Today is the first football-free Sunday in five months as there are no NFL games scheduled, even though the Super Bowl is still a week away. However, the NFL Pro Bowl is taking place, which is an annual event gathering the league’s best players.
Last year, the event was renamed the NFL Pro Bowl Games as part of an overhaul in response to declining TV ratings and complaints from bored fans. Instead of a lackluster 11-on-11 football game, players now compete in several different skills competitions leading into Sunday’s seven-on-seven flag football tournament.
This year, Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and his younger brother, two-time Super Bowl champ Eli Manning, are coproducing the games through their Omaha Productions company while serving as coaches for the AFC and NFC. The Pro Bowl Games started on Thursday night, with the NFC leading into the weekend with a 12-6 lead over the AFC.
The competitions that took place on Thursday included dodgeball, precision passing, and a long snap competition featuring a stubborn