job.
Defense
The defense is scary, and not just because of the coach. Pro Bowlers Josh Allen, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Patrick Queen, and Roquan Smith will guarantee backs will be lined.
Jermaine Johnson will defensively end anyone.
Our corners are covered with Sauce Gardner (no relation to Minshew, ha!), Jalen Ramsey, Pat Surtain II, and Denzel Ward.
These Pro Bowlers are here to keep the game “safe”: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Justin Simmons, Kyle Hamilton, and Miles Killebrew.
NFC Coaching Roster
Eli Manning is leading his team with a significant absence of scandal, which will likely leak down to his coaching staff and players. Which may or may not be helpful.
Keenan McCardell is the OC and is only known for his NFL coaching career after his own strong career as a wide receiver in the league.
DeMarcus Ware is similarly squeaky clean scandal-wise, except for hurting the Dallas Cowboys feelings that one time, which to me is not a negative.
I am the proud unofficial couch coach of the NFC.
NFC Pro Bowl Lineup
There are SO many Seahawks. What a group!
Offense
Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, and Geno Smith are the QBs for the flag football event. If winning the precision passing skill competition on Thursday has any sway, Mayfield will be “baking” as the starter.
With Baker manning the oven, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs, D’Andre Swift, and Kyren Williams will have many times to carry the ball.
C.J. Ham is making sure the NFC also has a C.J. on the roster. He is also the lone fullback.
If Mayfield doesn’t bake, it’s hardly because of the wide receiver core. CeeDee Lamb, DK Metcalf, Puka Nacua, Rashid Shaheed, and Amon-Ra St. Brown are dripping with talent.
Sam LaPorta showed us how huge he is on Thursday night. Although catching multiple footballs at once won’t be on the play-call list for LaPorta, he will be ready if he needs to catch one. Along with Jake Ferguson, of course.
It’s unclear why we only have one center on the roster, especially considering how limber Jason Kelce wasn’t on Thursday. No tush pushes this time, Hurts. We can’t afford to have an injured Kelce.
Defense
Our offense is strong, but our Pro Bowl defense could be even stronger.
Linebackers Frank Ragnow, Micah Parsons, Haason Reddick, DeMario Davis (this is very exciting to me as a New Orleans Saints fan by proxy), and LOB Bobby Wagner will absolutely make the AFC go boom. Nick Bellore is so special (and such a fantastic interviewer), he gets a special shout-out as the team’s final linebacker on the roster.
Danielle Hunter is prepared to do what he needs to do as the NFC’s defensive end.
No corner will be safe with Pro Bowlers DaRon Bland, Jaylon Johnson, Darius Slay, and Devon Witherspoon on the roster.
Safety is the utmost unconcern for the NFC team with these gentlemen: Jessie Bates, Budda Baker, and Julian Love.
It is interesting that instead of opting for a second center like the AFC, the NFC chose to have six linebackers instead of five with just one center. A unique strategy with intriguing ramifications.
Pro Bowl Plans
Don’t forget to be in front of the TV on Sunday from 3-6 PM EST for the skills competitions and the flag football game. For viewing information, look here.
I predict that the NFC is going to take the win. Of course, I’m biased.
